The culture committee takes evidence on the Glasgow School of Art, after the chairman of the board said the Macintosh building would be rebuilt
The first minister is quizzed during FMQs
The lunchtime member's debate focuses on marine energy
A ministerial statement will be made on NHS Tayside's board
MSPs debate progress on violence reduction
Mr Johnstone insists local government and the third sector must be adequately resourced if joined-up working is to take place properly.
There is much more to do, he says.
The Labour MSP says while there is much to agree with in the Conservative amendment such as on unreported crime, his party will not be supporting due to an inaccuracy.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe number of murders in Scotland has more than halved over the last decade
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announces plans for a unit aiming to divert young people away from knife crime. The idea is based on a successful approach used in Scotland. So, what can the English capital learn?
Sotland's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) was set up to stem the tide of knife crime which saw Glasgow become Europe's murder capital.
From its formation in 2005 the VRU proposed a fresh approach to tackling the issue.
Its key message was that gang-related stabbings and slashings were not just a policing problem but a public health problem. The unit's motto was a simple one: "Violence is preventable, not inevitable."
In 2004/05 there were 137 murders in Scotland. But by 2016/17 the total had more than halved to 61.
Image source, bbcLabour MSP Daniel Johnson
Labour MSP Daniel Johnson highlights the importance of cross agency work in tackling violence.
He welcomes the announcment by the London mayor that the city will create its own VRU.
Critique is vital, insists Mr Johnson and he points to cuts to public services and local government.
This will only have a negative impact on the ability of the whole system to deliver reductions in the level of violence.
Image source, SPLabour amendment
Ms Denham accepts the point that not all crime is recorded, but she points to other information which support it such as A&E figures.
Mr Kerr insists large numbers of violent crime is going unreported.
Relying on official figures exclusively is dangerously complacent, he argues.
The Tory MSP says police reports indicate violent and sexual crime has increased in the last year, and domestic abuse is increasing.
A 2017-18 report found an increase in anti-social behaviour, he adds.
We cannot close our eyes to the fact the violence crime does appear to be increasing and local police officers are being cut, Mr Kerr states.
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Image source, Violence Reductnon UnitThe Scotsman reported on Saturday, external that "the new head of an internationally recognised police unit credited with helping Glasgow shed its image as the murder capital of western Europe has warned violent crime continues to go unreported.
"Niven Rennie, who took the helm at the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), external in the summer, told Scotland on Sunday parts of the country still experience “unacceptable” levels of violence, with A&E departments dealing with far higher numbers of serious assaults than those reported to police.
"The VRU, which has pioneered a public health approach to tackling violence in the west of Scotland, estimates violent crime could be 11 times higher than the official recorded crime statistics suggest. Its work has received international attention since the turn of the year after 80 people were stabbed to death in London in 2017, a quarter of them in their teens.
Image source, bbcTory MSP Liam Kerr
Tory MSP Liam Kerr says significant progress has been made on violence reduction, but he warns against complacency.
No longer are we the most violent country in the developed world, nor is Glasgow the murder capital he says.
The Tory MSP points out there has been success due to the VRU treating violence like a disease.
He too cites the No Lives Better Lives campaign which drives home the very serious consequences of carrying a knife.
He warns two thirds of crimes are not recorded and people are more likely to go to A&E rather than the police when assaulted.
Image source, Scottish ParliamentTory amendment
Image source, bbc/Scottish governmentMs Denham says the public health approach to justice changes lives for the better.
The programme for government includes a package of measures to better support the victims of crime, she states.
The underlying causes of violence are deep-rooted in poverty, inequality, toxic masculinity and Scotland's relationships with alcohol, the minister says.
She highlights minimum unit pricing and the forthcoming alcohol strategy as efforts to tackle the latter.
Ms Denham also points to a study commissioned by the previous justice secretary on the causes of non-sexual violent crime, which will help us understand where our next focus needs to be.
Image source, VRUFrom the VRU website, external:
A decade ago Glasgow was branded the murder capital of Europe . Determined to tackle the city's addiction to violence Strathclyde Police decided they needed a new approach .
In January 2005 the force established the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). The unit's remit was to target all forms of violent behaviour, in particular knife crime and weapon carrying among young men in and around Glasgow.
Influenced by the World Health Organisation's World Report on Violence and Health (2002), the newly formed VRU became the only police force in the world to adopt a public health approach to violence. Treating it like a disease the VRU sought to diagnose the problem, analyse the causes, examine what works and for whom and develop solutions, which once evaluated, could be scaled up to help others.
To achieve this the unit teamed up with agencies in the fields of health, education and social work. The aim was to create long-term attitudinal change in society rather than a quick fix. The VRU also focused on enforcement seeking to contain and manage individuals who carry weapons or who were involved in violent behaviour.
In April 2006 the unit's remit was extended nationwide creating a Scottish centre of expertise on tackling violent crime. Funded by the Scottish Government the unit's job was to tackle violence in all its forms – from gang fighting to domestic abuse and bullying in schools and the work place.
To do this the VRU has had to think and work creatively looking around the world for inspiration.
Image source, bbcMs Denham praises the work of the Violence Reduction Unit.
