Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-04508 on 15 November 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, and the search facility can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The national review of targets and indicators for health and social care includes the 20 Local Delivery Plan Standards for the NHS in Scotland which can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Health/Quality-Improvment-Performance/NHS-Performance-Targets and the core suite of indicators for Health and Social Care which can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00473516.pdf

Further to my answer to question S5W-04508 on 15 November 2016. The final remit has been circulated to the group for agreement by 2 December 2016. The chair has also invited the Coalition of Carers for Scotland to nominate a representative to join the group.

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 Scottish Government has asked the chair of the national review of health and social care targets and indicators to provide initial recommendations to Ministers by the end of March 2017.

The relationship with the National Health and Care Standards will be considered as part of the national review of health and social care targets and indicators. The Scottish Government will respond to the review once it has considered the initial report, which is due in March 2017.

Fergus Ewing, then Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism met with Police Scotland on 21 May 2015 to discuss issues in relation to the policing of events. The meeting was also attended by representatives of VisitScotland.

We will allocate £750m through the Scottish Attainment Challenge over the course of this Parliament. This year, Dumfries and Galloway has been allocated up to £267,786 - £151,253 through the Attainment Challenge Innovation Fund and £116,533 for the two schools which are in the Attainment Scotland Fund Schools Programme - Kelloholm Primary and Sanquhar Academy.

From next April, schools in Dumfries and Galloway will benefit from the £100m which will be allocated direct to schools on the basis of the number of children in each primary school and the first three years of secondary school that meet the national eligibility criteria for free school meals.

We have continually shown our commitment to promoting positive relationships with Trade Unions as they provide a voice and a source of empowerment to those that might otherwise go unheard.

There is clear evidence that unionised workplaces have more engaged staff, have a higher level of staff training and a progressive approach to staff wellbeing.

Trade unions have a crucial role to play both in distributing the ‘returns’ from work and in contributing to making workplaces more effective and prosperous for all.

Industrial Relations in Scotland are strong and we will continue to work closely with Trade Unions to promote the benefits of Trade Unions to employers.

We would encourage Laing O’Rourke and UCATT to work together to seek a resolution which best supports their workforce.

The Education (Scotland) Act introduced a provision to allow Scottish Ministers to make regulations to require local authorities to pay a minimum amount of school clothing grants to families or young people. The detail of the amount of grant and the eligibility criteria would be set out in regulations.

Scottish Ministers continue to discuss the provision of school clothing grants and appropriate timescales for implementation with COSLA. We intend to achieve this in partnership with COSLA rather than by imposing regulations, in the same way that we have successfully implemented universal free school meals for Primary 1-3. However, the regulation-making power provides an alternative route should this not prove possible.

We will engage with relevant stakeholders, including parents, as we develop this policy.

I have made no representations to Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority regarding police charging for events.

Police Scotland follows the standard approach to setting charges for public services as set out in the Scottish Government's Scottish Public Finance Manual - which is based on full cost recovery.