Thursday 16 March 2017

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

Communities

Mike Rumbles (North East Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the holding answer to question S5W-06536 by Derek Mackay on 8 February 2017, when it will provide a full response.

(S5W-7322)

Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06536 on 22 February 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow ) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with the proposed introduction of a young carer's allowance.

(S5W-7681)

Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is aware that young carers face challenges to their health and well-being, and many are unable to access opportunities that are available for other young people. That is why we committed to considering the introduction of a Young Carer’s Allowance to provide extra support for young people with significant caring responsibilities. We have set up the Young Carers Allowance Working Group, which consists of key individuals from organisations such as the Scottish Young Carers Services Alliance, the Scottish Young Parliament and Carers Trust. The Group are developing options for a package of financial and enhanced non-financial support to help young carers. We also received a number of responses from young carers, and the organisations that represent them, during the social security consultation, which we are carefully considering to determine the right package of additional support young carers need.

Bob Doris (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether all local authorities had at least 1% of their budgets subject to Community Choices budgeting, and what the estimated value of public spending determined by this method will be in the current financial year.

(S5W-7813)

Kevin Stewart: The Programme for Government 2016-17 states that councils will have at least 1% of their budget subject to Community Choices budgeting. We are working with COSLA to take forward the commitment. At this stage, no local authority has at least 1% of their budget subject to Community Choices budgeting.

In relation to the estimated value of public spending determined by Community Choices in the current financial year, I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07812 on 16 March 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at

http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx”

Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) improve opportunities and (b) promote inclusive participation for disabled people in politics.

(S5W-7828)

Jeane Freeman: Because we are determined to increase representation of disabled people in our democratic institutions, the Scottish Government established the Access to Elected Office Fund (Scotland) to help disabled people put themselves forward as candidates by helping to meet the additional costs disabled people face when seeking election.

The fund was initially established to cover the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections and 2017 local government elections. But in the Disability Delivery Plan I published in December 2016, we included a commitment to extend the fund to cover the Scottish Parliament elections in 2021.

Additionally and building on a pilot programme being delivered by SCVO and Inclusion Scotland in 2016-17, the Disability Delivery Plan included a commitment to deliver a disability internship programme, providing disabled people with 120 employment opportunities in the third and public sectors and in politics, over the period 2017-2021.

Jackson Carlaw (Eastwood) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the recommendations in the five-year review of the Home Report.

(S5W-7841)

Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government believes it is important to consider the Home Report within the wider work to take action to improve the energy efficiency of Scotland’s properties as part of the development of Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme. We therefore intend to work with stakeholders later this year to consider the recommendations of the review within that wider context.

Jackson Carlaw (Eastwood) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government when it will reconvene the Home Report Implementation Group to consider the findings of the five-year review of the Home Report.

(S5W-7842)

Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government is considering the best ways to engage with stakeholders to consider the findings of the five year review of the Home Report within the wider context of the development of Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme, given the potential role of the Energy Report in raising awareness of energy efficiency improvements amongst home owners at the point of sale. A decision on how to involve the Home Report Implementation Group as part of this wider process will be taken following discussion with key stakeholders, taking account of the responses to the current consultation on Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme.

Jackson Carlaw (Eastwood) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on home reports mainly being used for valuations and alterations, as opposed to providing energy efficiency information, given they are not as detailed as Scheme 2 surveys.

(S5W-7843)

Kevin Stewart: The Home Report was introduced to provide information on the condition, valuation and energy efficiency of a property upfront, and contains three documents – a single survey, which is broadly equivalent to a Scheme 2 survey and includes condition and valuation information; an Energy Report, which in practice is delivered through an Energy Performance Certificate; and a property questionnaire, which provides useful information on the property.

The 5 year review found that the Home Report’s objectives remain valid. The Scottish Government encourages home owners to make use of all of the information available to them within the Home Report. As part of the development of Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme the Scottish Government will be further considering how to encourage action on energy efficiency in owner occupied housing.

Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether it has commissioned any tracking research to assess the effectiveness of the first phase of the benefits campaign, which started in week commencing 6 March 2017.

(S5W-7871)

Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is working closely with Citizens Advice Scotland to monitor and evaluate the uplift in calls to the Citizens Advice benefits helpline and visits to the Citizens

Advice website following the week long activities. We have not however commissioned any tracking study for this first phase of the Scottish Government’s benefits campaign.

The findings from the first phase of this work will be used to help support and inform our wider approach to ensuring that people receive the benefits to which they are entitled.

Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much the budget is for the first phase of the benefits campaign, which started in week commencing 6 March 2017.

(S5W-7872)

Jeane Freeman: The cost for this initial phase of work was £5,804.

Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what the audience reach will be of the first phase of the benefits campaign, which started in week commencing 6 March 2017.

(S5W-7873)

Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government worked with a wide range of local press and local radio platforms to reach people and communities across every area of Scotland.

The reach of the radio platform used is estimated to be 1.3 million people (Source: Radio Joint Audience Research 3 2016).

The reach of the press platform used is estimated to be 1.2 million people (Source: Joint Industry Committee for Regional Press Research. 31.05.16).

Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what the Scottish Welfare Fund allocations are for each local authority for (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19.

(S5W-7898)

Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Welfare Fund local authority allocations for 2016-17 and 2017-18 are available on the Scottish Government website and can be accessed on the following link:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/fairerscotland/scottishwelfarefund/socialfund

The funding available in 2018-19 will be agreed by the Scottish Parliament through the 2018-19 Budget Bill process.

Stuart McMillan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the announcement by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce's chief executive that Scotland must have a unique migration system to respond to its lower population growth rate.

