Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to questions S5W-00209 on 7 June 2016 and S5W-02818 on 22 September 2016. 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

The forthcoming review of the Strategic Transport Projects Review will assess recommendations for strategic transport infrastructure priorities in Dumfries and Galloway and the rest of Scotland. Within the review options for the A75 corridor between Gretna and Stranraer will be considered.

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 ends the exclusion of shootings and deer forests from valuation rolls as of 1 April 2017. Rating valuation is for assessors appointed by local authorities or valuation joint boards, with associated processes and timetables in line with the relevant legislation.

Through the Scotland's Schools for the Future Programme, the Scottish Government has awarded Dumfries and Galloway Council with funding of £24.5 million towards three school projects.

Through the Scotland's Schools for the Future Programme, Dumfries and Galloway Council have been awarded with funding towards three school projects. The schools to be redeveloped are: Dalbeattie High School, Maxwelltown High School and St Joseph's College.

There is no instability in the exports of red meat, however Quality meat Scotland are still carrying out promotional activities in Benelux, the Nordics and Germany.

We continue to work on emerging markets out with the EU, including USA and China, where we are at the forefront among EU countries in terms of beef negotiations. Quality Meat Scotland are also supporting the Scottish red meat industry in diversifying their export portfolio outside the EU.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving Scotland’s school estate. However, the 1980 Education (Scotland) Act places a statutory responsibility on local authorities to provide and maintain the school estate in their respective areas.

Under the Scotland’s Schools for the Future Programme, which is part funded by the Scottish Government, 11 rural schools will benefit from being refurbished or rebuilt. The focus of this programme has been to increase the proportion of children educated in schools which have been classified as ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’.

The Scottish Government is committed to preventing and eradicating prejudice and discrimination, doing so through direct community engagement which is focussed on prevention, education and changing attitudes. Coupled with a strong Justice response to supporting victims, this provides a robust basis for tackling sectarianism and hate crime more broadly.

The Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009 strengthened the law around hate crime, while The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 is helping to tackle abusive and offensive behaviour, sending a clear message that such behaviour has no place in our society.

Our approach is supported by a significant financial investment, with over
£195 million invested to promote equality and tackle discrimination since 2007 and an additional £12.5 million invested since 2012 specifically supporting work to tackle sectarianism, more than any administration before us. This funding continues to deliver community-based work and support work through a range of key organisations including BEMIS; CEMVO; Equality Network; Inclusion Scotland; Interfaith Scotland; LGBT Youth Scotland; Scottish Refugee Council; Scottish Transgender Alliance; Stonewall Scotland; Sense Over Sectarianism; and Nil by Mouth.

We have commissioned an independent review of the implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland. We have accepted the recommendations of the Independent Advisory Group on Hate Crime, Prejudice and Community Cohesion and will use these to build an inclusive and far-reaching programme of work in this area.

The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI) carries out safety and cleanliness inspections across NHSScotland hospitals and services and they will undertake announced and unannounced inspections to each acute hospital in NHSScotland at least once every 3 years. By inspecting care HEI help to ensure that healthcare services are meeting the required standards of care, that good practice is identified and areas for improvement are addressed.

HEI inspectors undertake announced and unannounced inspections of healthcare services. These will involve physical inspection of the clinical areas, and interviews with staff and patients. HEI publish a written report 8 weeks after the inspection.

• Announced inspection: the service provider will be given at least 4 weeks’ notice of the inspection by letter or email.

• Unannounced inspection: the service provider will not be given any advance warning of the inspection.

• Follow-up inspection: the NHS board and hospital may or may not be given advance notice of the inspection. A safety and cleanliness follow-up inspection will take place no later than 26 weeks from the publication of the initial report.

HEI's focus is to reduce the Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) risk to patients through a rigorous inspection framework which:

• provides public assurance and protection, to restore public trust and confidence

• contributes to the prevention and control of HAI

• contributes to improvement in the healthcare environment including infection control, cleanliness and hygiene and the broader quality improvement agenda across NHSScotland.

By looking at the findings, HEI have built up a picture of the quality of infection control, hygiene and cleanliness in the hospitals we inspected across Scotland. HEI have highlighted a number of positive findings and make recommendations about how NHS boards, hospitals and services can improve.

There are a number of initiatives across the Scottish Government relating to employment opportunities for veterans. These include encouraging the private sector Scotland-wide to consider employing Service leavers and veterans; help for Early Service leavers; and assistance to veterans to establish their own businesses.

The Supporting Veterans into Employment initiative which I launched on 24 October, encourages businesses of all sizes and sectors proactively to recruit and benefit from employing veterans in the civilian workforce and will be delivered by Business in the Community, with funding from the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government has provided funding up to £6.1m in 2016-17 to support 700 Community Jobs Scotland (CJS) jobs lasting up to 12 months for vulnerable 16-29 year olds, including disabled people and armed forces early service leavers. Early service leavers and veterans, as well as the partners of current or former armed forces personnel, who are aged between 16-29, are also amongst the eligible groups for support through Scotland’s Employer Recruitment Incentive (SERI).

The Scottish Government also continues to work with a number of organisations including, Scottish Business Resilience Centre, the Federation of Small Businesses and CAN DO Places to develop the Veteran portfolio by promoting and developing CAN DO spaces that can assist veterans and their spouses in becoming entrepreneurs in a supportive environment.

In relation to specialist mental health care for veterans, the Scottish Government sets national direction of policy on mental health and provides funding to agencies to support implementation of policy.

The management of local actions in implementing national policy, and decisions on local service provision and spending priorities are the responsibility of relevant local agencies. It is therefore the responsibility of Integration Authorities, NHS Boards and Local Authorities to work with their partners and regularly review spending decisions to ensure they deliver fit for purpose services which respond to the needs of their local population. This includes ensuring the specialist mental health needs of veterans are assessed and met as appropriate.

The Scottish Government continues to fund the provision of specialist mental health services for veterans resident in Scotland at £1.2m per year, through arrangements with Combat Stress and NHS Scotland; and intends to publish its new Mental Health Strategy later this year. That will set out a 10 year vision for transforming and improving mental health services across Scotland.

As part of our promise to build a fairer Scotland, the Scottish Government is committed to increasing the number of accessible homes. All local authorities, including Dumfries and Galloway, are required by law to prepare a local housing strategy supported by an assessment of housing need and demand. The strategy has to set out the current need for specialist provision across all housing tenures that will help to support people to live independently; the likely requirement for this provision over the next five years; how current needs are being met; and what more is planned to meet future need.

Affordable Housing Supply Programme funding decisions are therefore based on priorities identified in Local Housing Strategies and local authority Strategic Housing Investment Plans. Housing for social rent which is delivered through the grant-funded Affordable Housing Supply Programme already has to meet accessibility standards, but funding is also available for specialist housing – for example, helping disabled people with more complex needs to live independently in their own homes.

The minimum standards and guidance for accessibility of new homes, introduced in 2007 to Scottish building regulations, are the best in the UK. Every new home built has to meet these standards, thereby increasing the number of disability-friendly homes, not only in Dumfries and Galloway, but also across Scotland. This benefits not only those with a disability but also the general population as it ages.

We are also working with Disabled People’s Organisations, local authorities and the housing sector to develop appropriate solutions. Our Disability Delivery Plan, which will be published later this year, will set out the further actions we will take to achieve this.