2. I, the First Minister and many others have been campaigning on the issue of racism, prejudice and hate for many, many years, and I do not think that we can downplay the significance of the chief constable’s bold statement today. However, it is important to emphasise that not a single organisation or institution is immune to prejudice. That means that we must not see just words, although words are important. The statement must inspire action, and as the First Minister has said, that is a responsibility for each and every single one of us.

There is a culture of secrecy and cover-up at the heart of this dysfunctional and incompetent Scottish National Party Government. The dodgy deal with Liberty Steel, the ferry fiasco, the shambolic deposit return scheme and even heartbreaking tragedies at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital are all shrouded in secrecy. Incompetence has consequences, whether or not it be hidden from view.

Freedom of information laws are one of the last defences against SNP cover-ups, but ministers are riding roughshod over them. New data that we are publishing today shows that the number of FOI requests that the Scottish Government has passed on to ministers for approval has risen five-fold, and once a case goes to ministers for sign off or cover up, the waiting times double, with one in every six FOI requests breaching legally binding response times. Can I therefore ask the First Minister this: what has he got to hide?

There is nothing to hide, and I think that it is a sign of increasing desperation that Anas Sarwar is relying on insinuation, on trying to throw as much mud as he possibly can in the hope that things stick and on that sort of scattergun approach. Actually, this Government has a very good record in responding to freedom of information requests. We are the Government that has the most ambitious targets on these islands when responding to FOI legislation.

Yes, there have undoubtedly been challenges. When I was questioned on the issue at the Conveners Group meeting yesterday, I responded by saying that I was more than happy to review, look at and investigate what more the Scottish Government can do to ensure that we are the most transparent Government on these islands. That is what we will seek to do. [

Interruption

.]

The Presiding Officer:

Thank you, members.

The First Minister:

I say to Anas Sarwar that there are, of course, legitimate reasons why ministers may have to sign off on freedom of information requests. I have made it very clear to our cabinet secretaries and ministers that, when those approvals come up, they should be signed off with urgency and at pace.

Anas Sarwar mentioned Ferguson’s shipyard. In relation to transparency, as soon as that written authority was provided, the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy came in here at the earliest opportunity to take questions and to make sure that he answered those questions. That is not hiding away; that is transparency in action.

The First Minister says that he is transparent—transparently hopeless is what people right across the country will see.

We pointed to facts. He should listen to his own Scottish Information Commissioner. The Scottish National Party despises transparency. At every turn, it covers up failure instead of confronting it. There are no answers on what will happen to its shambolic deposit return scheme, no answers on the ferry fiasco, despite years of delays and millions of pounds of overspend, no answers for families who are bereaved by the scandal at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital, and bullying investigations are kept secret.

I asked the previous First Minister to share the outcome of Fergus Ewing’s bullying investigation and she said that it was legally impossible to do so. But Humza Yousaf has now suggested that he has had a change of heart. Why? Because the politician in question has the audacity to question the SNP leadership.

Can the First Minister tell me: does he believe in transparency every day, or just when he desperately needs it to try and intimidate his critics?

The First Minister:

This is desperate, desperate stuff. As I said, when Anas Sarwar—somebody who has lots of style but no substance—comes to this chamber and demands that we take action. [

Interruption

.]

The Presiding Officer:

Members!

The First Minister:

When he demands that we take action but has no facts to back it up, that is when you know how desperate Anas Sarwar really is.

Let me give him some of the facts that were, of course, missing from his question. Scotland has been a member of the Open Government Partnership since 2016. In 2022, last year, we handled more than 4,500 freedom of information requests and 86 per cent of responses—more than eight of out 10—came within 20 working days. We want to do more, and we should see whether we can improve that rate of response, where we can.

On DRS, it is incredible that it now seems that Anas Sarwar is taking the side of the Cabinet’s man in Scotland. He is taking the side of the party that is determined to undermine devolution. Anas Sarwar—[

Interruption

.]

The Presiding Officer:

Thank you.

The First Minister:

Anas Sarwar is so desperate to attack the SNP that he is siding with the party that opposed the creation of the Scottish Parliament in the first place.

When it comes to the question that he asked in relation to ministerial complaints, my view has not changed from what that of my predecessor was. She was absolutely right. We have an obligation in the Government to take legal advice where appropriate and to adhere to that legal advice on any issue, including complaints around former ministers. I will continue to take that responsible approach and I will also continue to make sure that we do everything that we can as a Government to be as open and as transparent as we possibly can.

We now have a first: a no-style and no-substance First Minister and leader of the SNP.

In fact, we are taking the side of Scottish businesses and Scottish jobs. Perhaps the First Minister should listen to the consequences of what he is imposing on people. [

Interruption

.]

The Presiding Officer:

Excuse me, Mr Sarwar—I can hardly hear. I am sure that those who are gathered here to witness the session in action would also like to hear. Let us keep the noise down while members are on their feet, shall we?

It is okay, Presiding Officer. The First Minister’s strategy is going really well. Just keep doing what you are doing—it is working really well for you.

The SNP is taking Scots for a ride, and we do not even get the luxury of enjoying the camper van. FOI laws are flouted, dissent is suppressed and problems are swept under the carpet. This is a dysfunctional, incompetent and sleaze-ridden Government, failing on the basics. And that has consequences: a national health service at breaking point and a cost of living crisis spiralling out of control.

The SNP is a party in chaos, distracted from the day job. Its finances are under police investigation, a former council leader is under police investigation, the previous chief executive was arrested, the previous treasurer was arrested, offices were raided and there were police tents in gardens.

I have two questions for the First Minister. First, he says that he is transparent, so will he tell us how many police investigations into the activities of his party and his Government are on-going? Secondly, when will he finally end the rotten culture of secrecy and incompetence that is at the heart of this SNP Government?

The First Minister:

I tend to think it best for politicians to leave such verdicts to the people of Scotland. Of course, time and time again, they have chosen the SNP to lead the Scottish Government. I saw Anas Sarwar celebrating polls that, once again, put the Labour Party in second place. He was celebrating being a loser. That sums up Anas Sarwar and the Scottish Labour Party pretty well.

Mr Sarwar said that, when it comes to the DRS, he is on the side of business. I remind him that many of our business organisations want to the scheme to be progressed. No less than AG Barr—the producers of Scotland’s national drink, Irn-Bru—Coca-Cola and many other business organisations want the scheme to go ahead, because they see the value of protecting our environment. That is what the DRS will do. Incredibly, just to take a pop at the SNP, Anas Sarwar sides with the Tories on that.

However, that is not the only issue on which he has sided with the Tories. If he wants to talk about business, we know that one of the biggest shocks to our economy has been caused by the hard Brexit that has been imposed upon us by the Conservative UK Government. Members of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party have become born-again Brexiteers. The Labour Party is doing damage—and will do further damage—to our economy because of its hard Brexit stance. The only way for Scotland to escape the born-again Brexiteers, whether they be Tories or from the Labour Party, will be by having the full powers of an independent nation.