(S5W-7916)

Alasdair Allan: It is essential that Scotland maintains its population growth to ensure that we have an appropriate demographic profile to sustain all of our population living full, supported and productive lives. Stimulating population growth is a key driver of sustainable economic growth, and in Scotland, most of our population growth is supported by inward migration. We know that 90% of the population increase in Scotland over the next ten years is projected to come from migration (57% from net international migration and 32% from net migration from the rest of the UK). This is markedly different to the projections for the UK as a whole, where 51% of the projected population increase over the next 10 years is due to natural change and 49% is due to international migration. If current trends continue, net inward migration is projected to be the main contributor to Scotland’s population growth over the next 25 years.

As the Chamber of Commerce have identified, it is crucial that Scotland has an immigration system which enables businesses to attract and access the skills and talent required to boost Scotland’s long-term competiveness and to support Scotland’s Economic Strategy.

Economy

Ross Thomson (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation regarding the impact of the common fisheries policy.

(S5O-795)

Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government works closely with the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, and with other fishermen’s representatives, to manage sea fisheries in Scotland. Working together, we have made sure that the Common Fisheries Policy has been implemented in as sensible a way as possible in Scotland. We will also continue to work together to develop effective fisheries management policies for the future.

Jenny Gilruth (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many households have received support in each year since 2007 from the energy efficiency measures that it has introduced.

Holding answer issued: 7 March 2017 (S5W-6972)

Paul Wheelhouse: Analysis of Scottish Government programmes is only available since 2009 and annual breakdowns are published on the Energy saving Trusts website here. Overall these figures demonstrate that, as of the end of March 2015, over 245,000 households have received energy efficiency measures through our schemes since 2009. Scottish Government schemes also typically interact and blend funding with UK schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), the Community Energy Savings Programme (CESP) and the Carbon Emissions Reductions Target (CERT) and some households will receive assistance from more than one scheme . Taking these into account we estimate that, by the end of March 2015, just under 1 million Scottish Households have received support since 2009.

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) Regional Selective Assistance and (b) other support has been provided to Greggs plc to safeguard or create jobs at its (i) Cambuslang plant and (ii) plants across the rest of the country in each of the last five years.

(S5W-6984)

Paul Wheelhouse: No Regional Selective Assistance or other financial support has been provided by the Scottish Government or Scottish Enterprise (SE), to Greggs plc for its Scottish sites in the last five years. However, SE officials have offered support through the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service and SE's Account Management service.

An offer of Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) support to Greggs PLC headquarters has been made to assist any affected employees at the Clydesmill site. At the time of writing, the formal consultation period has not yet commenced and the PACE offer has not been taken forward. The company is still in discussion with its employees and the impact on the workforce of any potential compulsory redundancies has therefore not yet been confirmed.

Dean Lockhart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-02382 by Keith Brown on 21 September 2016, whether it will provide an update on how much of the funding will be in the form of (a) loans and (b) guarantees, and by what date the funds will be available.

Holding answer issued: 15 March 2017 (S5W-7228)

Paul Wheelhouse: As previously advised, support under the Scottish Growth Scheme is expected to be largely in the form of guarantees to new and early-stage high growth potential companies, but if appropriate, loans may be offered; the use of loans will be dependent on the nature of the proposals

that come forward, recognising that the scheme will be demand-led, and that appropriate due diligence will be applied to applications for support that come forward. It would be inappropriate to speculate on this aspect until the operational delivery is finalised. Work is progressing for the introduction of the Scottish Growth Scheme over the coming months.

Gordon Lindhurst (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address that 30% of the construction workforce in Scotland is reported to be aged 50 or over.

(S5W-7316)

Paul Wheelhouse: In its Construction Skills Network Report published last month, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has forecast that industry will need 12,000 new construction workers in Scotland over the next five years to meet demand.

To meet this predicted demand, Skills Development Scotland are funding high numbers of quality Modern Apprenticeships in construction. These are available across all of the construction sector, and at all levels including technical and professional roles.

In 2015-16 Skills Development Scotland funded 4,895 Modern Apprenticeship starts in construction and related occupations – approximately 19% of the total of all Modern Apprenticeship starts. Skills Development Scotland have also consulted with the industry on expanding the Modern Apprenticeship programme to support the Scottish Government ambition of 30,000 Modern Apprenticeships by 2020.

In addition, the industry, working with Skills Development Scotland, is working to promote construction as a career of choice through a range of activities resulting from the Construction Skills Investment Plan aimed at attracting talent, building career pathways and modernising training. There is a clear commitment by the industry to continue to train apprentices where possible and support the successful Modern Apprenticeship programme. New Foundation and Graduate Level apprenticeships are now also available in the sector.

Clearly, the UK Government’s plans to drag Scotland out of the EU and the single market will potentially restrict the free movement of workers within Europe and may exacerbate skills shortage. This is one reason why Scottish Government has put forward credible proposals to UK Ministers to maintain Scotland’s concerns to the single market for trade as well as in ability to fill skills shortages.

Mike Rumbles (North East Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects the system for delivery of common agricultural policy payments, including basic farm payments, to return to normal in 2018-19.

Holding answer issued: 15 March 2017 (S5W-7626)

Fergus Ewing: At this stage the Scottish Government expect to return to the normal payment cycle in 2018-19.

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what the public liability requirements are for windfarm companies.

Holding answer issued: 15 March 2017 (S5W-7639)

Paul Wheelhouse: Wind farm operators are bound by the Health and Safety Executive Scotland's legislation, as the agency with executive powers in this area of policy, which is an area of policy currently reserved to Westminster although there is a condition for all developments above 50MW to notify Scottish Ministers in times of serious incidents, including notifications of remedial measures taken and or to be taken to rectify the break, within 24 hours of the incident occurring.

Andy Wightman (Lothian) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government how it works with the (a) UK Government and (b) energy companies to promote the use of smart meters.

