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The Scottish Government, together with the Lyme Borreliosis Group are actively engaged in raising awareness of the materials produced to educate people on Lyme disease. This includes a social media video campaign which ran throughout Summer 2018 encouraging young people to check for and remove ticks safely, an article on the Visit Scotland website and an outdoor health workshop held in Stirling in October 2018. All of which signpost to the ‘avoiding bugs and germs outdoors’ web pages on NHS Inform ( www.nhsinform.scot/bugs-and-germs ).

The Scottish Government and the Lyme Borreliosis group are currently working on promotional activity for 2019 which will include the distribution of branded tick removers which signpost to the ‘avoiding bugs and germs outdoors’ web pages on NHS Inform.

Routes to raise awareness of Lyme disease discussed at the symposium in Benbecula included social media, community pharmacies and production of educational materials.

The independent inquiry into mental health services in Tayside launched its public call for evidence in September 2018. Its remit is to inquire into the accessibility, safety, quality and standards of care provided by all mental health services in Tayside. Given the scope and nature of its remit, it is important that the Inquiry takes the time necessary to complete its valuable work. The inquiry is chaired by David Strang and is ongoing. No date has been set for the publication its report.

The farmer has received compensation for the market value of the cattle that were humanely destroyed. The Scottish Government has no plans to pay further compensation.

The creation of school counsellors in school education across Scotland is part of a package of measures to ensure that children and young people get the support that they need. We know that early experiences have lasting impacts for childhood and beyond so early intervention is crucial.

We have developed a suite of aims and principles for the delivery of this commitment and are taking forward discussions with key partners. To ensure that the commitment is met in full by September 2020 we are providing a package of around £27 million in the first two years of implementation. This will support the delivery and employment of counsellors across Scotland.

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) publish numbers of laboratory confirmed cases of Borrelia burgdorferi as part of the annual surveillance report on Zoonotic disease in Scotland. The most recent report can be accessed here: https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/resourcedocument.aspx?id=6891

These numbers are likely to underestimate the total number of cases of Lyme disease because current guidance recommends that health care professionals treat patients presenting with the erythema migrans rash immediately with antibiotics, without requiring laboratory testing.

It should be noted that the data in the report for 2017 is provisional. The total number of laboratory confirmed cases of Borrelia burgdorferi in 2017 is 167.

The Scottish Government is already committed to reducing the burden of Lyme Disease in Scotland and welcomes a wider EU approach to tackling this complex disease.

There are no general initiatives for larger charities specifically to take on the responsibility of obtaining funding for smaller, community-based ones. There are however various arrangements in place whereby larger charities administer certain Scottish Government funding streams available to smaller charities and provide support accordingly.

As is standard in Non Profit Distributing (NPD) contracts, the contractor will only receive payment for sections of the road when opened to traffic. Consequently, the contractor is receiving payments for the sections of road which have been opened to traffic at Balmedie to Tipperty, Parkhill to Goval and Craibstone Roundabout/Dyce Drive.

The costs of any remedial works and the ongoing costs of maintaining a construction workforce rests with Aberdeen Roads Limited and will not impact on the public purse.

An NPD contract by its nature means that the construction is privately funded. As such, a capital value of £530 million was borrowed by Aberdeen Roads Limited.

The funding arrangements for the AWPR element were agreed in 2003 following the decision by the then Scottish Executive to promote the AWPR/B-T project as a trunk road in partnership with Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils. Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils are funding 9.5% each of the Northern Leg and Southern Leg sections of the project. Under the terms of the contract both Local Authorities are currently paying the relevant contributions.

Transport Scotland’s technical advisors, Jacobs Engineering Group, produced the specimen design for the AWPR/B-T project, prior to the main contract tender. Due to the Design Build Finance and Operate procurement model for the AWPR/B-T project, it is the responsibility of the contractor to produce the final design. Any costs associated with the development of this design are met at the contractor’s own risk.

The contract was awarded to Aberdeen Roads Limited (ARL) in December 2014. As such, ARL is responsible for the funding, final design, construction and subsequent maintenance of the completed scheme for a period of 30 years on behalf of the Scottish Ministers.