Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W- 06882 on 20 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”

The Scottish Assessors Association operates wholly independent of The Scottish Government and Scottish Ministers have no powers to direct them or locus to comment on their methodology used to determine rateable values, which may be subject to legal challenge. Draft practice notes used by the Assessors are available at: https://www.saa.gov.uk/practice_notes_2017/

From 1 April 2017, the Small Business Bonus Scheme threshold will increase by 50% to remove rates for eligible premises with rateable values up to £15,000, meaning that many properties which do improve their premises will retain the benefits of the Bonus Scheme after those improvements have been made.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to supporting primary care, including GPs, and ensuring that all communities in Scotland, including remote and rural, receive safe, reliable and sustainable health care services.

Over three years, the Scottish Government is investing £85 million, as part of the Primary Care Fund. As part of this, over £2million will be invested in work to explore with key stakeholders the issues surrounding GP recruitment and retention which can be particularly challenging in remote and rural areas. This will support a range of initiatives over the next two years including the establishment of a Scottish Rural Medicine Collaborative in eight health boards, including NHS Grampian and NHS Highland. This initiative will bring together recruitment strategies and support networks for GPs working in remote and rural areas.

We have committed to increasing the NHS revenue budget by £500 million more than inflation over the next five years and will, in every year of this parliament, increase the share of the NHS budget that goes to primary care.

The Scottish Government does not have any plans to directly invest in wind farms anywhere in Scotland. Our draft Energy Strategy is due for publication shortly and will outline our aspirations for onshore wind in Scotland.

Through Local Energy Scotland, the Scottish Government offers start-up grants and pre-planning loans for community and locally owned projects. Due to unwelcome reductions in UK support for renewable energy technologies, as many as 14 previously viable projects are no longerviable, therefore in the North East we currently estimate that five onshore wind projects are likely to progress and will require a total of £220,000 of future investment.”

Current diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease in Scotland is in line with published guidelines. A multi-agency Lyme Borreliosis Group was set-up in February 2016 to identify and deliver national priorities with the aim of reducing the burden of this disease in Scotland. The Group is currently focussing on raising awareness among health professionals and the public in order to prevent cases and to ensure the early diagnosis and treatment of cases. The group has representation from the National Lyme Borreliosis Testing Laboratory at Raigmore Hospital which collaborates closely with experts at Public Health England and elsewhere, and keep the testing offered in Scotland under constant review to ensure that patients have access to the most robust and scientifically justified testing regimen available. As part of their regular discussions on priorities, the group will consider the outputs of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s review on this topic which is expected to be published in 2018.

A multi-agency Lyme Borreliosis Group is developing a range of resources to raise awareness of Lyme disease, with the aim of reducing the number of cases. Their work includes updating Health Protection Scotland’s public information leaflet and developing a corresponding info-graphic; producing webinars and podcasts aimed at front-line clinicians; giving presentations at community pharmacy events as well as the Scottish Health Protection Network symposium held in November 2016; and working with youth and outdoor recreation groups to raise awareness. The Group continues to meet and discuss routes for raising awareness.

We have carried out an extensive consultation exercise to help inform our approach to social security in Scotland and we will be publishing a report on the consultation responses early this year. This will help to inform the work of the Disability and Carers' Benefits Expert Advisory Group which will be established this year to provide recommendations and guidance on issues including assessment for benefits in Scotland. We will also continue engagement through our stakeholder groups and the establishment of ‘Experience Panels’ involving at least 2,000 people, with recent experience of applying for or receiving benefits, to help us design, build and improve the new system, and support our work on a longer-term basis.

Travel concessions on the Edinburgh trams are a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council.

Bus travel concessions for older and disabled people are provided by the Scottish Government through the National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People (NCTS). Travel concessions on other modes of transport are at the discretion of local authorities. The conditions and extent of such schemes are for local authorities to determine.

The Scottish Government held discussions with City of Edinburgh Council in early 2013, when it confirmed that the NCTS would not be extended to include Edinburgh trams on the basis that this would have impacted on the money available to support bus services, including concessionary bus travel across Scotland. The City of Edinburgh Council subsequently decided to provide concessions on Edinburgh trams for eligible Edinburgh residents holding a National Entitlement Card.

Travel concessions on the Glasgow Subway are a matter for Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme Joint Committee (SCTSJC).

Bus travel concessions for older and disabled people are provided by the Scottish Government through the National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People (NCTS). Travel concessions on other modes of transport are at the discretion of local authorities. The conditions and extent of such schemes are for local authorities to determine.

In the Strathclyde, area Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) operate a concessionary travel scheme covering the Strathclyde area on behalf of the SCTSJC, which brings together the relevant local authorities and SPT. The scheme provides discounted travel on the Glasgow Subway for eligible elderly and disabled residents in the Strathclyde area who hold a National Entitlement Card.

Extending the NCTS to include the Glasgow Subway would entail additional financial pressures on the scheme and would impact on the money available to support bus services including bus concessions across Scotland.