 A bau'r gwahau phwllfaeth ystod yn cyfdeithasol a ar mewn gwylwgrunturau rwyadol. A gwindd rwy'n gwein i'r cyfrifysgir ysgolig sefydliadau Ileinol i ddiwylliannol, ymmygoedd gwylwg algunag o'r cyrustriad i gyrfa foym niadol, rydyn ni'n las chyfydig iawn i'r cyfrifysgir oherwydd i ni iddi mor gwaith o ddaeth. Highlands and Islands Enterprise will continue to be locally based, managed and directed to provide dedicated support to the Highlands and Islands economy. Rhoda Grant Can I ask the cabinet secretary at what level of financial assistance will high staff have to revert to the board? I will repeat that. At what level of financial assistance will high staff have to revert to the board for a decision? While the Government insists that its support for its plan of an overarching board, none of the 126 published responses show that, could it be that everyone else wants to see major decisions relating to the Highlands and Islands taken in the Highlands and Islands? The issues in relation to financial matters, we have said last week, I said in the chamber that the decision making remains with Highlands and Islands Enterprise in terms of the governance that has been taken forward by a number of people in the ministerial review group, which includes people from Highlands and Islands. I would disagree with the number that has been provided by Rhoda Grant. Over 300 people or individuals or groups responded to that, and in that substantial numbers of people were saying that, for example, SDSSE, Strathclyde University and others were talking about the need for an overarching strategic board. There was support for that, there was evidence for that, but it has been our view that in relation to what Highlands currently does, it does very well, but it is also the case that some other things that have been brought to the Highlands, for example, the first-ever Government to commit to the dualling of the A96, before any previous Government did that, the establishment of a city deal, the work done by my colleague Fergus Ewing in relation to the Rio Tinto investments, all have happened in addition to what Highlands has done, and what we want to do is to make sure more of that happens. It could, of course, well be the case that High, far from the picture painted by Rhoda Grant and others, ends up with more authority and more powers than it did at the start of this review. When High's predecessor, the Highlands and Islands Development Board, was first established its founder, Willie Ross, said that Highlands needed an agency with the powers to deal comprehensively with every obstacle in the way of economic and social improvement. Will High continue to be in a position to do that? The Government has made it clear that we will maintain the dedicated support, including High's strengthening communities remit, which is the basis of Kate Forbes' question. That remit will be locally based, managed and directed by High, and will protect the unique services that High delivers for our Highlands and Islands economy. However, as I said in my previous response to Rhoda Grant, it is our intention that High should be more than that in terms of potential skills, but certainly in terms of international support for attracting international investment. We believe that there is more that can be done in relation to the activities of High. Yes, those vital components of what High has done up till now will remain, but hopefully with additional powers and support from the other agencies that are subject to this review. Donald Cameron The cabinet secretary will be aware that the campaign to save the High board has received the support from its former chairman and member of his own party, the respected Professor Jim Hunter, who not only accused the Government of committing an assault on its founding principles, but also said that, in a country as diverse as ours, this centralism run right needs resisting. Does the cabinet secretary agree with the comments of his own party member? I think that the SNP is a broad church. It is fair to see that. We have people with different views within the party, which is important in a democratic party, which gives a lie to previous accusations from that side of the chamber. However, it is important to recognise, as I have already done, that the Highlands and Islands has substantial support in the Highlands for the work that it has done over many years. That is why we have said that we intend to maintain that it will be enshrined as it is a legal agency. The chief executive will remain there, the staff will remain there, and the same people who are providing those vital services, which are mentioned, will also remain. However, as I have said in relation to the two previous answers, we think that it is possible to build on what has been done there and to achieve even more. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concern regarding the future of the Jim Clark Rally. The Scottish Government recognises the importance of events such as the Jim Clark Rally, but we also need to balance the potential for economic benefit from such events with the imperative for a high degree of safety, both for spectators and road users. John Lamont I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. I welcome the fact that we now have some progress on the investigations into the tragic events of 2014. The Jim Clark Rally contributes greatly to the border's economy and its loss over the last few years has really impacted on local businesses. Thoughts are now turning to the 2017 event, which the organisers have told me is within weeks of being cancelled. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that the Government will do all that it can, alongside Police Scotland and Scottish Borders Council, to facilitate the holding of a closed road rally event next year? Can she confirm that the holding of a fatal accident inquiry does not preclude the rally taking place? John Lamont I say to John Lamont that I am aware that the event organisers have notified Scottish ministers of their intention to hold the Jim Clark Rally in 2017, and I have also submitted a report setting out how the promoters intend to implement the Motor Sport Association stage rally safety requirements. That report is under consideration. We, as ministers, remain with a higher-level supervisory role. The member will be aware that Scottish Borders Council is the lead road and traffic authority that remains the authority, along with Police Scotland, which authorises the detailed arrangements for the rally. Another factor to be considered, as the member said, is the announcement on 1 December by the Crown Office to establish a fatal accident inquiry into the tragic deaths of a spectator at the Snowman Rally in January 2013 and the deaths of the three spectators at the Jim Clark Rally in May 2014. I am happy to make sure that the member is kept abreast of the report being under consideration and any further developments. I can ask the Minister for Public Health and Sport to write to him to keep him appraised of