(S5W-7647)

Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the roll-out of smart meters as a national modernisation programme that has the potential to bring benefits to Scottish energy consumers if properly implemented.

We have and continue to engage extensively, not only with the UK Government and energy companies, but with industry as a whole to ensure the programme is delivered to the greatest number of Scottish consumers, at the lowest possible cost, whilst enhancing the benefits to the most vulnerable in our society and those at risk of fuel poverty.

In December 2016 we convened a summit of utility companies to target the identified inequalities in the energy market which included detailed discussion on the smart meter roll out and it's potential to make a material difference to those suffering the greatest degree of detriment in the energy market. We continue to build on these discussions and will hold a follow up event in 2017 extended to include consumer group representatives.

On 24 January we launched the draft Energy Strategy alongside a suite of consultations that includes the Scottish Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP). These consultations seek views on how we will achieve our vision for the future energy system in Scotland, for the period to 2050 and include consultations questions around the opportunities to link SEEP delivery with other initiatives, including the smart meter rollout, so to maximise the benefits for the people of Scotland. These consultation can be accessed via the following link: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/01/3414

We welcome responses to the draft Energy Strategy and SEEP consultation which are due to close on 30 May 2017.

In February we responded to a Ofgem consultation on proposed regulatory amendments to large energy suppliers smart meter roll-out plans. Our response highlighted the importance of balancing the challenging 2020 deadline with the delivery of a positive customer experience given that 32% of the programme’s benefits are attributed to expected consumer energy saving behaviour.

Andy Wightman (Lothian) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP) works with small businesses to better forecast and plan long-term work.

(S5W-7650)

Paul Wheelhouse: The development of the Scottish Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP) will involve significant public consultation and engagement with delivery partners across Scotland. The SEEP consultation, launched on 24 January, asks key questions around the establishment and sustainability of local supply chains, standards and regulations, and financial incentives which will assist our understanding of the potential impact of the programme on Scottish businesses. By 2018 we will have developed a detailed route map for SEEP which will enable Scottish businesses and the wider sector to better forecast and plan long-term work. The consultation can be accessed via the following link: https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/energy-and-climate-change-directorate/scotlands-energy-efficiency-programme/

As part of our current programmes, the Energy Saving Trust and Resource Efficient Scotland are working together to provide assistance and support for businesses in Scotland to be able to participate effectively in the supply chain for energy efficiency and renewables measures /installations. Through this on-going engagement with installers we will consider what skills and training are required to develop the necessary capacity in the sector as SEEP is piloted and developed.

Andy Wightman (Lothian) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the milestone set out in its publication, Draft Climate Change Plan - the draft Third Report on Policies and Proposals 2017-2032, that "by 2032, 80% of domestic buildings’ heat [will be] supplied using low-carbon technologies", how it will support householders in the remaining 20%.

(S5W-7651)

Paul Wheelhouse: The draft Climate Change Plan is clear that “by 2050, all buildings across Scotland will be near zero carbon - homes will be highly efficient and the heat supply largely decarbonised”. The 2032 milestones articulate the policy outcomes we need to realise as we work

towards our longer term objectives. In 2032, it is estimated that 20% of domestic heat demand will be supplied using natural gas.

Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP) will be the cornerstone of our efforts to decarbonise the country’s building stock. SEEP will bring together grants and loans with advice and information, and back this up with standards and regulation, helping to drive improvement. It will be an integrated programme of support for domestic and non-domestic buildings, with a key role for partners in local government, housing associations, communities and the private sector, building on our existing successful area-based energy efficiency programmes such as HEEPS:ABS.

We recognise that the objectives set out in the draft Climate Change Plan are very challenging and that is why we are now working with stakeholders to design the detail of the policy and delivery framework for SEEP, which will be rolled out from 2018. Our consultation on SEEP is open until 30 May, and can be found at: https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/energy-and-climate-change-directorate/scotlands-energy-efficiency-programme/. We are also consulting on how to support the development of heat networks and the planning at local level of heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency programmes within SEEP. This consultation is open until 18

th April 2017 and can be found

at: https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/energy-and-climate-change-directorate/local-heat-and-energy-efficiency/.

Andy Wightman (Lothian) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government how it will work with community energy projects to help deliver the commitments in its publication, Draft Climate Change Plan - the draft Third Report on Policies and Proposals 2017-2032.

(S5W-7652)

Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government are defining a distinctive approach to Scotland’s future energy provision; putting communities at the heart of decisions about their local energy system; and empowering them to take an economic stake in new developments.

This supportive and positive environment has led in the last year to a number of achievements and key milestones being reached, including:

our community and locally owned target of 500MW by 2020 being met five years.

Over £10 million now being invested in Scottish communities every year from renewable energy projects

One of the key themes of our draft Energy Strategy is a more localised approach to energy provision, helping to tackle some of our most pressing issues – from fuel poverty, to security of supply, to increasing costs – and stimulate local economic renewal. We want to ensure that communities will be at the heart of this new approach.

Peter Chapman (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated for each of the next three years for the Scottish Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (a) New Capital Grant Scheme, (b) New Entrants Start-Up Grant Scheme and (c) Young Farmers Start-Up Grant Scheme.

(S5W-7861)

Fergus Ewing: The SRDP 2014-20 assumes £20M of support for Young Farmers and New Entrants across the programme life. This includes an indicative budget for the New Entrant Capital Scheme of £12M and £8m of support for start-ups. Of the latter £2m is aimed at new entrants of smaller units (with no age restriction) and £6m to young farmers (no more than 40 years old as governed by EC regulation).

SRDP funding is subject to the outcomes of spending reviews and decisions taken by the UK Government including any loss of EU funding post Brexit.

