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The Medical Associate Professions (MAPs) Programme Board will meet for the first time in April 2024. Minutes of meetings will be published online on the NES Medical Associate Professions (MAPs) | Turas | Learn (nhs.scot)

The proposed membership for the Medical Associate Professions (MAPs) Programme Board is indicated below.

As arrangements are still being finalised ahead of the first meeting at the end of April, membership may be subject to change.

• Head of Recruitment and Capacity Building, Health Workforce Directorate, Scottish Government (Co-Chair)
• Medical Director, NES Education for Scotland (Co-chair)
• Deputy Chief Executive and Director of NMAHP, NHS Education for Scotland
• Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Government
• Chief Nursing Officer Directorate, Scottish Government
• Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Scottish Government
• Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, Scottish Government
• Scottish Association of Medical Directors (SAMD)
• Scottish Executive Nurse Directors Group (SEND)
• Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland
• Faculty of Physician Associates
• Association of Anaesthesia Associates
• General Medical Council
• Workforce Planning Lead, West of Scotland Regional Planning
• Head of Workforce and Development, North of Scotland Regional Planning
• Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD)
• Health Improvement Scotland
• Directors of Human Resources, NHS Scotland
• British Medical Association

The Scottish Government has not received a request from any Councils to introduce a Council Tax discount for properties damaged by flooding that remain occupied.

The Council Tax system in Scotland provides for a 100% exemption from Council Tax for homes that are not habitable, and are undergoing major repairs, which lasts for up to 12 months. Further, local authorities have the discretion to apply a Council Tax discount of up to 50% to an unoccupied property at any time. As there is no time limit to this discretion there is no date at which any discount must expire.

The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), published in December 2022, recommended a series of active travel interventions to encourage and sustain a rise in active travel across Scotland. For the South West Scotland this built on earlier work done as part of the South West Scotland Transport Study, published in January 2020, that proposed the development of Strategic Active Travel Network in the South West of Scotland to better connect communities to key destinations with cycle paths parallel to trunk roads and improvements to the National Cycle Network (NCN).

Although the Scottish Government has had no direct involvement in any scheme to extend the NCN route 73 between Stranraer and Cairnryan, Transport Scotland has funded Sustrans with £18.4 million in 2023-24 to continue development of the National Cycle Network. The NCN in Scotland is managed by Sustrans who gave intentions to explore improvements to NCN 73 in the south west which are included within Sustrans’ 30 year National Cycle Network Plan.

The active travel budget is currently supporting infrastructure being delivered by Transport Scotland on the trunk road network to encourage modal shift and to improve active travel connectivity. As part of this, Transport Scotland is currently investigating the feasibility of a new shared use path along the A77 from the south of Cairnryan to the A77/ A751 junction.

Background information required for the design of this shared use path is currently being gathered. Transport Scotland’s operating company Amey requires to carry out vegetation clearance in advance of a topographic survey, subject to environmental investigations. Land purchase will also be required, and this can only commence once the design has identified the full land extent necessary.

Construction between the A751 and Cairnryan is currently programmed for the fourth quarter of FY24/25. This is however subject to available budgets and conclusion of the land purchase which may delay construction. Subject to available ongoing funding, Transport Scotland will investigate the upgrading of the existing path from Stranraer to the A751.

Discussions on the Skills Development Scotland budget for 2024-2025 are ongoing. We hope to confirm the ITA position in the coming weeks.

STPR2 is a long term framework for transport infrastructure, to drive the capital investment decisions for our strategic transport system. It presents the Strategic Business Case for its recommendations, which each in turn will require their own development for delivery. The focus of Recommendation 40 is on improving the safety, resilience and reliability on the A75 and the A77, with Cuckoo Bridge noted as an example location for this.

Transport Scotland is currently developing proposals for safety improvements at the Cuckoo Bridge Roundabout, this includes partial signalisation and active travel improvements. The delivery of these will be subject to available funding being in place.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25038 on 26 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

STPR2 is a long term framework for transport infrastructure, to drive the capital investment decisions for our strategic transport system. It presents the Strategic Business Case for its recommendations, which each in turn will require their own development for delivery. As STPR2 recommends, the focus of Recommendation 40 is on improving the safety, resilience and reliability on the A77, in turn supporting placemaking opportunities, providing more resilient connections to the ports at Cairnryan.

This would include, but is not limited to, improving junctions, enhancing overtaking opportunities with wide single carriageway, two plus one road layout schemes or climbing lanes at appropriate locations where slow moving traffic leads to risky overtaking manoeuvres, and widening or realigning carriageways to alleviate ‘pinch points’ such as narrow structures or at stretches of older standard single carriageway.

Given that this is a long term investment programme, some elements will not commence immediately and are subject to suitable resources and funding being in place.

Our ongoing commitment to the A77 is demonstrated through our continued investment in the operation and maintenance of the trunk road network. An example of which is our ongoing work with communities in Ballantrae and Kirkoswald on the A77 to address concerns with speeding traffic, noise and lack of pedestrian crossing facilities.

More widely, major resurfacing schemes have recently completed on the A77 at Glen App and around Turnberry and there are plans for further work between Dutch House and Symington; South of Ballantrae and at Stinchar Bridge which will include replacement of the bridge parapets. This is line with the STPR2 Recommendation 32 which stresses the importance of renewing existing infrastructure in order to keep the network reliable and resilient for all road users.

I instructed the appointment of an independent researcher to make enquiries in respect of Fornethy House in August last year. Those enquiries have now concluded and the findings of the research report were shared with Parliament yesterday.

I have also shared the report with the Fornethy Survivors Group and invited them to meet with me to discuss it further, having previously met with them along with the First Minister.

I will attend an evidence session with the Public Petitions Committee on 20 March to discuss this matter further.