the facts. Stuart McMillan To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the NHS has sufficient stocks of blood for the winter period. Shona Robison Each year, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, SNBTS, makes robust plans to raise awareness of the need for blood donations during the winter period and maintain supplies of blood across Scotland. SNBTS employs various strategies to boost the number of donors. For example, through the period, SNBTS will be contacting existing donors to build supplies of each of the eight major blood groups. A television campaign commenced on 28 November, supported by a digital campaign. I would just like to take the opportunity to thank all donors for their support, and I would encourage everyone who can to donate. Stuart McMillan I thank the cabinet secretary for that reply. Blood stocks have a limited shelf life, so it is impossible to stockpile supplies, and I think that that is something that we would all accept. However, at the beginning of the week, we will be negative or plus and be negative. We are down to five and six days' supply. Will the Scottish Government increase the promotional output for the annual give blood campaign to encourage more people to either give blood for the first time or to return? The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service aims to stock at a six-day supply of every major blood group. At the current time, it has six or more days' supply of all but two of the eight main blood groups, with a five-day supply of O-positive and B-negative blood. As a result, it does not currently have significant concerns about stock levels at present. However, we will fully support SNBTS's publicity campaign to encourage more blood donations over the winter period. In addition, we are supporting their efforts to encourage new donors. As I said in my earlier answer, if you have never given blood before, you could not pick a better time to start than during the festive period. David Stewart Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assist sites in Scotland that are preparing to apply for licences to operate as spaceports. Cabinet Secretary, Keith Brown. We remain focused on ensuring that a spaceport is based in Scotland, and the Scottish Government and its agencies will provide advice and support to any Scottish airfield that wishes to pursue the spaceport opportunity. The modern transport bill, which includes a spaceport legislation and the licence process, is not due at Westminster until early 2017. It will then take a year to become law, so the civil aviation authority is not expecting to issue the licence process until 2018. We await clarification from the UK Government regarding the infrastructure requirements involved in becoming a spaceport. That clarity is necessary to allow sites that develop viable business models for possible spaceflight operations. The Scottish Government and its agencies will continue to support Scottish sites in any way that they can at the appropriate time. Currently, each site has the ability to have direct contact with the CEA for updates and inquiries on the process. David Stewart The Cabinet Secretary for Transport and the Islands will be well aware that the UK space sector is one of Britain's fastest-growing and most innovative industries. The Discovery Space UK bid to licent Macrohanich as a horizontal launch spaceport facility would be the UK's first commercial spaceport. A fully functioning runway of 3,000 metres is already an alternative landing site for the US space shuttle. Will the cabinet secretary look again at enterprise area status for Macrohanich, an area that outscored two existing enterprise areas in the 2011 appraisal process? David Stewart As I said in my initial response, I would say to David Stewart that it is really up for each area to say if they want to participate in this bid and also to put in place the things that they think would advantage that application. I say that because until it is obvious from the UK Government's taking through of the modern transport bill what the infrastructure requirements and the business models would be for a spaceport bid, it is necessary that we have the clarity on that before individual applications or areas that want to apply and put together their infrastructure and other supporting initiatives in order to help that bid. We really have to await that clarification before we can take forward further commitments in relation to any particular bid that arises. John Scott Following the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Prestwick Airport and Huston on Tuesday, does the cabinet secretary agree with me that provided Prestwick Airport can meet the licensing obligations that is now the preferred site for horizontal take-off space launches in Scotland and that Prestwick MRO infrastructure could also be used to support vertical take-off space launches at other Scottish sites? David Stewart What I said in relation to the previous response applies to any sites, but I do recognise some of the points made by John Scott in relation to the work that Prestwick Airport has undertaken and its advantages. As I mentioned, the advantages for Macra Hanish in terms of the runway and so on. I think that Prestwick Airport is putting in place an awful lot of infrastructure that has certain benefits already, but it would also require, as the member well knows, further infrastructure development for Prestwick, whether to take forward a bid. Again, both for Prestwick and for Macra Hanish, both will want to see the progress of the bill going through the UK Parliament to know exactly what the infrastructure requirements will be and the best possible business model should they decide to bid. Kenneth Gibson I hear what the cabinet secretary says, but, as John Scott pointed out, Glasgow, Prestwick Airport and Houston's spaceport have formed an exciting new partnership that met just two days ago. Prestwick already has 3,000 aerospace engineers working there. Will the Scottish Government now finally commit itself to the bid from Prestwick, which is an airport and not an airfield like Macra Hanish, in order to boost Scotland's chances of securing the UK and Europe's first operational spaceport? John Scott Cabinet Secretary I do not think that I would want to deviate from the responses that I have given to the previous two answers, but I would say that it is also possible and has been mooted in the past that both the airfields airports would wish to work together in relation to this. Of course, that is something that remains possible, but the same point applies to any bids. I recognise the work that has been undertaken at Prestwick, and I recognise the aspirations at Macra Hanish, but those things, given full form, require to know what will be required in terms of infrastructure. We do not know that definitively yet. Once we know what the infrastructure requirements are, those who are keen to bid will know how to put together their business plans. We have to await that process at the same