Peter Chapman (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) applications it has received for and (b) grants it has paid out to the

Scottish Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (i) New Capital Grant Scheme, (ii) New Entrants Start-Up Grant Scheme and (iii) Young Farmers Start-Up Grant Scheme.

(S5W-7862)

Fergus Ewing: Total Number of

Applications Grants

Received* Paid Out

(i) New Capital Grant Scheme 496 65

(ii) New Entrants Start-Up Grant Scheme 69 18

(iii) Young Farmers Start-Up Grant Scheme 458 110

Peter Chapman (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how much of the overall budget (a) has been spent and (b) still remains for the Scottish Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (i) New Capital Grant Scheme, (ii) New Entrants Start-Up Grant Scheme and (iii) Young Farmers Start-Up Grant Scheme.

(S5W-7865)

Fergus Ewing: £6.8M has been committed to the Start-Up schemes currently leaving £1.2M from an indicative budget of £8M. The Scottish Government is determined to continue to support deserving new businesses and ensure the continuation of the start-up schemes.

£4.3M has been committed to the Capital Grant Scheme which remains open to applications on a continual basis.

Health and Social Care

Gail Ross (Caithness and Sutherland and Ross) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for people with symptoms of Lyme disease.

(S5W-7278)

Aileen Campbell: NHS staff follow published guidance, for example the British Infection Association’s 2011 position statement on Lyme Borreliosis, when caring for a patient who may have Lyme disease. Lyme disease is easily treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early but if left untreated, there is a risk of developing serious long-term complications requiring specialist treatment.

Jackson Carlaw (Eastwood) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what websites it (a) funds and (b) directly runs relating to adolescent sexual health, and when the websites were last updated.

Holding answer issued: 6 March 2017 (S5W-7335)

Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government does not currently run or fund any websites relating specifically to adolescent sexual health. However, the Sexual Health Scotland website is funded and operated by Scottish Government and does contain advice and information on a range of topics relating to sexual health and wellbeing.

In addition and in partnership with Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland via the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention Fund and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund (CYPFEIF and ALEC Fund) we have provided funding to Young Scot who we will support to develop a digital resource for young parents. This resource is being developed to meet the actions relating to young parents as set out in the Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People Strategy but will include advice that will be applicable to all young people.

Jackson Carlaw (Eastwood) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the potential (a) cost and (b) resource implications over

the next five years of allowing women from Northern Ireland access to NHS abortion services in Scotland; how much it will set aside each year to pay for this, and what discussions it has had with the Northern Ireland Executive regarding paying for this.

Holding answer issued: 6 March 2017 (S5W-7350)

Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government is continuing to consider the issues associated with providing abortion services for women from Northern Ireland in Scotland including potential costs and resource implications.

Monica Lennon (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01459 by Shona Robison on 9 August 2016, how many women and girls have received treatment for menstrual-related conditions in each of the last five years; what type of treatments are available, and how much do these treatments cost.

(S5W-7666)

Aileen Campbell: The information requested is not held centrally. There is a very wide range of clinical conditions captured by the term ‘menstrual-related conditions’, including amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia, and similarly, a wide variety of treatments for each respective condition.

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what procedures it has in place to reduce cannabis use.

(S5W-7674)

Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government continues to tackle problem drug use through our strategy 'The Road for Recovery'. This strategy seeks to tackle problem drug use through a combination of prevention and education work. The Scottish Government has invested over £630 million to tackle problem alcohol and drug use since 2008.

The most recently published findings from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey show that there has been a statistically significant decrease in the reported use of cannabis (down from 6.2% in 2008-09 to 5% in 2014-15).

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS Lanarkshire to deal with the number of people hospitalised because of cannabis use.

(S5W-7676)

Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government continues to support drug and alcohol treatment services in Scotland and has invested over £630 million in them since 2008.

The provision of specific drug and treatment services is for each local area to consider, taking account of local needs, circumstances and resources. It is for individual NHS boards, local authorities and Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) to ensure that appropriate health care services are provided to meet the needs of their resident populations.

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-07071 by Maureen Watt on 2 March 2017, how much it allocated through its agencies to the Positive Parenting Programme.

(S5W-7708)

Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07072 on 9 March 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06893 by Maureen Watt on 24 February 2017, what percentage rate of increase above the overall growth in the frontline NHS budget will be allocated to mental health.

(S5W-7720)

Maureen Watt: The commitment in the Scottish budget is that in future years investment in mental health will grow at a rate above the overall growth in the frontline budget. No specific percentage rate has been agreed. NHS Boards will report on mental health expenditure through the normal route in due course.

Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06893 by Maureen Watt on 24 February 2017, when the additional investment of £150 million on mental health services started to be paid to NHS boards, and what share of this funding was included in each NHS territorial board budget in that financial year.

(S5W-7721)

Maureen Watt: The commitment within the Scottish budget to invest £150 million over the next five years is from 2017-18 to 2021-22. Allocation decisions for 2017-18 are currently being finalised.

Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06893 by Maureeen Wattr on 24 February 2017, noting that this funding was listed in both the draft 2016-17 budget and the draft 2017-18 budget, whether the delivery of £150 million funding began in the financial year 2016-17 or will begin in 2017-18, and what the final financial year of the allocation of funds will be.

(S5W-7722)

Maureen Watt: The commitment within the Scottish budget to invest £150 million over the next five years is from 2017-18 to 2021-22. £30 million is earmarked for allocation in 2017-18. The allocation profile for future years is currently being agreed, and will be subject to future Spending Review decisions.

Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how much it is investing in the strategy, Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action, in 2016-17, and how much it will allocate in each of the next four years, also broken down by the amount set aside for (a) recruiting and (b) retraining cancer clinical nurse specialists.

