Wednesday 7 February 2018

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

Constitution and External Affairs Jackson Carlaw (Eastwood) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what the impact has been of locating its Dublin trade hub within the British Embassy. (S5O-1762) Keith Brown: The Dublin Hub has successfully created and strengthened relationships in areas such as culture, business and trade, and government between Scotland and Ireland. The Hub promotes a modern and progressive Scotland as an attractive place to live, work, study and invest. Scottish Government will continue to assess the specific character of the markets in which it operates, and decide on that basis on the best location for its representatives in country. Our experience in Dublin has been that the location of our Hub in the Embassy has advantages and disadvantages. Operating off an embassy platform allowed the Hub to establish itself quickly and operate at comparatively low cost. Operating as a part of the UK wide platform confers diplomatic status enabling easier access to Irish government structures and buildings. However, given the nature of the property, access to the Embassy is constrained by security considerations, which tends to limit operational scope and flexibility.

Colin Beattie (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (): To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out on the impact of Brexit on Scotland's finances, in light of the recent analysis by the UK Government, which reportedly suggests that, regardless of the terms of departure, Brexit will have a negative impact across all sectors. (S5O-1773) John Swinney: The Scottish Government published Scotland’s Place in Europe: People, Jobs and Investment on 15 January 2018 which assesses the implications for Scotland’s economy if the UK exits the European Union. The analysis in this document indicates that a hard Brexit could lead to a loss of up to 8.5% of GDP (or £12.7bn in 2016 terms) in Scotland by 2030 – equivalent to £2,300 per individual. Such an adverse shock to our economic performance would reduce tax revenues, and in turn the funding available for public services. For example separate analysis published in August 2016 and based on UK wide research provides an illustrative estimate that resources for public spending could be up to £3.7 billion a year lower under a “hard Brexit”. Outside of the EU, continued membership of the European Single Market and Customs Union is the least worst option for Scotland and the rest of the UK. As we move into the crucial second phase of the negotiations, it is time for the UK Government to start putting jobs and living standards first.

Economy Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on the Ayrshire economy, particularly the hospitality sector, of the UK leaving the EU. (S5O-1760) Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government has clearly set out the implications of Brexit and the impact that leaving the single market and customs union will have on Scotland’s visitor economy. Our rural communities, such as Ayrshire, depend on workers from the EU across a range of sectors and, of the 200,000 jobs provided by hospitality and tourism, right across Scotland, more than 21,000 of those are currently held by non-UK EU nationals. We strongly advocate that Scotland is, and continues to be, an outward-looking, welcoming and open nation, enjoying the benefits of freedom of movement to ensure we recruit and retain the talent and skills the sector needs and to maintain our current open skies agreements and visa-free European travel. Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to end unpaid work trials. (S5O-1761) Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government opposes the use of unpaid work trials and is concerned about how the Department for Work and Pensions is promoting them through Jobcentre Plus. If a trial period is offered, then this should be paid whether this leads to permanent employment or not. Whilst employment law is reserved to Westminster, we are using all levers at our disposal to promote Fair Work and to tackle worker exploitation. Initiatives such as the Scottish Business Pledge, encouraging the payment of at least the real Living Wage, and supporting strong industrial relations, are making a real difference to workers throughout the country.

John Scott (Ayr) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support Scottish exports to international markets. (S5O-1763) Keith Brown: Scotland’s international exports (excluding oil and gas) increased by £460 million to £29.8 billion in 2016. Whilst it is encouraging to see international exports continue to increase the Scottish Government recognises that more must be done to improve Scotland’s export performance and is committed to enabling more businesses to export. We have established a Trade Board, we are taking forward the First Minister's Four Point Plan, including, continuing to enhance SDI's presence in Europe and establishing new international hubs in Berlin and Paris in addition to those in London and Dublin. We have recently appointed four Trade Envoys to champion Scottish interests at home and abroad. We are providing up to £400K to the Scottish Chambers of Commerce for five local/regional Export Partnership pilots across Scotland to support SMEs. The Enterprise and Skills review has committed to developing an enhanced and more focused international presence which will improve Scotland’s international visibility and promote opportunities for Scottish businesses.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (): To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many apprentices were employed by Carillion in Scotland, broken down by (a) trade and (b) construction project, and how many have secured alternative employment. Holding answer issued: 5 February 2018 (S5W-13983) Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is working with the Construction Industry Training Board, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and other partners to support the 128 apprentices identified as being employed by Carillion. All of these apprentices were following the General Construction Operative framework and were deployed in groundwork activities on construction sites within the Glasgow area. To date, 28 have secured employment, another 26 are about to complete their apprenticeship and the remaining 74 are being supported to complete their MA. All 74 apprentices are being case managed by Career Information Advice and Guidance staff in SDS. The wider impact of Carillion’s liquidation is both complex and continues to evolve. We are undertaking further investigations, as well as monitoring the situation and are ready to respond to the needs of the apprentices affected.