time as encouraging those who want to participate. Patrick Harvie Yes, back on earth, can I ask the Scottish Government what impact it expects its tax policies to have on inequality of wealth and income? Cabinet Secretary, Derek Mackay. The Scottish Government will set out its proposals for tax policies in its draft budget, which will be published on 15 December. The Scottish Government is committed to delivering policies that support the delivery of inclusive growth. Patrick Harvie The cabinet secretary has said on many occasions, and I agree that it is wrong to give a tax break to wealthy people, particularly in the current context when very many people are struggling. However, the cumulative effect of the personal allowance change at UK level and the Scottish Government's proposal to change the threshold on the higher rate will mean a tax cut for high earners of about £178 a year, at a time when the Scottish Government has the ability to claw back what has been given by the UK Government to the wealthy and ensure a more progressive policy. If the Scottish Government is not going to do that, what is the cabinet secretary going to spend his extra £15 a month on? Derek Mackay As I have said to members in the chamber, I look forward to setting out the budget proposition on 15 December. There are some matters that Patrick Harvie has raised in the past, such as setting resolution foundation. It works in a number of areas, including the personal allowance and the interplay with social security decisions. However, what the Government will take forward is a balanced approach on taxation to fund high-quality public services in a package that is fair and reasonable to the public and the taxpayers of Scotland and a proposition that will gain the support of the people at the most recent Scottish Parliament elections. Rona Mackay To ask the cabinet secretary whether he will consider making Scottish history a priority subject on the school curriculum. John Swinney Learning about Scotland's history, heritage and culture is promoted and supported in the context of curriculum for excellence. That includes a unit on Scottish history in the national four, national five and higher history courses. Rona Mackay I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. In my constituency of Strathkelvin and Bears Den, we are currently celebrating the Thomas Muir festival, an annual event organised by the Friends of Thomas Muir to commemorate the father of Scottish democracy. Does the cabinet secretary agree that our children should learn all there is to know about Scotland's great pioneers? John Swinney Yes, I do. It is important that there is a deep understanding of the figures in Scottish history that have shaped our country, shaped its values and shaped its identity. The opportunity for that to be developed through our curriculum is a significant opportunity for schools and for young people to appreciate the depth of Scottish history and the contribution of individuals such as Thomas Muir to the formation of what we know to be modern Scotland today. Christine Grahame I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. I think that the cabinet secretary would agree with me that our Scottish culture, both history and literature, should be embedded in our children's learning. I referred to the cabinet secretary's letter to me on 8 November when I raised the issue of literature. Many primary schools study the works of burns, for example closed quotes, but is that not the problem? In my day a few moons ago, you did in quotes burns in January. Has much changed or is it still the case that the study of Scottish literature is peripheral, if I may say so, even tokenistic? I have to say that I was not around when Christine Grahame was at school. From my wild speculation of what might have been going on at that time, it is very important that there is a broad understanding of the contribution to literature from Scottish authors. I see evidence of that in a range of different ways in the school curriculum. The understanding of the work of our mackard, Jackie Kieh, is important. Within some of our certificated qualifications is a requirement to consider a text from Scottish literature. In all of those respects there is, I think, due account to be taken. The serious point that Christine Grahame makes is that there is a significant contribution from Scottish literature to our education system and to knowledge within our country, and that should be a central part of what young people experience as part of their education. Brian Whittle To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce personal physical literacy programmes such as the STEP programme in schools as part of its obesity strategy. The evidence on tackling obesity says that, for success, we must maintain activity across a wide range of actions that make it easier for people to be more active, to eat less and to eat better. As part of the review process on our strategy, we will be considering how we link our obesity strategy to other cross-government work, including that on promoting physical activity and developing our approach to being a good food nation. I will be meeting with Kenny Logan to discuss the STEP programme earlier in the new year. Along with the daily mildest STEP programme is another example of how physical activity can be embedded into the daily life of Scottish schools, which we know can have a positive impact on people's health, educational attainment and life chances. Brian Whittle I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. My frustration is that the Government always talks about the importance of physical activity in tackling obesity, but there is little action. The very principle of the Government's getting-it-right-for-every-child policy would suggest that meeting the individual needs of every child is fundamental. The rate that each child learns physical literacy is diverse as the rate in which they learn numeracy, literacy and language. Given the recognition that there is an alarming decline in child activity rates linked to the rise in obesity and poor mental health, why does the Government treat physical literacy as the poor relation in a child's education? John Swinney We have been around the houses of this question before, Mr Whittle and I. I do not recognise the portrayal of Scottish education that Mr Whittle sets out to Parliament today. There is a very high level of engagement and participation in activities such as the Daily Mile across Scottish schools. 98 per cent of schools are fulfilling their commitments in relation to physical education. I see countless examples as I go round the country of schools taking every effort to encourage physical activity and exercise and an emphasis on health and wellbeing within the activities of Scottish education. I am committed to the area of activity that is reflected in Education Scotland. I hope that Mr Whittle can recognise some of the achievements that have been made by Scottish schools in promoting physical activity among children.