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The Scottish Government is currently developing a draft Energy Strategy to be published in early 2017, alongside the Climate Change Plan. A public consultation on the draft Energy Strategy will take place thereafter, seeking the views and insight of industry, academia, public sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and embarking upon a public dialogue with Scottish communities and energy consumers on Scotland’s energy future. The results of the consultation will inform the production of the final Energy Strategy which will be published in the latter half of 2017.

The Scottish Government recognises that switching energy tariff or supplier can provide significant savings for consumers. However, the Competition and Markets Authority’s recent energy market investigation has highlighted that consumers in Scotland are less likely to be active in the market than when compared with consumers in England and Wales.

In response to this, the Scottish Government is examining collective switching models and group buying of energy to inform our approach in this area. We will evaluate existing models and identify key elements of successful methods and interventions that may be helpful in promoting Scottish consumer engagement in the energy market. As part of this work, we are engaging with a number of organisations that have operated recent collective switches in Scotland to understand their experiences and those of their consumers - both positive and negative - which will grow our evidence base as we consider our next steps and inform the development of policy within our draft Energy Strategy for Scotland.

In support of this work, we will also be undertaking a survey to establish the extent of switching and the barriers that consumers face, and use the results to identify the characteristics of different types of switchers, such as those on low incomes, with the aim of developing targeted policy interventions.

Our aim is to better understand within the Scottish context, the potential to increase consumer engagement in the energy market through the promotion of collective switching schemes and the potential for innovative models to reach the most vulnerable and disengaged Scottish energy consumers, in line with the Scottish Government’s call for a fair deal for all Scottish energy consumers.

In Scotland’s Economic Strategy we said we would address long-standing barriers in the labour market so that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Fairer working practices can help utilise more effectively the skills and talents of groups who do not always get the best deal in the labour market and contribute to inclusive economic growth. This is the context in which we are scoping arrangements for the fund, which will be announced in due course.

We intend to publish a detailed business plan in Spring 2017.

As stated in A Plan for Scotland: The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2016-17, a key action for this year will be developing the business case for a new manufacturing centre of excellence and skills academy. We are currently developing this business plan with a range of partners, and this work includes building an evidence base and working closely with the private sector on the detail of the proposition. Clearly, options for the centre's location, budget and staffing will be considered as key issues as part of this business case process.

A review of health and social care targets and indicators was announced in September 2016. This review will be chaired by the University of Strathclyde Professor of Global Public Health, Sir Harry Burns, and will ensure targets and performance indicators lead to the best outcomes for people being cared for, whether in hospital, primary care, community care or social care services. The current indicators on palliative and end of life care, as well as potential additional or alternative indicators, will be considered as part of this review.

It is estimated that the capital stimulus package funding of £100 million will support around 800 full time equivalent Scottish jobs, with just over half of those in construction.

The impact on economic growth in 2016-17 will not be known until the projects being funded have been taken forward. However, it is anticipated that this investment will deliver a vital boost to the economy, helping retain skills and activity in key sectors as well as enhancing Scotland's asset base.

The Scottish Government allocates funding to Skills Development Scotland (SDS) on an annual basis for delivery of training programmes and other activities, including the Employability Fund (EF). In the Budget Bill 2016-17, published on 29 January 2016, SDS was allocated Grant in Aid of £176.1 million which will be used to meet its commitments in 2016-17 including the delivery of 11,650 Employability Fund training places plus £6 million in-year transfers from the Scottish Funding Council to Skills Development Scotland to support delivery of the college ring-fenced places within the sector.

Since its launch in 2013-14, EF has supported 52,030 training starts as shown below:

2013-14 = 17,370

2014-15 = 17,339

2015-16 = 17,321

The Scottish Government recognises the extremely important role of unpaid carers and the valuable contribution they make within their local communities. The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 provides local authorities with a statutory discretionary power to support carers in their own right. This assessment should focus on the personal outcomes of the carer and can lead to services for the carer or the supported person.

Through the Self-directed Support in the Right Direction Fund, five projects are receiving over £440,000 during 2016-2017 to provide support and information to unpaid carers.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving rail services and connectivity within Dumbarton. We have, through the ScotRail franchise, increased the frequency of passenger services between Glasgow and Dumbarton from four to six services per hour and have continued this level of service following the completion of the Glasgow Queen Street tunnel improvements. Passengers in Dumbarton are now able to enjoy a more frequent level of service to and from Helensburgh, Balloch and Glasgow with improved journey times on the Balloch services.