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Curriculum for Excellence was designed to be a liberating and empowering curriculum for the teaching profession in Scotland to transform the learning experiences of young people. It is doing that in every part of Scotland, it has been endorsed by the OECD and it is the right approach for Scotland.

This Government is committed to delivering constant improvement in education and the reforms I am now taking forward will empower our schools and empower our teachers to deliver a curriculum that continues to develop and improve, to meet the needs of our young people, and to equip them for the ever-changing world around us.

With regards to routine and planned maintenance / improvement works delivered by Scotland TranServ, typically the costs associated with temporary traffic lights are included as part of agreed contract rates to deliver schemes. As such these costs cannot be isolated and reported separately from the wider cost of traffic management.

The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 59095).

There are no current plans to increase the HGV speed limit on the A75 or any other trunk road as we believe that there is insufficient evidence in this area to justify a change. A 50 mph HGV pilot is ongoing on single-carriageway sections of the A9. However, this incorporates an average speed camera system in order to mitigate the risks. The trial will be evaluated after a three-year period, with any relevant lessons considered.

The Scottish Government's mental health strategy 2017-27 commits to a number of actions to improve prevention and early intervention, recognising this is key to minimising the prevalence and incidence of poor mental health and the life time impact of mental illness, including eating disorder.

I expect prevention and early intervention for eating disorder and other mental illnesses to be a focus of activity and funding for NHS Boards and Integrated Authorities. These agencies are responsible not only for effective early intervention at a public health level through raising awareness and information and identifying risk for example in schools, higher education and primary care, but also for the provision of tailored care and support at the earliest opportunity which responds to the assessed needs of the individual.

In Scotland, a range of eating disorder services and treatment is provided in line with clinical good practice across community, primary care and specialist services for children, adolescents and adults.

The Scottish Government was not aware that this land was part of common good land when funding was agreed. It is for the Local Authority to identify strategic sites for housing and this particular site had been identified within the council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP).

In line with the commitment made in 2014, the Scottish Government is reviewing the water and sewerage charge exemption scheme to ensure that it is operating as intended. As part of that review, we have been liaising closely with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations who have issued a survey to seek the views of the Third Sector. The views collected will be integral to the review process. We expect the review to be complete at the end of September with a report outlining any recommendations for change being provided to Ministers thereafter.

The costs of temporary traffic lights on the A76 are not recorded as a separate cost but included within the overall cost of each individual maintenance and improvement scheme delivered by Transport Scotland’s Operating Company on the route.

Local Goose Management Groups report annually on the delivery of their goose management schemes. These annual reports are reviewed by the National Goose Management Review Group (NGMRG) which is chaired by the Scottish Government. The annual report for the 2016-17 Solway Goose Management Scheme is currently being considered by the NGMRG.

The Scottish Government made a commitment in 2016 to maintain its funding support to the five local goose management schemes until spring 2020, when the funding will again be reviewed. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) manages these schemes on behalf of the Scottish Government and regularly reviews the individual payment rates for the schemes. The last payment rate review was completed in spring 2016.

A review of goose policy is undertaken every 5 years. In 2015, the Scottish Government commissioned the latest review of goose policy, including of the support offered to farmers to manage geese in Scotland through goose management schemes. The review has been undertaken by SNH and is currently being considered by an external quality assurance panel. Scottish Ministers will consider the findings of the review when it is completed later this year.