(S5W-7769)

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07773 on 16 March 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

In addition, the Scottish Government has committed to invest an extra £2.5 million recurring funding in specialist nursing and care from 2015-16 onwards.

Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist nurses will be needed in each of the next four years to meet the aim in its strategy, Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action, that “by 2021 people with cancer who need it [will] have access to a specialist nurse during and after their treatment and care”.

(S5W-7770)

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07773 on 16 March 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many cancer clinical nurse specialists there are in each NHS board, also broken down by how many specialise in urological cancers.

(S5W-7771)

Shona Robison: Information on the number of specialist nurses who are responsible for the delivery of cancer care and urology oncology is published by ISD Scotland and is available at the following link:-

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2016-12-06/Clinical_Nurse_Specialists_S2016.xls

The Scottish Government has committed to invest an extra £2.5 million of recurring funding in specialist nursing and care from 2015-16 onwards.

NHSScotland Boards are expected to ensure that patients with specialist conditions have appropriate access to a range of professionals, including specialist nurses, to ensure optimum management of their condition.

Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many urological cancer clinical nurse specialists will be needed in each of the next four years to meet the aim in its strategy, Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action, that “by 2021 people with cancer who need it [will] have access to a specialist nurse during and after their treatment and care”.

(S5W-7773)

Shona Robison: It is the responsibility of NHS to plan and provide services to meet the needs of their resident populations, in line with relevant national strategies/frameworks, within their annual funding allocations. To assist health Boards in making these decisions, plans are in place to introduce a national and regional workforce planning system across the NHS in Scotland to help deliver the vision set out in the Health and Social Care Delivery Plan, the National Clinical Strategy and the Cancer Strategy.

Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how its strategy, Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action, will ensure that men who have had prostate cancer treatment will have equity of access to (a) erectile dysfunction clinics, (b) the medication, tadalafil (Cialis), (c) vacuum pumps and (d) psychosexual services/sex therapy.

(S5W-7774)

Shona Robison: We expect that anyone who living with or after cancer has access to the services appropriate to their clinical needs. The Scottish Government’s cancer strategy ‘Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action’ and the accompanying £100 million investment over the coming years serve as a blueprint for the future of cancer services in Scotland, improving the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare for people who may be suspected to have, or who have a confirmed diagnosis of cancer of any type.

Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by BBC Scotland on 2 March 2017 suggesting that NHS Ayrshire and Arran spends an average of £3.20 on food and drink per patient each day.

(S5W-7789)

Shona Robison: The main focus for Scottish Government is that patients have a right to expect high-quality and nutritious food that meets their specific needs and aids recovery.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran provides patients with high quality and nutritionally balanced meals, based on a wide menu choice. Meals are prepared on site daily, using fresh produce to ensure that good, wholesome meals are provided to their patients. This approach is reflected in the 'Inpatient Experience Survey 2016' results where 81% of patients in NHS Ayrshire and Arran reported that they were happy with the food/meals they received.

To help reduce waste and therefore costs, NHS Ayrshire and Arran ask patients to choose their next meal as close as possible to the meal time, this means that their rate of unserved meals is very low, on average three per cent.

In order to ensure best value, NHS Ayrshire and Arran purchase their food and beverages from national procurement contracts agreed by NHS National Services Scotland (National Procurement), who use the combined buying power of NHS Boards throughout Scotland, to get the best possible deals on supplies and services. By buying through national contracts, NHS Ayrshire and Arran also saves money, to redirect into front line patient care.

Learning and Justice

John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government where it indicates on the modern apprenticeship vacancies that it advertises that they comply with the Two Tick or Disability Confident processes.

Holding answer issued: 9 March 2017 (S5W-7487)

Jamie Hepburn: Scottish Government funded modern apprenticeships are advertised on apprenticeship.scot. Employers can indicate on their vacancy that they comply with the Two Tick or Disability Confident processes. Two Ticks information is located in the vacancy upload process of apprenticeships.scot.

Employers uploading vacancies will select whether they are a Two Ticks Employer. If they choose this option, the recruitment process is carried out in accordance with Two Ticks procedures. As part of this process, information on Two Ticks will appear on the screen to inform applicants that this vacancy is being carried out in line with the scheme.

SDS will shortly update apprenticeships.scot to replace Two Ticks with Disability Confident procedures, information and logos.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any representations from the Registrar General of Scotland regarding how same sex couples are recorded on birth certificates.

(S5W-7659)

Annabelle Ewing: The Scottish Government has not received any representations from the Registrar General for Scotland in respect of how same sex couples are recorded on birth certificates. Birth certificates are extracts from the Register of Births, the form of which is laid down by Scottish Statutory Instrument made by the Registrar General and approved by the Scottish Ministers http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2009/315/schedule/1/made There are no current plans to change the form of the Register of Births.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government what impact the expansion of GPS and alcohol monitoring technologies will have on the daily cost of monitoring (a) overall and (b) per person compared with the cost for custodial sentences.

(S5W-7687)

Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is consulting on legislative proposals for Electronic Monitoring until 19 May 2017.

Alongside this consultation we will be developing the potential costs associated with the introduction of GPS and alcohol monitoring technologies. These potential costs will be reflected in the financial memorandum of any Bill that we introduce.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its response to the consultation, Electronic Monitoring in Scotland.

(S5W-7689)

Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government consultation, "Electronic Monitoring in Scotland – A Consultation on Proposals for Legislation" closes on 19 May. A response will be published after that date.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government how many people it anticipates will be monitored in the expanded electronic monitoring scheme.

(S5W-7690)

Michael Matheson: There are currently around 1100 people subject to electronic monitoring in Scotland.

