 Daiddo. Fyno cymdeithas ym amser yn y cyfodol digonwyr. Tuweidwch, cwrs, cwrs Ynw'r ystgrifiand ym Mhwylfa. Ie, ddun y maen nhw'n gweithio'r gyfnodd sydd gadeig wych feddwl, feddwl yn teimlo'n cymdeithas yn y pwg 15th hynny'n gyminsu gwc floridol. Y minister hwns fyddwch i gychyn sydd? 16,162 o cyfwodol wedi arferngwyd nifer hefyd yn ddigonwyr yn cyfwodol yn cyfwodol i gyfnodd mae'n cyfwodol wedi yn choforraedd. Ff autor sy'n i feddwl iaith o thysgaith y bydd angen i'r compliadau i gwaelwch gwaelwch o'i ei gennych, ond mae'n ddigwydd o dblomid yn ffârm hyn o'r hoffaiddio fel gyfacol yn blaesiau. Rydw i ddweud yn rhaid o'r ddechrau, mae'n mynd yn digwydd, te painig hefyd, ond mae'n rhaid o'r hoffaiddio, ond mae'n ddigwydd o rhefa. Felly, mae'n gwybodaeth bod rhaid o'r hoffaiddio, ond mae'n ddigwydd o rhefa. Felly halfway on what payments they've received. We're rightly prioritised in getting money into people's accounts and maximising the funds that we can access from Europe before the 15th of October deadly. David Scott. I thought that the first answer was much better than the second one. I'd also like to commiserate with the minister whose portfolio seems to expand In front of our eyes every day. It's absolutely not his fault, not his fault, that the Government have cannot yet confirm that the £180 million million pounds that has been spent on the IT computer system for farmers and crofters across Scotland is going to work in 2017. In that light, would he be able to say to Parliament when the entitlement letters that have just gone out for the previous year will go out during 2017? Would he also be able to confirm that the appeal mechanism, which is very important for crofters and farmers who may disagree with what they have been allocated, is still open to crofters and farmers, and that will remain the case during 2017? Yes, let me try to give him some of the assurances he requires and thank him for his commiseration, which is very kind of him to do so. I think that the serious point that we have to make on this is that clearly the Government has learnt lessons. Clearly, Fergus Ewing and the Cabinet Secretary has been working hard with officials but also those in the IT side of things to ensure that we learn lessons from 2016. For example, when we are putting ourselves on to a better footing by hiring more staff in RPID area offices, I know that the Cabinet Secretary had a discussion this morning with those in charge of the IT system to seek their assurances for 2016. We have learnt lessons from the first year of the new CAP regime, which will help our 2016 processes. As well as the IT assurances that we have received, I can give the assurance that the final processing of applications for payments will be undertaken. We expect and anticipate that 2016 payments will be made and substantially completed between then and the end of the payment period. The cabinet secretary has offered to update Parliament on progress in January. In terms of the appeals process, I can give him the assurance that no farmer or crofter should be disadvantaged by the outstanding entitlement letters that they are due to receive and that the appeals mechanism and the review mechanism are still in place. Peter Chapman Officer, we all know the symbolic way that this Government has handled the delivery of CAP payments. It has been a disaster for rural communities. It has been a complete disaster for rural communities. Even now, just this morning, in fact, a constituent contacted me saying that he has yet to be given a full breakdown of his payments. Does the minister understand the huge frustration and the difficulties that those problems are causing to farmers and producers and crofters? I think that he should know. I think that the member will, if he is being fair, understand that the cabinet secretary, Fergus Ewing, knows and we all in the Government know that, of course, things could have been and should have been done better and regret and apologise for it to any farmer and crofter who has been disadvantaged by those mistakes that were made. What we are doing, and what the cabinet secretary has been tirelessly doing, is to ensure that farmers are not disadvantaged when new payments come in. We know about the early loan scheme that has been hugely well received in November. We know about the assurances that I have given in terms of the IT system. I suggest that, Mr Chapman, instead of carping from the sidelines, be part of the solution if he wants. Come, of course, rightly question ministers, quite rightly question the Government what can be done. I think that farmers and crofters, even in the area that he represents, will want him to work with the Government to try to find solutions so that farmers and crofters are not disadvantaged. As he said, the cabinet secretary will provide regular updates and have promised to update Parliament early in the new year. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding Scotland's role in supporting refugees entering the UK. Scottish Government officials are in regular dialogue with Home Office officials about support for refugees who settle in Scotland. Ministers have also discussed the issue, and I discussed the resettlement of refugees and unaccounted children, among other issues when I met the immigration minister in October. I am very proud that Scotland has now welcomed around 1,250 Syrian refugees under the Syrian resettlement programme since October 2015. Rona Mackay I welcome the fact that Eastern Barchonshire Council has at long last agreed to take refugees for families and for unaccompanied children. