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There was on-going engagement with stakeholders throughout the development of the draft Climate Change Plan, culminating in a major cross-sector stakeholder engagement event on 8 December 2016.

There is no evidence that elections in Scotland have been subject to outside interference, either by electronic or other means.

The security of elections is a matter for returning officers and electoral registration officers in consultation with Police Scotland. There are regular meetings between Electoral Administrators, the Electoral Commission and Police Scotland where any threats to the integrity of elections are discussed.

Cyber-security advice for political parties and individual candidates at elections is available from a number of sources, including the National Cyber Security Centre, which was established earlier this year to offer expert, trusted and independent guidance on cyber-security to UK industry, government departments, the critical national infrastructure and private SMEs.

The Scottish Government’s IT Investment Board oversee alignment, assurance and support for the deployment of information systems, and the wider use of information technologies, across the Scottish Government. The board, chaired by the Director Digital and comprising senior representatives from Finance, Procurement, HR, IT and Business areas, reports to the Scottish Government’s Place Board and through that to the Directors-General and the Permanent Secretary.

The Information Services and Information Systems division has responsibility for development and support of the organisation’s IT infrastructure. Assurance for that infrastructure is the responsibility of the Scottish Government Chief Technology Officer with an external assurance role provided by the technology systems integrator partner.

All Scottish Government procurement activities are governed by a system of Delegated Purchasing Authority. This applies to the procurement of IT, including “tendering processes”, and involves Delegated Purchasing Officers given authority to award contracts at specified value levels. These arrangements apply to procurement agreements let by the Scottish Government on behalf of Scottish public bodies as a whole, and the Scottish Government’s own specific procurement requirements.

The Scottish Government’s Programme and Project Management Centre of Expertise provides advice on good practice in Programme and Project Management and manages the provision of independent assurance for major projects undertaken by all organisations to which the Scottish Public Finance Manual is directly applicable.

Accountable Officers have a personal responsibility for the propriety and regularity of the finances under their stewardship and for the economic, efficient and effective use of all related resources and are personally answerable to the Parliament for the exercise of their functions. Under delegation from their Accountable Officers the Senior Responsible Owners of are accountable for their successful delivery individual projects or programmes. .

The Scottish Government has an internal audit function and a comprehensive independent assurance framework in place for IT projects and infrastructure developments; including Gateway Reviews and the Technology Assurance Framework which includes Digital First Assessments and a set of mandatory independent stop/go gates at key stages of major programmes or projects.

The Office of the Chief Information Officer is responsible for the Technology Assurance Framework across the Scottish Government and its Agencies. The internal audit function is provided by the Director of Internal Audit with an audit of the Scottish Government’s programme and project management independent assurance review process conducted in 2016.

The role of the Digital Directorate within the Scottish Government is to lead the development and oversee the delivery of Scotland’s digital strategy. This includes responsibility for operating the corporate ICT systems of the Scottish Government, working with partners to deliver our commitment to extend access to superfast broadband to 100% of premises by end 2021, supporting the growth of digital skills and enabling the reform of public services through the application of digital technology. The Directorate is responsible for £136m of programme funding, £9m of direct running costs and employs approximately 440 staff on a mix of permanent and fixed term contracts.

The Directorate is being restructured currently in order to introduce a new, dedicated data and statistics division. This process will be completed during April 2017, resulting in a directorate with 5 divisions:

Information Services and Information Systems, whose primary role is to support the organisation’s IT infrastructure and deliver the new assurance framework for digital/ technology projects;

Connectivity, Economy and Participation, which is responsible for policy advice and delivery on broadband and mobile telecommunications, digital skills and enterprise support, and promoting digital participation;

Digital Public Services and Business Transformation, which primarily supports the wider Scottish Government and public sector in delivering digital transformation of services;

Office of the Chief Information Officer, which oversees Scottish Government’s new digital/ ICT assurance processes and provides professional leadership and development for ICT staff;

Data and Statistics, which will lead on the use of data across the Scottish Government and beyond, ensuring that any such approaches enjoy the trust and confidence of the people of Scotland.

The Digital Director reports to Director-General Communities, who then reports to Scottish Government’s Permanent Secretary. Within Scottish Government, Directors are accountable to Ministers for policy decisions, and work with Directors-General and the Permanent Secretary on general management decisions.

I have overall responsibility for Scotland’s digital strategy. However, the cross-cutting nature of the digital agenda is reflected in the distribution of Ministerial responsibilities. In particular:

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills –cyber security and digital skills

Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity – improving connectivity across Scotland

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs - digital participation

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work –promoting Scotland’s digital economy

Legislation approved by Parliament last Autumn will mean up to 54,000 low income households living in properties in Bands E to H will be entitled to a council tax reduction equal to the increased charge arising from the way council tax is calculated on such homes.

It is estimated that there are around 89 properties in North Ayrshire who have a rateable value below £18,000 in 2016-17 and will have a rateable value above £18,000 in 2017-18, but it is not possible to confirm how many of these properties are eligible for or are currently claiming Small Business Bonus Scheme relief.

I am responsible for policy around digital and data. The recently published Digital Strategy “Realising Scotland's full potential in a digital world” laid out the Government’s approach on the use of public data and big data. Delivering these elements of the strategy is led by the Scottish Government’s Chief Statistician.

Since experiencing recruitment difficulties in replacing GPs, NHS Ayrshire & Arran and North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership have been working closely with the West Kilbride Medical Practice to support them in stabilising the Practice. This support will enable the practice to continue to provide clinical general medical services to their patients.

The Scottish Government is aware of the pressures facing general practice and are fully committed to delivering a model of sustainable general practice that is right both for the profession and for the health of the people of Scotland. In recognition of this we will invest £72 million during 2017-18 in the Primary Care Fund to improve primary care and GP services. As part of this, £5 million will be invested in work to explore with key stakeholders the issues surrounding GP recruitment and retention.

Scottish Government ministers or officials would welcome the opportunity to be involved in the cross-party group on LGBTI+ issues and to participate in discussions as appropriate.

The Scottish Government will always give careful consideration to the views and decisions of Parliament, in whatever form they are expressed. When Parliament gives its consent to a motion which invites the Government to consider a specific course of action, the Government will return to Parliament to set out its response.