If the current scheme is extended as set out in the consultation: "A Consultation on Proposals for Legislation", the uptake and use of the extended scheme will be for the Judiciary, Scottish Prison Service and others to decide on.

Any legislation introduced will be accompanied by a Financial Memorandum, which will include estimates of how many individuals may be subject to electronic monitoring under legislative proposals.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been subject to electronic monitoring in each local authority area in each year since 2013.

(S5W-7691)

Michael Matheson: The total number of individual instances of electronic monitoring in each Local Authority in each financial year of the current contract, which commenced in April 2013, are set out in the following table. An individual may have been subject to electronic monitoring on more than one occasion. Figures for 2016-2017 cover the period from April 2016 to February 2017.

Local Authority 2013-2014 2014-2015 2016-2016 2016-2017

Aberdeen City 185 134 83 119

Aberdeenshire 46 46 38 54

Angus 52 39 56 38

Argyll & Bute 27 27 26 35

Clackmannanshire 51 46 32 33

Dumfries & Galloway 110 68 62 82

Dundee City 245 247 300 288

East Ayrshire 99 117 151 156

East Dunbartonshire 31 25 27 41

East Lothian 48 45 42 38

East Renfrewshire 18 15 18 13

Edinburgh 210 155 206 274

Falkirk 50 38 31 65

Fife 353 413 339 379

Glasgow 440 490 562 642

Highland 72 94 89 61

Inverclyde 47 60 62 76

Midlothian 31 49 33 33

Moray 18 29 40 57

North Ayrshire 71 117 202 173

North Lanarkshire 263 255 305 277

Orkney Islands 10 3 8 4

Perth & Kinross 68 85 80 69

Renfrewshire 63 90 92 94

Scottish Borders 48 35 35 59

Shetland Islands 15 5 26 13

Local Authority 2013-2014 2014-2015 2016-2016 2016-2017

South Ayrshire 120 155 111 100

South Lanarkshire 223 306 351 343

Stirling 59 48 21 30

West Dunbartonshire 81 59 79 91

West Lothian 133 170 145 116

Western Isles 25 41 23 15

Total 3312 3506 3675 3868

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders it invited to engage in the consultation, Electronic Monitoring in Scotland.

(S5W-7692)

Michael Matheson: "Electronic Monitoring in Scotland – A Consultation on Proposals for Legislation" is a public consultation and the Scottish Government is keen to hear from all those with an interest in this area.

We are particularly interested in the thoughts of a range of people and organisations working in the justice system, people who have been victims of crime and those with a history of offending.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to carry out a risk assessment on the use of GPS for electronic monitoring.

(S5W-7693)

Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring electronic monitoring is tailored to reflect the needs, risks and circumstances of the individual. The expansion of electronic monitoring, including use of GPS, will increase the options available to manage and monitor those who offend in the community and to further protect public safety.

GPS technology to monitor those who offend is used in a number of other jurisdictions. The introduction of GPS will depend on the outcome of the consultation and any subsequent parliamentary process.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government how it helps people break out of the reoffending cycle.

(S5W-7694)

Michael Matheson: This Government is committed to action to reduce reoffending and we are taking forward a range of measures to support individuals to break this cycle. These include:

maintaining record levels of funding of nearly £95 million for Criminal Justice Social Work services to tackle reoffending and the causes of crime;

investing an additional £4 million in 2016-17 to increase the use of robust community services which evidence shows are more effective at reducing reoffending than short prison sentences, and this funding continues in the budget for this coming financial year; and

providing £15.5 million over 2012-17 through the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund to support third sector services delivering practical, one to one offender mentoring services to women and prolific young male offenders, a substantial advance in the support previously available across Scotland to those completing short term prison sentences.

From 1 April, our new model for Community Justice will come into effect. Statutory Community Justice Partners will jointly plan and deliver services to prevent further offending and support those who have offended to reintegrate into communities. This approach will strengthen the way services and communities work together to break the cycle of offending, reduce re-offending and ultimately make our communities safer.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government which (a) organisations and (b) individuals can access data under the current electronic monitoring scheme and whether (i) their and (ii) other's access will change following the consultation, Electronic Monitoring in Scotland.

(S5W-7695)

Michael Matheson: Individuals and organisations can currently access data held under the current electronic monitoring scheme in accordance with, and subject to the provisions of, the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and the Data Protection Act 1998.

"A Consultation on Proposals for Legislation" ends on 19 May. This includes specific questions on about information and data sharing and retentions. We cannot pre-empt responses to these.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government what international evidence was considered by the consultation, Electronic Monitoring in Scotland; what percentage of the remand population in these examples was subject to such monitoring; how long such monitoring had been used in each country, and what feedback it received regarding the effectiveness of it.

(S5W-7696)

Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to looking at how electronic monitoring could be used ahead of sentencing in cases where the crime is unlikely to result in a custodial punishment.

To help inform the electronic monitoring working group thinking around the new uses of electronic monitoring, research was carried out by the Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research (SCCJR) 'Scottish and International Review of the Uses of Electronic Monitoring'. Independently, the SCCJR and the University of Stirling were commissioned to undertake research as part of a wider European Project; 'Creativity and effectiveness in the use of electronic monitoring as an alternative to imprisonment in EU member states'. The resulting report and its recommendations also informed the work of the working group.

This European Project found that electronic monitoring was used in diverse ways within the 5 jurisdictions involved in the project and therefore the detail in terms of use and volume is recorded differently.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), whether the consultation on the proposed legislation for a new definition and criminalisation of abuse and neglect of children will give respondents the opportunity to comment on the appropriateness of removing the defence of justifiable assault.

(S5W-7710)

Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government understands that John Finnie MSP intends to forward a member's Bill on physical punishment of children. The Scottish Government will consider this Bill once it is available.