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that, in addition to housing and education, it is essential that a welcoming committee from their communities help to integrate families socially to help with language and local knowledge issues? Rona Mackay I, like the member, welcome Eastern Barchonshire Council's decision to participate in the resettlement programme. By 2017, I am pleased to say that all local authorities across Scotland will be involved in supporting refugees who settle in Scotland. It has to be acknowledged that there is considerable preparatory work that needs to be done by local authorities before refugees arrive in their communities. For example, to ensure that right accommodation services and supports are in place. I know that there is a wealth of expertise in COSLA, other local authorities and third sector organisations that Eastern Barchonshire Council are drawing on as they prepare to welcome refugees. Many councils have also engaged closely with their local communities, either through volunteering programmes or other means to make the best use of that enormous goodwill that is out there to provide befriending and other support, whether it is English language practice and other ways to welcome refugees into our communities. I am pleased to acknowledge that Ms Mackay is working very closely with Twecker Health and Living Centre to arrange a community team to help with that integration from day one and to give a very warm welcome to refugees when they arrive in Eastern Barchonshire. To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can give to customers who signed solar energy green deal agreements with home energy and lifestyle management systems, which ceased trading in April 2016, in light of the reports that some have found their energy bills increasing back up to three times and the value of their homes being adversely affected. I am very sorry to hear that customers who signed up to the UK Government's green deal scheme in good faith are facing difficulties from a scheme that was meant to help households to reduce their energy bills. Unfortunately, it is not the first time that we have heard of customers facing difficulties under this scheme and we have raised our concerns directly with the UK Government. We have also worked with the relevant regulatory bodies to ensure that redress routes through both the green deal and the financial omspidsmen are available to anyone in this circumstance. I urge anyone concerned who thinks that they have been affected by this scheme or who are struggling to pay their energy bills to contact Home Energy Scotland who can provide support on the matter. Dozens of my constituents in Blantyre have approached me to complain that they have been missold solar panels by home energy and lifestyle management systems that are limited relating to the UK Government's green deal programme. That is having a huge impact on them financially and personally as they deal with the distress that is causing them. I believe that this issue is not confined to my constituency of Rutherglen. Can the cabinet secretary give my constituents reassurance that the Scottish Government will press the UK Government for a resolution to the misselling of solar panel deals in Scotland that have left people with huge debt for years to come and properties that they are unable to sell? I know that Ms Hawke has been working very hard on this issue within our constituency both representing her specific constituents but also raising the matter over the peace. Can I reassure her that the Scottish Government has made a number of requests over the past few years for the UK Government to strengthen its consumer protection processes? The previous Minister for Housing wrote to the then Secretary of State Amber Rudd at the end of last year emphasising that they need to ensure that their schemes offer protection to Scottish customers and that we will continue to press them to take action wherever possible. Given the significant issues raised in connection to Helms, Scottish Government officials convened, with ministerial approval, a UK-wide enforcement group in December 2015. That group comprised, among others, representatives from the Green Deal, the Financial Ombudsman, Energy Savings Trust, Citizens Advice Scotland, Trade and Standards and, indeed, the UK Government. The meeting was used to highlight issues Scottish consumers are facing through this process. We have facilitated and pleased to say and agreed redress routes through the Ombudsman for customers who feel that they have been miscelled plans under this scheme. I also want to highlight that the Scottish Government fund Home Energy Scotland is an advice service that is also on hand to support and guide consumers on the matter. I will ask my officials to lize directly with Ms Hockey to help her constituents to access the support if they have not already done so. I would just like to draw the cabinet secretary's attention to the fact that Helms were also involved in insulating homes in Glasgow Provin under the Green Deal. My constituents have been left without building warrants and with work of an unknown quality, that means that many cannot get insurance or claim the cash back. There are thousands of pounds out-of-pocket and need remedial work. Given that they went ahead confident that this company appeared on a list of approved installers that are authorised by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, what can the Scottish Government do to support those constituents and to get the UK Government to take some responsibility here? I am aware that around five customers received external wall installation from this company, which was partly funded through the early phases of the Scottish Government cash back scheme and has been left with the work, which is not up to standard and for which they have no building warrant. I understand that Mr McKee's office has been in correspondence with the Energy Savings Trust about his constituents. If I can also say to Mr McKee that we have instructed Energy Savings Trust to support those customers, to lize with manufacturers of the external wall installation system, to establish what remedial works can be carried out under the guarantee and establish what is required in order for the customer to get a building warrant from their council. We anticipate that we will have paid out all outstanding claims from householders through the scheme shortly, and I can confirm that we will do what we can to help those householders to resolve the situation. If Mr McKee is aware of any more constituents in the situation, I will ask that his office continue to pass their details to the Energy Savings Trust. To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure the continued viability of rural care homes. It is for health and social care partnerships to determine the need for care home places in their localities and to work with others, including providers, to meet that need. The Scottish Government will continue to work with NHS boards, local authorities and other stakeholders to drive up quality in the community and ensure appropriate social care provision is available. The