Peter Chapman (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on ending the use of peat in horticultural products. (S5W-14075) Roseanna Cunningham: The use of peat in horticulture is a global issue requiring action at the international level to address sourcing and usage by the public and industry. The Scottish Government has offered its support to industry-led work to phase out such use. This issue was considered by the National Peatland Group at its last meeting and it will continue to consider how it can support phasing out the use of peat in horticulture as part of its ongoing work programme. Scottish Planning Policy confirms that planning authorities should use their development plans to protect peatlands and only allow commercial extraction in exceptional circumstances.

Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in establishing an advisory group to consider fiscal and other measures to reduce waste and boost the circular economy, as mentioned in its Programme for Government 2017- 18. (S5W-14110) Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is developing a shortlist of experts who will be invited to sit on the panel. We plan to announce the Chair shortly along with details of what the panel will be asked to consider, with disposable cups and plastic straws being early priorities.

Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications Creative Scotland received for the Regular Funding Network 2018-21, broken down by local authority area. (S5W-14124) Fiona Hyslop: Decisions on the Regularly Funded Organisations are a matter for Creative Scotland. Details of the 116 organisations in the 2018-21 Network, and their Local Authority areas, are available on the Creative Scotland website http://www.creativescotland.com/funding/latest-information/funded- organisations/regularly-funded-organisations-2018-21/the-regular-funding-network-2018-21. Creative Scotland’s Board are due to review their decisions and I have asked Creative Scotland's Chief Executive Janet Archer to respond to the member with details including about unsuccessful funding applications.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how many responses it has received to each of its two consultations on proposals to classify 15 special protection areas (SPA) in the Scottish marine area, and when it expects to make a decision on formal classification. (S5W-14250) Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Natural Heritage and Joint Nature Conservation Committee undertook the two consultations on 15 proposed SPAs on behalf of Scottish Ministers, and they received a total of 1356 responses. Scottish Ministers will make a decision on their classification by the end of 2018.

Education, Communities and Justice Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13640 by Derek Mackay on 11 January 2018, when its sector stakeholder engagement will commence; what the time frame will be, and when it expects to know when it will make any changes to sports club relief. Holding answer issued: 6 February 2018 (S5W-14022) Derek Mackay: Stakeholder engagement on sports club relief from non-domestic rates has continued since the Barclay review reported in August 2017. Engagement will continue this year, ahead of bringing forward legislative proposals.

Michelle Ballantyne (South Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report by Commissioner for Fair Access, Retention, Outcomes and Destinations, how it will improve the (a) outcomes and (b) retention rates for students at university from the poorest backgrounds. (S5W-14053) Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government welcomes the Commissioner’s discussion paper on Retention, Outcomes and Destinations, which sets a timely challenge to the sector to do more to tackle the barriers faced by students from Scotland’s most deprived communities. We have been clear that the end goals of graduation and positive destinations are central to our thinking as we move forward in the delivery of the Commission on Widening Access’s recommendations - and are a key focus and priority for the Government going forward. The Scottish Funding Council’s Widening Access and Retention Fund provides £14.7m of funding in 2017-18 to help students remain in higher education. This is allocated to universities that have the highest intake of access students. Through the Outcome Agreement process for 2018-19, universities are not only expected to set more ambitious and challenging targets for access, but to also agree improvements in retention, attainment, and outcomes. Through the Access Delivery Group, which I chair, I will discuss with key education stakeholders what more can be done to improve the outcomes and retention rates of our most socioeconomically disadvantaged students.

Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in its Draft Budget 2018-19 that it will provide £10 million to organisations that provide support to children and young people with complex support needs, how it proposes to distribute this funding. (S5W-14115) John Swinney: As I indicated to the Education Committee in my letter of 26 January 2018 on the Scottish Government’s draft education and skills budget, the £10million to support organisations that provide support to children and young people with complex needs will be provided to the 7 grant-aided special schools, via existing grant arrangements.

James Kelly (Glasgow) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what funding it will allocate in 2018-19 to projects that tackle sectarianism. (S5W-14190) Annabelle Ewing: We have set out our proposals for our Draft Budget for 2018-19. Once the Budget process in the Scottish Parliament is complete, we will be able to set out our more detailed proposals for community safety funding in 2018-19, including for issues such as tackling sectarianism.

Michelle Ballantyne (South Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government, in light of figures from the Scottish Borders Council, which reportedly show a 27% increase in the last three years in the number of teachers off sick due to mental ill health, what measures are in place for teaching staff who experience mental health issues such as stress, and how it will tackle this reported increase. (S5W-14215) John Swinney: The Scottish Government recognises that teachers are doing an excellent job in classrooms across Scotland. We are committed to tackling bureaucracy and addressing excessive teacher workload. Teacher absences and the causes of these absences are matters for individual local authorities as employers. Each authority is responsible for supporting its employees' health and well being at work and will have locally agreed systems in place for managing this. The Scottish Government takes the issue of Mental Health seriously and last spring we published our 10 year Mental Health Strategy for tackling mental health. Our vision for the Mental Health Strategy is of a Scotland where people can get the right help at the right time and to work on achieving parity between mental and physical health.

Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government when the guidance based on the Human Medicines (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2014 was issued to (a) education authorities, (b) schools and (c) NHS boards in Scotland. (S5W-14224) John Swinney: The Scottish Government published Guidance on Supporting Children and Young People with Healthcare Needs in Schools on 20 December 2017. This includes guidance on schools' powers to hold salbutamol inhalers and, more recently, adrenaline auto-injectors for use in emergency situations. The guidance is available on the Scottish Government's website through the following link: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/12/3694/0.

Bill Bowman (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to remove the Large Business Supplement before May 2021. (S5W-14314) Derek Mackay: The Barclay review of non-domestic rates recommended that the large business supplement be reduced, and suggested that this could be done by 2020-21. Accordingly, we have committed to consider this in the context of future budgets, subject to affordability.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow ) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to local authorities regarding the minimum proportion of new-build properties that should be accessible. (S5W-14330) Kevin Stewart: It is the responsibility of local authorities to determine the appropriate housing required in their areas, based on the findings from their Housing Need and Demand Assessment and the policies set out in their Local Housing Strategy. The current SG guidance for local authorities on developing a Local Housing Strategy (LHS) encourages local authorities to provide a wide range of housing types to suit the needs of people of all ages, including the need for accessible housing and housing related services to allow people to live as independently as possible.

Health and Social Care Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Scottish Conservatives and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11463 by Maureen Watt on 5 October 2017, whether it will provided an update on when the review will be published. (S5W-14094) Maureen Watt: The report of the review of rejected referrals will be published by the 31 May 2018.

Annie Wells (Glasgow) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the increase in cervical cancer mortality. (S5W-14106) Aileen Campbell: Thanks to cervical screening and the HPV vaccination programme cervical cancer is now preventable. Cervical Screening is offered to women aged between 25 and 64 and we encourage all eligible women to take up their invitation. Cervical screening saves around 5,000 lives in the UK every year and prevents eight out of 10 cervical cancers from developing. Since the start of the programme in 1988 the incidence of cervical cancer has decreased by 26.8%, exceeding the 20% target set. The HPV vaccination programme in Scotland started on 1 September 2008 with the vaccine being offered to girls at secondary schools across Scotland. It offers very good protection against the two types of HPV that cause 75% of the cases of cervical cancer. Uptake rates for the vaccine in Scotland are amongst the highest in the world, with uptake consistently exceeding 80%. However the vaccine does not protect against all cervical cancers, so regular screening is still important.

Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported shortage of specialists in NHS Dumfries and Galloway, how it will ensure the future of existing specialists in the region. (S5W-14117) Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that there is a sustainable medical workforce. Under this government, NHS staffing has already grown to a record high, and consultant numbers have grown by over 45%. Nevertheless, we will continue to invest in growing the workforce. We have already increased the 2016-17 intake to medical schools across Scotland, through 50 additional widening access places. Additionally, the ScotGEM programme will provide 55 new places, with a particular focus on working in remote and rural areas across Scotland; over the next 10 years this will generate an additional 330 medical graduates. Furthermore, through our National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan we have committed to providing up to 100 additional medical places by the end of this parliament.

Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of concerns that GP out-of-hours shifts are reportedly going unfilled in NHS Dumfries and Galloway on a regular basis. (S5W-14118) Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is aware of challenges in recruiting GPs to work in out- of-hours services across Scotland, including within NHS Dumfries and Galloway. Scottish Government officials regularly attend the monthly National Out-of-Hours Operations Group, which is attended by both NHS Board clinical and management leads where any local out-of-hours service issues are raised.

Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will investigate reported concerns that there have been a number of occasions when there was no out-of-hours GP cover in parts of Dumfries and Galloway. (S5W-14119) Shona Robison: NHS Dumfries & Galloway has advised there is always GP out-of-hours cover provided across the region. Dumfries & Galloway operates 3 Out of Hours Hubs across the region, in Dumfries, Stranraer and the Machars. On the occasions when Dumfries has no Out of Hours GP cover, the GP in Stranraer triages calls and vice versa. Stranraer provides support to the Machars when there is no out-of-hours GP available. NHS Dumfries & Galloway will put in place a number of contingency plans when no GP is available in a particular area, which include liaising with accident and emergency departments and re-triaging patients to a more appropriate place for support and treatment. NHS Dumfries & Galloway has established a transforming urgent care working group to improve the current staffing situation which includes using advanced nurse practitioners, specialist paramedics and prescribing pharmacists to provide care to those patients where it would be appropriate to do so.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13815 by Maureen Watt on 24 January 2018, whether it will provide details of the groups, the funding they have received and where they are located, and whether it has any concerns regarding gaps in the provision. (S5W-14122) Maureen Watt: The organisations funded by the Scottish Government to provide support to adult survivors of childhood abuse are as follows: ORGANISATION AMOUNT LOCAL AUTHORITY AREA(S) COVERED AWARDED FOR 2017-18 Addaction £50,000 Dundee/East Ayrshire/East Dunbartonshire/East Renfrewshire/North Lanarkshire/Scottish Borders/South Ayrshire/South Lanarkshire Argyll and Bute £59,697 Argyll and Bute Rape Crisis Break the Silence £47,250 East/North/South Ayrshire Children 1st £10,000 Scottish Borders Cornerstone £45,000 East Ayrshire/Glasgow/North Ayrshire/North Lanarkshire/South Ayrshire/South Lanarkshire//West Dunbartonshire Glasgow and £24,191 East Ayrshire/East Clyde Rape Crisis Renfrewshire/Glasgow/Inverclyde/Renfrewshire/West Dunbartonshire Glasgow Council £104,000 Glasgow on Alcohol Health in Mind £102,544 Aberdeenshire/Angus/Argyll and Bute/Dumfries and Galloway/Western Isles/Moray/North Ayrshire/Orkney/Perth and Kinross/Scottish Borders/Shetland Hear Me £33,511 Angus Izzy’s Promise £43,030 Aberdeen/Angus/Dundee/Fife/Perth and Kinross LinkLiving £113,616 Fife Mind Mosaic £84,610 Inverclyde Pain Association £5,000 Fife Safe Space £15,209 Fife SAY Women £43,038 Glasgow Social Destination £43,250 Scotland-wide Speak Out £40,000 Edinburgh/Glasgow/North Lanarkshire Scotland SSCHAIR £24,496 Shetland Islands Stepping Out £20,313 Scotland-wide Stop it Now! £76,677 Scotland-wide Talk Now £65,356 East Ayrshire/East Dunbartonshire/Edinburgh/Glasgow/North Ayrshire/South Lanarkshire/West Dunbartonshire The Moira £80,471 East Renfrewshire/Glasgow/North Lanarkshire/Renfrewshire/South Anderson Lanarkshire Foundation The Rivers PSP £59,430 Scotland-wide Thriving Survivors £76,224 Edinburgh/Glasgow/Highland/North Lanarkshire/Stirling Wellbeing £37,084 Clackmannanshire/East Scotland Renfrewshire/Edinburgh/Falkirk/Glasgow/Midlothian/Stirling/West Lothian Western Isles £25,080 Western Isles Rape Crisis Centre The call for applications was put out widely and applications were received from 27 organisations for 29 different projects. 26 organisations received funding for 26 of these projects. This included 7 organisations who had not been funded previously. The makeup of the organisations that applied for funding is very valuable information in itself and set alongside stakeholder engagement work is helpful in identifying gaps in provision. We are currently exploring the scope and reach of the projects funded by us in order to develop the fund further in coming years. We are doing this in partnership with Inspiring Scotland and through survivor engagement. We have been asked directly about gaps in provision in outreach to certain populations, in particular homeless people, and we will be following this up with Scottish Government colleagues in order to better understand this.