The Scottish Government will work with key partners across the children's sector to develop the consultation on proposed amendments to section 12 of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 (Cruelty to persons under sixteen).

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), when the "evaluation of the early work" of the programme of action on neglect will be reported to him, and whether these findings will be put in the public domain.

(S5W-7711)

Mark McDonald: The Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children, based at the University of Strathclyde, will provide a report to me on the early findings of the programme of action on neglect in the pilot sites, by 31 March 2017. These findings will be placed in the public domain.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), when it expects to introduce the draft legislation on the new definition and criminalisation of abuse and neglect of children.

(S5W-7712)

Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government will consult on proposed amendments to section 12 of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 (Cruelty to persons under sixteen) this year. New legislation will be brought forward in the current session of Parliament.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), what financial support it will provide to the child protection improvement programme measures.

(S5W-7713)

Mark McDonald: The budget for child protection for 2017- 18 is £1.166 million. This includes funding for the child protection improvement programme and frontline support for projects that help vulnerable children and families such as the Partnership Drugs Initiative.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), when the national child protection policy will be published and what support it will provide for this.

(S5W-7714)

Mark McDonald: The national child protection policy will be published within 12 months of the statement. Support for the policy will be provided as part of the on-going child protection improvement programme.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), for what reason it is developing separate national child protection policies and plans; what the difference is between these, and whether it will consider publishing both in a single document.

(S5W-7715)

Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government has committed to publishing a national child protection policy, covering all aspects of child protection which will identify all the responsibilities and actions across Government that are aimed at supporting families and protecting children. As part of the national policy we will develop a plan which will be specifically focused on preventing the emotional, physical and sexual abuse of Scotland’s children. Both the national policy and prevention plan will be published as part of the same document.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), for what reason the minister will chair the National Child Protection Leadership Group, in light of the recommendation by the Child Protection Systems Review that the group "should report and account to Scottish Ministers".

(S5W-7716)

Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government has accepted all the recommendations of the Child Protection Systems Review, including the recommendation to establish a National Child Protection Leadership Group. As I stated in my answer to the member in the chamber, given the expectations that I am setting out for others to show leadership in this area I decided that I should demonstrate my own commitment to leadership by chairing the Leadership Group.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), in light of the minister's comment that "new legislation will be brought before this session of Parliament introducing a new definition and criminal offence of abuse and neglect of children", whether the minister will reconsider his response to question S5W-03999 in which said that the Scottish Government has “no plans to bring forward legislation to repeal existing legal defences for parents in relation to physical punishment”.

(S5W-7718)

Mark McDonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-007710 on 16 March 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by Mark McDonald on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c.46) that it will develop a flagging system on the National Vulnerable Persons Database, before creating a National Child Protection Database, what access rights to information parents and guardians will have in the interim arrangements; which (a) organisations, (b) public bodies, and (c) government bodies will have access to this data; what the data retention policy will be, and what information will be recorded for each child.

(S5W-7719)

Mark McDonald: As recommended by the Child Protection Systems Review, the Scottish Government has committed to working with Police Scotland to develop a flagging system on the national vulnerable persons database that will identify all children who are placed on local child protection registers. Preliminary work to develop this will begin shortly and we will work with Police Scotland to identify and address issues of access and data retention.

Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the proposed digitisation of some processes by the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service will be accessible for (a) older people, (b) disabled people and (c) people with limited online access.

(S5W-7782)

Michael Matheson: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days.

Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how the University of Edinburgh’s new two-year postgraduate teacher education course will attract potential applicants into the teaching profession.

(S5W-7800)

John Swinney: The University of Edinburgh’s new two-year postgraduate teacher education course is a new form of initial teacher education that will result in the award of a full Masters degree and teachers being able to work across both the primary and secondary sectors. The higher academic qualification and increased flexibility in terms of employment will be attractive to graduates considering teaching as a career.

Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how the University of Edinburgh’s new two-year postgraduate teacher education course will improve standards in schools.

(S5W-7801)

John Swinney: The University of Edinburgh’s new two-year postgraduate teacher education course is a new form of initial teacher education that will result in the award of a full Masters degree and teachers being able to work across both the primary and secondary sectors. The combination of a higher qualification, the development of strong core teaching skills and the ability to work across both primary and secondary schools will allow teachers who study through this route to positively impact on Scotland’s schools.

Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many accidental house fires there were in each of the last five years in Lothian; how many of these fires were caused by electricity, and what steps it is taking to reduce the number of such fires.

(S5W-7823)

Annabelle Ewing: This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) publishes statistics on accidental dwelling fires, broken down by local authority, however this data is not broken down into specific causes.

These statistics are available on SFRS’s website, and can be found at this link http://www.firescotland.gov.uk/about-us/fire-and-rescue-statistics.aspx

The SFRS has a statutory duty to promote fire safety across Scotland. In the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2016, Scottish Ministers require SFRS to contribute fully to improving the safety and well-being of Scotland’s communities and to ensure that there is a clear process for working with partners to identify the risks faced by communities and individuals so that activity can be targeted using a risk-based approach.

The SFRS considers how best to reduce dwelling fires, including those caused by electricity, what the focus of its preventative action will be, and with which partner organisations it will work to achieve this.

In addition to a programme of fire safety awareness campaigns and community safety engagement events, the SFRS carried out 71,743 Home Fire Safety Visits in 2015-16. The SFRS website also carries safety information for householders on a range of issues, including home appliances and electrical safety.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how it mainstreams gender equality in (a) early years, (b) primary, (c) secondary, (d) further and (e) higher education.

