MORE POLICE, GOOD NEIGHBOURS, HARD WORKERS: ALL AT FMQ TODAY

When is the Labour leader going give some thought to the questions he asks and thus deny the First Minister the opportunity to do a weekly party political broadcast.

Today’s subject was police numbers. Based on conversations he had had with two, yes 2, police officers Elmer concluded that the government’s claims to have more police on the streets was a sham. Some research would have unearthed the Scottish Police Federation’s statement fulsome in its praise for the position of the government, saying that they had understood the needs of policing and wishing that some local authorities, Labour ones, would step up to the plate and take the same attitude. Ooops!

Eck was able to point out that Labour was the only party in the Chamber which did not support an increase in police numbers. He quoted 1190 (the number of additional officers on about 5 occasions, and repeated that recorded crime is at its lowest levels in Scotland for 30 years.

When will Elmer ever learn?

And so to Annabel:

...who once again proved that FMQs doesn’t have to be a battlefield. She turned, appropriately, to the question of snow. Much of Scotland is under the worst November weather, Annabel said, for 40 years. She praised people who had made it to work, particularly those in caring and neighbours and friends looking in on the elderly or frail. She asked the FM to join her in praising them.

This he was happy to do, and gave examples of the security guard in parliament who was up at 4 am, collecting his colleagues in his 4 x 4 for the early shift and Perth and Kinross Council which had got to all but 2 of its vulnerable residents, but who had assured themselves that these remaining two were being looked after by neighbours.

{On a personal note here, I’ve been touched by the way people have helped each other out during the awful weather. My own mum has had countless offers of help, and when I knocked on the doors of some older people around me, I was hearing the same thing. We Scots can be proud of ourselves I think.}

In reference to school closures Annabel suggested that headmasters should be left to make decisions on opening. The FM agreed and referred her to advice to schools to that effect from the Cabinet Secretary for Education. Harmony.

And so to Tavish:

...who wanted to refer Eck to the review that the English transport minister had ordered of the way that transport had handled the snow and what was the FM doing along these lines. Alex said that we could have any number of reviews after the event was over, in the meantime the government was concerned with the practicalities of keeping Scotland moving.

Tavish asked about the fact that Edinburgh airport was closed today and suggested that in view of the government’s attempts to bring winter tourism to the country it would be a good idea if they could keep the capital’s airport open. The FM whilst praising Edinburgh’s fight to keep the runway open agreed that there might be lessons that could be learned from Aberdeen, Dundee, and Highlands and Islands airports, which had remained open.

Questions about snow; sectarianism; PE in schools and a Single Police Authority followed from members. One particular line from Eck I thought was worth a mention. Richard Baker asked about a Single Police Authority and when the First Minister had answered the point he said... I’m tempted to remind Richard Baker, although of course I won’t, that he said.... and proceeded to remind not just Mr Baker, but anyone listening, what he had said... the just of which was that there were 7 police forces ...when there are actually 8. He pointed out that Mr B would be better to know how many there were before he started trying to abolish them.

And so to lunch for them ....and tea for me!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00w6f4n/First_Ministers_Question_Time_02_12_2010/