Chamber and committees

The role of the Digital Directorate within the Scottish Government is to lead the development and oversee the delivery of Scotland’s digital strategy. This includes responsibility for operating the corporate ICT systems of the Scottish Government, working with partners to deliver our commitment to extend access to superfast broadband to 100% of premises by end 2021, supporting the growth of digital skills and enabling the reform of public services through the application of digital technology. The Directorate is responsible for £136m of programme funding, £9m of direct running costs and employs approximately 440 staff on a mix of permanent and fixed term contracts.

The Directorate is being restructured currently in order to introduce a new, dedicated data and statistics division. This process will be completed during April 2017, resulting in a directorate with 5 divisions:

Information Services and Information Systems, whose primary role is to support the organisation’s IT infrastructure and deliver the new assurance framework for digital/ technology projects;

Connectivity, Economy and Participation, which is responsible for policy advice and delivery on broadband and mobile telecommunications, digital skills and enterprise support, and promoting digital participation;

Digital Public Services and Business Transformation, which primarily supports the wider Scottish Government and public sector in delivering digital transformation of services;

Office of the Chief Information Officer, which oversees Scottish Government’s new digital/ ICT assurance processes and provides professional leadership and development for ICT staff;

Data and Statistics, which will lead on the use of data across the Scottish Government and beyond, ensuring that any such approaches enjoy the trust and confidence of the people of Scotland.

The Digital Director reports to Director-General Communities, who then reports to Scottish Government’s Permanent Secretary. Within Scottish Government, Directors are accountable to Ministers for policy decisions, and work with Directors-General and the Permanent Secretary on general management decisions.

I have overall responsibility for Scotland’s digital strategy. However, the cross-cutting nature of the digital agenda is reflected in the distribution of Ministerial responsibilities. In particular:

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills –cyber security and digital skills

Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity – improving connectivity across Scotland

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs - digital participation

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work –promoting Scotland’s digital economy

Since experiencing recruitment difficulties in replacing GPs, NHS Ayrshire & Arran and North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership have been working closely with the West Kilbride Medical Practice to support them in stabilising the Practice. This support will enable the practice to continue to provide clinical general medical services to their patients.

The Scottish Government is aware of the pressures facing general practice and are fully committed to delivering a model of sustainable general practice that is right both for the profession and for the health of the people of Scotland. In recognition of this we will invest £72 million during 2017-18 in the Primary Care Fund to improve primary care and GP services. As part of this, £5 million will be invested in work to explore with key stakeholders the issues surrounding GP recruitment and retention.

Scottish Government ministers or officials would welcome the opportunity to be involved in the cross-party group on LGBTI+ issues and to participate in discussions as appropriate.

The Scottish Government will always give careful consideration to the views and decisions of Parliament, in whatever form they are expressed. When Parliament gives its consent to a motion which invites the Government to consider a specific course of action, the Government will return to Parliament to set out its response.

The report commissioned from Peter Brett Associates cost £45,925 plus VAT as indicated in the response to S5W-07951 on 21 March 2017. No breakdown of that cost is held.

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

In my statement that I made to parliament yesterday I confirmed that that the board of HIE and the other agencies will remain.

As I have previously promised, HIE will continue to be locally-based, managed and directed, and the new arrangements will protect and enhance their unique service.

The Scottish Government believes the people of Scotland should be given the right to choose their own future. A choice between the hard Brexit being advocated by the UK Government, and the risk we know that this poses to our economy of around £11 billion a year by 2030 and 80,000 jobs over a decade, and becoming an independent country and having the opportunity to pursue policies designed to grow the economy and invest in public services.

The value of Scotland's exports to each member of the European Free Trade Association for 2015, drawn from Export Statistics Scotland are as follows:

• Switzerland - £785 million

• Norway - £1315 million

• Iceland - Less than £50 million

• Liechtenstein - No data held.

The most recent published Scottish export figures are available via the Export Statistics Scotland publication available at:http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Economy/Exports/ESSMaps and are for 2015. The report highlights figures by the millions except where levels fall below £50 million.

The Highlands and Islands Patient Travel Scheme reimburses reasonable travel costs for all patients in the Highlands and Islands area that are required to travel 30 miles or more to a hospital for treatment, less the first £10, with the exception of those in receipt of qualifying benefits, or who hold an NHS low income certificate.

There is a statutory minimum tolerable standard for all housing which includes that homes must be substantially free from rising damp or penetrating damp. Local authorities have a statutory duty to address housing which falls below the tolerable standard. Section 85 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 requires local authorities to ensure that houses which do not meet the tolerable standard are closed, demolished or brought up to the tolerable standard within such period as is reasonable. Local authorities have powers to require owners to carry out work needed to bring a house up to standard, and discretionary powers to provide advice and assistance to property owners where it is needed.