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The Scottish Government acted decisively in light of the 2017 rates revaluation, cutting the rates poundage, limiting application of the large business supplement so that 8,000 fewer properties pay it, and expanding the Small Business Bonus Scheme so that it lifts 100,000 properties out of rates altogether.

Further rates relief was also targeted where it was most needed, including in the hospitality sector and for office space in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, as part of a total package of relief worth around £660 million this year. Local authorities can also further reduce rates following the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.

The Scottish Government has now responded to the recent Barclay review, and has gone beyond Barclay's recommendations to support business. New properties will only be entered in the valuation roll once first occupied. A ‘business growth accelerator’ will mean no rates for a year for new premises once occupied, and no increases for a year for upgrading or expansion of existing premises. And 'Fresh Start' relief will be increased to 100% and extended to all property types, to incentivise re-use of vacant property. An implementation plan will be published by the end of the year.

Respiratory Managed Clinical Networks (RMCN) exist in most NHS Boards in Scotland. They work to improve the respiratory health and quality of life of patients, ensuring that they have equitable access to high quality respiratory services.

The Respiratory National Advisory Group (RNAG) is an overarching group for the RMCNs to identify and discuss improvements in respiratory care and includes third sector representation.

In line with our approach to other public health issues, the Scottish Government receives evidence-based advice from Health Protection Scotland, our national health protection experts, and also from Public Health England. They have the expertise to assess the scientific literature available on environmental exposures and hazardous substances, and keep it under review.

Workplace health and safety is reserved to the UK Government and regulation is led by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Advice on safe working with hazardous substances can be obtained from the HSE or the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives.

The use of chemicals and hazardous substances in Scotland is overseen by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) who provide guidance on the safe use of chemicals for the protection of human health and the environment: https://echa.europa.eu.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-10570 on 21 August 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

We published our disability strategy A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People – our Delivery Plan to 2021 for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in December 2016. While there is no specific reference to stroke rehabilitation in the strategy, it applies to all disabled people in Scotland, regardless of their impairment or condition. The plan has five long-term ambitions aimed at transforming the lives of disabled people in Scotland and ensuring that their human rights are realised.

*The number of wind farm applications that have been turned down by local authorities (or where the authority have failed to make a decision) and have been subsequently a) allowed and b) dismissed by Ministers on appeal since July 2016 are set out in the following table:

*Figures shown relate to the period 1 July 2016 to 24 July 2017

1. Education Scotland expects to have increased the number of inspections it carries out by 9% by the end of Academic Year (AY) 2016-17, compared to AY 2015-16. It expects to increase the number of inspections in 2017-18 by a further 9.5%, compared to 2016-17.

2. To support the increase in school inspection numbers, Education Scotland has put in place a number of measures.

• Nine new inspectors were appointed in April 2015. These inspectors are now fully trained and are contributing to the increase in inspection activity.

• A further recruitment exercise for inspectors is currently ongoing.

• A number of highly experienced Assistant Inspectors were also appointed.

• Education Scotland is currently recruiting for more Associate Assessors. These are senior school leaders or senior local authority staff. They are rigorously trained by Education Scotland and join school inspection teams as full team members. As well as increasing capacity for inspection, Associate Assessors benefit greatly from these experiences.

• A new short-visit model of inspection has been introduced successfully.

The latest delayed discharge census (April 2017) was published on 6 June. It showed a reduction in bed days associated with delay, continuing the downward trend that has seen 25 out of 26 months showing a reduction on the equivalent month the previous year.

The standard health and social care delays over 3 days fell again in April to713, down 63 from March. This is the lowest level since recording changes were introduced in July 2016.

We have put in place a £54 million comprehensive package of support to improve access to mental health services for children and adults, which will provide funding for additional staff, for workforce development and for in-depth improvement support to local services. In this first year £4.3 m has been awarded to boards across Scotland to build capacity within mental health services. A further £4.5 m has been awarded through NHS Education Scotland to provide each board an individual, tailored offer of funding and workforce development.

As part of a comprehensive package of support for Boards, £4.6 million funding has been announced for Healthcare Improvement Scotland to establish a Mental Health Access Improvement Support Team which is working in partnership with boards to improve access to mental health services. In latest published waiting times figures for CAMHS Forth Valley, one of the first boards to engage with the improvement team, has recorded its performance is over 99% against the waiting times standard for CAMHS for quarter 1 of 2017, previously in quarter 2 of 2016 its performance was just 28% against the standard. Additionally 10 of 14 Health boards are meeting the target 18 weeks for CAMHS treatment and the average wait throughout Scotland is 10 weeks.

In line with the Scottish Government’s Trade and Investment Strategy, Scottish Development International deploys its resources where it can generate the best return for the Scottish economy while remaining open to new and emerging opportunities. SDI’s network in the Americas reflects where the best opportunities for Scottish exports and inward investment currently lie.

SDI’s office in Brazil supports Scottish companies operating across various sectors in countries across the region, including Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico.

Under this Government we have the highest medical staffing levels ever, with numbers of consultants increasing by a record 46.2 per cent to 5,315.7 Whole Time Equivalent.*

As part of our initiatives to sustain the future NHSScotland workforce, we are investing £23 million in increasing supply and widening access to medical education. The package of measures includes:-

An increase of 50 medical undergraduate places from 2016-17, resulting in an additional 250 medical training places by 2020-21;

A Pre-Medical Entry programme commencing in 2017-18;

The establishment of Scotland’s first Graduate Entry Medical programme (ScotGEM), with intakes commencing in 2018-19.

We are also developing a National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan to strengthen and harmonise workforce planning practice, including within the medical workforce. We are working closely with all relevant stakeholders – including the BMA, COSLA and Scottish Care – throughout this process. The Plan will be published in 2017.

*Source: ISD Scotland