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Our Diabetes Improvement Plan (2014) through the Scottish Diabetes Foot Action Group (SDFAG) aims to improve the awareness of foot care to reduce the number of people developing avoidable ulcers and prevent the risk of limb amputation.

Our SDFAG is leading on a number of work streams to achieve the aims such as, putting greater emphasis on preventative care by campaigning to reduce the incidence of new diabetic foot ulcers developing in hospital, and education programmes for staff.

Furthermore, a new antibiotic guidance has been developed and the National Diabetic Foot Risk Stratification and Triage system updated.

Incidence of foot ulcers are included within NHS Boards quarterly reporting and recent updates to SCI-Diabetes will support improved monitoring of diabetes foot disease.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway presented a draft Financial Plan for 2017-18 at their Board meeting on 5^th December 2016. This included £19 million of efficiency savings as part of an overall plan to deliver financial balance.

These savings are not about a reduction in spending, as all savings are retained locally for reinvestment in frontline services. Following the Draft Budget announced in Parliament on 15^th December 2016, NHS Dumfries and Galloway has an indicative allocation of £284.9m for 2017-18, an increase of £5.5m which includes a £4.2m (1.5%) increase to baseline funding.

Boards are rightly required to continually assess their expenditure of public funds to ensure the delivery of best value and make the most effective use of funding for the benefit of patients. The combination of increases in funding and retention of savings will ensure that priorities are safeguarded.

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 Scottish Government has invested over £65 million in major trunk road improvements in Dumfries & Galloway since 2007, of which 10.6 miles are newly constructed road and 2.0 miles have been significantly improved or widened. A breakdown by year is provided in the following table.

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, 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.

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.

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 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 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’.