Labour MSP Neil Findlay asks if the cuts to local services might not reverse the good work that has gone on.
The minister insists there has been a fair settlement to local government and says the government invested substantially in violence reduction projects.
She cites £12m in funding for the Violence Reduction Unit , externaland points to support given to Medics against violence, external.
The government also supports the No Knives Better Lives, external campaign, insists Ms Denham.
This has led to fewer young people carrying kinves in Scotland she explains.
Image source, Getty ImagesWomen are still more likely than men to feel unsafe walking alone after dark
In May we reported People in Scotland felt safer walking alone at night than ever before, according to a major crime survey.
The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, external said 77% of adults felt safe or very safe in their neighbourhood after dark, the highest ever recorded by the study.
The results were lower for women and those living in the most deprived areas - but those groups still felt much safer on average than a decade ago.
The survey estimated that overall crime has fallen by a third since 2008/09.
Community Safety Minister Ash Denham
Community Safety Minister Ash Denham says over the last decade, recorded violent crime has almost halved while there has been an almost parallel fall in hospital admissions due to assault.
People feel safer in their communities and fear of crime has continued to decrease, she adds.
Ms Denham notes the World Economic Forum is advocating the Scottish approach to violence reduction.
We've come along way since Scotland was described as the most violent country in the developed world and Glasgow the most violent city.
Image source, Scottish parliamentHere is the Scottish government's motion
Image source, Getty imagesThe Scottish government will now lead a debate entitled 'Violence Reduction in Scotland - progress and future priorities'.
Image source, bbcNHS Tayside has needed tens of millions of pounds in loans from the government in recent years
In May we reported that a report highlighted a lack of "open and transparent governance" in the financial management of NHS Tayside.
The independent review, commissioned by the Scottish government, identified a "number of weaknesses" in the board's financial management arrangements.
It agreed to use £3.6m from its publicly-financed endowment fund to help it break even in 2013/14.
NHS Tayside said its new leadership team had already made improvements.
The revelations, including those that cash from the charity fund was used to pay for projects including a new IT system, prompted the resignation of NHS Tayside chairman Prof John Connell.
Image source, bbcLib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton
Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton says on a failure of the whistleblowing system this serious, asking "can we really expect the board to mark its own homework on this".
Mr Cole-Hamilton calls for a full independent public inquiry into whistleblowing practices in NHS Tayside.
Ms Freeman insists this is not necessary, as the board has acted on these concerns.
She commits to "keep a very close eye" on how matters progress and denies the board is marking its own homework.
Image source, bbcAn inquiry was initially ordered into Dundee's Carseview Centre
An independent inquiry into NHS Tayside's mental health services has been launched with an appeal for personal testimonies.
Anyone who has engaged with mental health services in the region has been urged to share their experiences.
It has asked for individuals, families, carers, NHS staff and community groups to come forward.
The call for evidence follows three months of preparation including the appointment of chairman David Strang.
Green MSP Alison Johnstone
Green MSP Alison Johnstone points to the health committee's recommendations that staff should be involved in the appointment of whistleblowing champions.
She notes the Scottish government's response to this recommendation made mention of standards and asks how these standards support whistleblowers comments being acted upon.
What can be done to support whistleblowers further now, Ms Johnstone asks.
Ms Freeman says NHS Tayside has a partnership forum within which staff representatives can have discussions and this gets fed to the board.
She agrees to make information available to the member on how the issues raised are being acted upon.
Image source, bbcScottish Labour health spokesperson Anas Sarwar
Scottish Labour health spokesperson Anas Sarwar says there is a crisis in public confidence in NHS Tayside.
Mr Sarwar raises the issue of "systematic bullying" leading to staff leaving the NHS.
He cites a letter to the cabinet secretary from Munwar Hussain, the former whistleblowing champion.
Mr Sarwar says in the letter Mr Hussain says he recieved an email from a doctor who says they left due to bullying and he cites allegations in this email that a trainee took their own life due to stress.
Mr Sarwar says the former whistleblowing champion resigned and he asks why the cabinet secretary is reassured by this.
Ms Freeman says: "There are undoutbedly challenges for NHS Tayside."
The health secretary insists she takes all concerns raised very seriously indeed.
She says the appropriate place for the whistleblower to raise these concerns is the staff governance committee, not in the wider board meeting.
The specific allegations are currently under investigation, states the health secretary
Tory health spokesperson Miles Briggs
Tory health spokesperson Miles Briggs says staff morale is low within NHS Tayside, which does not help staff performance or patient care.
What matters is the cabinet secretary immediately following up on which Munwar Hussain raised, Mr Briggs asks.
He also calls for the health committee to be given an additional scrutiny role of NHS Tayside's appointments, "given the crisis in leadership".
Ms Freeman says the issues raised included doctors in training, prescribing, senior management pay, CAMHS issues and transformation, which are all being followed up on by the board.
She also pointed to a fact-finding review being led by Health Improvement Scotland on dosage matters.
Turning to board appointments, the health secretary argues the process is subjects to an "approporiate and robust" level of scrutiny.
However, she agrees to keep the health committee informed.