Organisational Development and Operations Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the risk of people being deterred from attending social security assessments due to them being misinformed about what they involve. (S5W-14049) Jeane Freeman: Making sure that everyone receives the financial support they are entitled to is one of the first steps towards putting dignity and respect at the heart of social security in Scotland. We have made clear that the private sector will not deliver assessments in Scotland. We are committed to making sure we get decisions right the first time by using existing evidence to support decision making - reducing the number of face to face assessments and reassessments currently being carried out unnecessarily. We will continue to work with our Experience Panels and stakeholders to help us design a new approach to decision making in Scotland. Once we are delivering benefits in Scotland, we will ensure that our communications are clear, accessible and transparent so that individuals are fully informed about what will happen at each stage of their claim. Further, the Social Security (Scotland) Bill was amended on 1 February to place a duty on Scottish Ministers to have regard to the importance of ensuring that people receive information in a way that best meet each individual's needs. We will work to ensure people feel confident and comfortable about accessing the system and that services are tailored to individual needs, as part of our rights-based approach.

Scottish Exchequer Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many business organisations have written to the First Minister and finance secretary in favour of income tax rises. (S5O-1771) Derek Mackay: In developing our new income tax policy the Scottish Government has engaged with a number of business groups. We have delivered a balanced set of tax and spend proposals. For the majority of taxpayers there will not be an income tax rise - Scotland will be the lowest and fairest income taxed part of the UK, something that recent polling by the Times confirms the majority of people living in Scotland support.

Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government how the finance secretary will ensure that the Budget supports local businesses. (S5O-1772) Derek Mackay: The Budget delivers the most attractive system of business rates in the UK, a new £150 million Building Scotland Fund and investment of over £4 billion of infrastructure. We will be allocating £600 million of investment in our R100 programme to extend superfast broadband access to every home and business across Scotland. And the budget provides a 64 per cent uplift in funding for the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work portfolio, including £2.4 billion for our enterprise and skills bodies. These major investments will underpin our focus on innovation, infrastructure and investment, internationalisation and inclusive growth.

Transport Scotland Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what first-hand inspection the Minister for Transport and the Islands has made of the length of the A76 in order to help assess the condition of the trunk road network. (S5W-14034) Humza Yousaf: The trunk road network covers approximately 3500 km and as Minister for Transport and the Islands I do not personally carry out a first hand inspection of the trunk road network.

