Good journalism is crucial to a healthy democracy. No member in the chamber would claim to relish being confronted with a microphone held by the likes of Bernard Ponsonby. Over the past 34 years, he has shortened the career of many politicians, but we all recognise the crucial job that he has done and that his excellent colleagues across our media continue to do.

However, normal service will be disrupted today, as National Union of Journalists members at STV take strike action for the first time in more than 20 years. I understand that, counter to perceptions, half of the newsroom staff are paid less than a teacher’s starting salary. Despite STV posting £20 million of profits, it is the only broadcaster that is not passing on to all of its workers a percentage pay increase that meets inflation. In the context of its fair work responsibilities, what representations has the Government made to STV on the matter, in order to encourage meaningful negotiations, a fair deal for the journalists and an end to the dispute?

I will start where Neil Bibby, rightly, started, by praising and paying tribute to Bernard Ponsonby and his long-standing career of more than 30 years in journalism. I wish him well in his retirement, and I am grateful that I no longer have to be on the other end of a tough interview by him.

Although it is not for the Scottish Government to directly intervene in the dispute, I absolutely urge STV, as Neil Bibby has asked me to do, to get around the table with the employees and their union to try to ensure that a satisfactory outcome can be reached. Just yesterday, I was speaking to some STV journalists—again, on the other end of an interview—and I was told that one of the reasons for concern is the disparity between how ITV is treating its employees and how STV is doing so.

It is our long-standing position that a progressive approach to industrial relations, along with stronger protections for workers and fair pay, is at the very heart of a more successful society. We will continue to support trade unions across a variety of sectors, and we encourage STV in this instance to immediately get back around the table in order to get a fair pay settlement for STV employees including, crucially, journalists.