(S5W-7835)

John Swinney: The Scottish Government wants all children and young people to realise their full potential regardless of their circumstances or any protected characteristic, including sex (gender). School education is underpinned by policies which have equality considerations embedded throughout, including: Getting it Right for Every Child; Curriculum for Excellence; and Additional Support for Learning. We published a 2013-17 equalities outcome for education, which includes a focus on gender, and reported progress on mainstreaming the equality duty in 2015. We will report progress again in April 2017. We define our vision for Equity and Excellence in schools in the 2017 National Improvement Framework (NIF) and Improvement Plan. NIF sets out our high-level strategic plans for improvement and identifies specific improvement activity, such as actions around teacher professionalism and school leadership intended to mainstream equality. Gender equality in Further and Higher Education is a priority for all of Scotland’s colleges and universities as both an employer and educational establishment. The Scottish Funding Council has published a Gender Action Plan in order to address gender imbalances and reduce gender gaps amongst staff and students. Its Outcome Agreements ask institutions to remove barriers and support full participation and successful outcomes for all groups of learners in their local community. The Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Bill announced in the Programme for Government 2016-17, will require positive action to be taken to redress gender imbalance on public sector boards, including colleges and universities.

Education Scotland’s self-evaluation tools How Good is Our Early Learning and Childcare?, How Good is Our School?, and How Good is our College?, enable early learning and childcare settings, schools and colleges to evaluate the quality of outcomes for learners’ wellbeing, equality and inclusion.

Kate Forbes (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to recruit modern apprentices in rural areas.

(S5W-7950)

Jamie Hepburn: In direct response to feedback from providers and in recognition of the additional costs for delivering in rural areas, from April 2017 Skills Development Scotland will introduce a new rural supplement for training providers. This new supplement will offer between £250 to £1,000 in addition to the existing apprenticeship funding to support delivery in rural areas of Scotland.

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government whether, following reported comments by Michael Matheson on October 2015, that "short sentences do nothing to stop reoffending in our communities and only result in offenders going in and out of prison time and time again and reoffending upon release", it will provide an update on the actions that it has taken since then to reduce reoffending.

(S5W-7965)

Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07694 on 16 March 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Transport Scotland

Jenny Gilruth (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Transport Scotland.

(S5O-796)

Humza Yousaf: As Transport Scotland is part of the Scottish Government, meetings with Ministers occur regularly in the normal course of business.

Donald Cameron (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-07076 by Humza Yousaf on 22 February 2017, in light of the regulations codifying the Teckal exemption, for what reason it (a) put the CalMac services out to tender and (b) undertook the preparatory work and stages for the Gourock-Dunoon service.

(S5W-7564)

Humza Yousaf: The procurement of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services began in October 2014, and the contract was awarded in August last year. The preparatory work for the tender of the Gourock – Dunoon service started in December 2015. These were carried out in full compliance with domestic and European procurement, and maritime regulations and State aid requirements, in accordance with the advice available to us at the time from the European Commission. The Commission’s response of 22 September 2016, formally expressed their view to us that the Teckal exemption could be applied to the Maritime Cabotage Regulation but still leaves the issue of State aid compliance to be addressed.

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government how much has been given in subsidies to commercially-run local bus services by each local authority in each of the last three years.

(S5W-7903)

Humza Yousaf: Local authorities are funded through the block grant to support bus services that they deem socially necessary. Local Government spend on bus support over the last three years was:

£59m in 2013-14, £57m in 2014-15 and £59m in 2015-16. Further detail is contained in the Scottish Transport Statistics:

Table 2.9

http://www.transport.gov.scot/report/SCT01171871341-05.htm

Table 10.3

http://www.transport.gov.scot/report/SCT01171871341-13.htm

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide additional powers to local authorities regarding the (a) regulation and (b) provision of rural bus services.

(S5W-7904)

Humza Yousaf: The Transport Bill, which we want to introduce during the current Parliament, will aim to strengthen the range of options available to local authorities to improve bus services in their areas, such as through better partnership working with bus operators, setting up their own bus operations or introducing local franchises, in which operators would compete for the right to operate services under contract. These options will be sufficiently flexible to be customised to meet the needs of both rural and urban areas. We will consult on these measures.

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the support provided for the provision of rural bus services.

(S5W-7905)

Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government will provides bus subsidy of £53.5m/year in 2017-18. This subsidy is called the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) and is paid directly to operators and whose aim is to support the overall bus network and help passengers with the cost of fares. In 2012 the basis for paying BSOG was changed to payments based on the distance run by bus vehicles. This particularly benefitted rural areas where the bus services are longer. In addition to this, local authorities are funded through the block grant to subsidise bus services that they deem socially necessary. In 2015-16 the spend on this was £59m.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings regarding west coast ferry services (a) ministers and (b) officials have had with representatives of (i) P&O Ferries and (ii) Associated British Ports since 1 November 2016.

(S5W-7956)

Humza Yousaf: Ministers and officials have had no meetings about west coast ferry services with P&O since 1 November 2016.

Ministers met representatives of Associated British Ports on 13 December regarding ABP’s offer to use Troon as the port for the Arran/Kintyre services. Officials also attended that meeting and had one additional meeting with ABP on the same subject on 19 January 2017.

John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government when Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd will complete the re-development of Brodick Harbour, and what the final cost will be.

(S5W-7976)

Humza Yousaf: The Brodick ferry terminal redevelopment works are on programme and due to be substantially complete in August 2017.

The final outturn costs of the project is anticipated to be within the £30.8m project budget.

John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government when work will start on the new passenger access system at Brodick Harbour.

(S5W-7977)

Humza Yousaf: The new passenger access system at Brodick is being installed in two phases. The first phase has already begun and is due to be completed by the end of March 2017. Work on the second phase is due to start on site in June and is anticipated to be completed in August 2017.

Both phases of the installation are currently on programme.

The following questions received holding answers:

S5W-07655 S5W-07656