Transport Scotland’s Operating Companies have a contractual obligation to inspect the trunk road network at 7-day intervals. These inspections are primarily to identify defects that require prompt attention (Category 1 defects) because they present, or could present, an immediate hazard to road users. For road surface Category 1 defects, the Operating Companies are required to carry out temporary repairs by 6am the following morning and permanent repairs within 28 days. Lesser defects and general deterioration which do not necessitate such an immediate safety-led response are then considered with findings from annual condition assessments of the network to help determine future maintenance schemes. These include assessments of the strength of the road depth and also road surface conditions (including skid resistance). Resultant schemes may include localised patching repairs or larger maintenance schemes, which are then considered against competing priorities across the trunk road network and programmed accordingly.

Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct Transport Scotland to conduct an urgent investigation into road conditions and safety on the A76. (S5W-14046) Humza Yousaf: The trunk road and motorway network is inspected weekly by Transport Scotland’s operating company Scotland TranServ. These inspections are primarily to identify defects that require prompt attention (Category 1 defects) because they present, or could present, an immediate hazard to road users. For road surface Category 1 defects, the Operating Companies are required to carry out temporary repairs by 6am the following morning and permanent repairs within 28 days. Since 2007 over £40m has been spent maintaining the A76. This includes the recent delivery of schemes as follows; A76 Skerrington Roundabout to Cairn Road Overbridge (£361k) A76 Templeton RBT to Little Heateth (£864k) A76 North of Barleith to Bellfield Rbt (£227k) A76 Barleith (£162k) Patching works are also planned for the A76 at Dalpedder and Overcairn Farm before the end of the current financial year. In the 2018-19 financial year, there are several major re-surfacing schemes programmed as follows; A76 Horsecleugh Underpass to Glenramskill Avenue (£296k) A76 Crockroy to High Cairn (£237k) A76 Pennylands Burn to Barony Rd Underbridge (£428k) A76 Holywood Station (£147k) A76 North of Barburgh Quarry (£176k)

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government whether road equivalent tariff for Orkney and the Shetland Islands will be included in its 2018-19 Budget. (S5W-14152) Humza Yousaf: The Draft Budget 2018-19, which was presented to Parliament on 14 December 2017, includes provision for the delivery of this manifesto commitment. The budget process is currently ongoing.

Jenny Gilruth (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of what the £35.15 million expenditure for the A92 trunk road between April 2007 and September 2017 was spent on. (S5W-14185) Humza Yousaf: We are committed to maintaining the trunk road network in line with international best practice. We invest in essential road maintenance schemes, bridge strengthening programme and ancillary assets. This also increases the resilience of the network to unplanned events such as flooding and high winds. The Scottish Government’s investment in trunk road maintenance is disaggregated by five categories: Routine Maintenance, Structural Maintenance, Structures (including Bridges), Minor Improvements and Strategic Road Safety. Category 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 Routine Maintenance £1,955,928 £1,879,693 £985,648 Structural Maintenance £297,227 £251,204 £4,352,069 Structures £91,247 £129,203 £296,632 Minor Improvements £494,857 £784,767 £213,021 Strategic Road Safety £324,275 £111,939 £92,149 Total Spend £3,163,533 £3,156,805 £5,939,518

Category 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Routine Maintenance £1,357,980 £1,355,254 £1,368,208 Structural Maintenance £273,241 £416,470 £524,523 Structures £441,490 £828,611 £53,539 Minor Improvements £605,989 £42,797 £642 Strategic Road Safety £61,799 £168,135 £183,022 Total Spend £2,740,500 £2,811,267 £2,129,936

Category 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Routine Maintenance £1,493,406 £1,037,403 £1,414,088 Structural Maintenance £2,236,450 £1,344,137 £1,412,293 Structures £88,488 £53,073 £60,042 Minor Improvements £5,044 £45,817 £22,952 Strategic Road Safety £367,843 £336,680 £257,223 Total Spend £4,191,232 £2,817,110 £3,166,597

Category 2016-17 2017-18* Total Routine Maintenance £1,348,375 £623,344 £14,819,327 Structural Maintenance £1,999,121 £124,938 £13,231,675 Structures £155,203 £185,438 £2,382,965 Minor Improvements £31,350 £9,095 £2,256,331 Strategic Road Safety £460,793 £93,676 £2,457,533 Total Spend £3,994,842 £1,036,492 £35,147,830 * up to and including September 2017

The following questions received holding answers: S5W-14042 S5W-14054