formula used in the distribution of the Scottish Government's funding to local authorities takes into account a number of needs-based factors, including rurality and the additional cost of providing services to island communities. Of course, we have provided a further £250 million in the 2016-17 budget to support partnerships to protect and grow social care services. Boris Corry I thank the cabinet secretary for her reply. For a care home to be financially viable under the national care home contract, it needs to have at least 60 beds. In many rural areas, care homes of that size are not possible and are coming under threat of closure, and I know a few in my area that are in that position. Does the minister agree that, with the rising age of the nation, keeping open rural care homes is vital to ensuring that the elderly who need that support are able to stay as close to their homes and local communities as possible? Cabinet secretary, I am aware of the concerns over particular care homes, Aachenlea and Cregard and its potential closures. Our Gail and Bute health and social care partnership are working very closely with the care inspectorate providers, residents and relatives, to ensure that where closure is unavoidable, the disruption to residents is implemented with minimal impact. Specifically regarding Aachenlea, I am aware that Mike Mussel has been meeting with the care home owners. I think that another meeting is arranged for the 19th of December with representatives of the Relatives Action Group and a staff representative. I think that it is really important that, where solutions can be found, that, of course, we would want to support that. I think that Maurice Corry makes an important point, but he also should recognise that many more people are now being cared for at home, avoiding the need to go into a care home, which is different from 10, 15 or 20 years ago. However, if Maurice Corry would find it helpful, I would be happy to write to him with more details around those local issues. 6. Emma Harper To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that water meters on farms are placed in accessible locations. It is important that water meters are placed in locations that ensure that the volume of water consumed by a customer is recorded accurately. Although the accessibility of the location is important, the location will need to reflect other constraints, such as the layout of the existing pipe work and the connections to other properties. In general, meters are located externally at the boundary of a premises. Scottish Water's meter code of practice, published in 2013, provides guidance on the preferred location of meters. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Recently, a local farmer in Dumfriesshire told me that meters had been placed in inaccessible places, making it difficult to take a reading. Is it possible to relay to Scottish Water the importance of meters being positioned in accessible locations or repositioned, if necessary? Meters can indeed be relocated with the agreement of Scottish Water. I have indicated in my first answer what some of the other constraints are in connection with that work. I understand that Business Stream has already arranged a meeting with NFUS on 22 December to discuss this and other issues, and that both Scottish Water and Business Stream have contacted the member's own office to also discuss them. As I have already explained, any alterations will be constrained by the configuration of the existing pipe work and connections, but I hope that the member takes up the offer of meetings. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that pupils with disorders on the autism spectrum have equal opportunities in school. We want all children and young people to get the support that they need to reach their full learning potential. Local authorities have duties under the Education and Additional Support for Learning Scotland Act 2004, as amended, to identify, provide for and review personalised support for children and young people who face barriers to learning, including those arising from autism. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Recent statistics from Naval Scotland highlight that more than half of children with learning difficulties and or autism believe that they are not fulfilling their potential at school. Just this week, statistics show that the number of special school teachers has dropped by 9 per cent since 2007. Does the Government agree that that represents a concerning position for those children and that more must be done to provide more funding and more support for pupils with additional support needs? I had the very good fortune to meet with Naval Scotland when they were in Parliament highlighting many of those issues just last week, and it was a very helpful and informative discussion. The central point of the proposals that were put forward by Naval Scotland was to ensure that we used every opportunity to ensure that the statutory guidance and statutory framework that is in place is used to meet the needs of young people within the school situation. In relation to the comparison with 2007, what we have seen since 2007 has been a growing sense that young people should be educated within a mainstream environment. That follow-up on the 2000 Standards in Scotland school bill. What we need to make sure is that our education system is fulfilling the needs of young people, and in some circumstances that will be the case in the mainstream setting. In other cases, that will be in a special educational setting, and we must make those judgments according to the needs of young people themselves. Ross Greer Thank you. With the loss of over 400 additional support needs teachers since 2009, how many more teachers does the Government expect local authorities to be forced to cut as a result of today's budget announcements? I would point out to Mr Greer that teacher numbers on Tuesday increased, and they increased because the Government made it an absolute commitment to make sure that that was the case. I welcome the fact that teacher numbers increased on Tuesday. Obviously, Mr Mackay will set out in just a couple of hours' time the Government's budget, and I look forward to hearing the measures that he sets out this afternoon and the impact that he will have positively on Scottish education and other public services.