 Felly, nôr, hynny'r ddwylo sydd yn eu cyblofaith yn ei tymy, ond assuadau wedi'u dechrau o bach o gweld i iawn i'r ddengrifeth a g organization 180. Rwy'n saith ei ddigwyddo i'r ddaf yn ddweud diwrnod yn gwaelogau a'i gweld i ddweud diwrnod i'r ddweud diwrnod i'r ddweud diwrnod a'r ddweud diwrnod i'r ddweud diwrnod i'r ddweud diwrnod i'r ddweud diwrnod i'r ddweud diwrnod i'r ddweud diwrnod i'r ddweud diwrnod I announced a wide package of measures in the budget to support town centres, including maintaining a competitive business rates package, which caps the increase in the rate poundage below inflation, ensures that 90 per cent of properties in Scotland pay a lower poundage than other parts of the UK, supports small businesses through a small business bonus scheme, which lifts small businesses out of rates altogether, and a new town centre fund of £50 million to drive local economic activity and support town centres to become more diverse and thriving places. Bob Doris? I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. Town centres, Presiding Officer, in my constituency suffer from the pool of Glasgow city centre, as well as poor immunity and significant deprivation factors. That is why I was pleased to see the return of the town centre regeneration fund in the Scottish Government's draft budget. That is a fund that previously secured £1.8 million for the renovation of the stunning Maryhill borough halls in my constituency and drove regeneration in that area. Does the minister agree with me that it is important for applicants to the new town centre fund to demonstrate a strategic but community-led approach to regeneration initiatives? I am pleased to say that we are developing strongly in the two of the town centres of my constituency, namely at Pawsal park and at Springburn. I agree that Maryhill borough halls is a great example of how town centre investment can have huge positive impact, which is very familiar with the project. I absolutely agree with that kind of community involvement and community support. In relation to the town centre fund, I want to deliver that in partnership with local authorities. I will engage with COSLA as to how we distribute and allocate that investment. We do want it to be transformational, but I want to deliver that fund in partnership with local government. Of course, that means local communities. 2. Mark Griffin To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to statistics stating that eligible pensioners in Motherwell and Airdrie received double the number of cold weather payments as those in Bellsell and Coatbridge in 2017-18. The Department for Work and Pensions was responsible for the administration of the cold weather payment scheme in 2017-18, in developing the new cold spell heating assistance benefit. We are engaging with households who have claimed the existing benefit and a wide range of expert opinion. We will seek the views of experienced panel members who have applied for and benefited from cold weather payments as part of our research plan for 2019-20. We will continue to listen to the views and consider ways to better meet the needs of vulnerable households across Scotland. Mark Griffin I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Next week, it is very likely that the trigger point for payments will be met at the Salisbury weather station, but that is less assured for the Bishopton station. As a result, constituents in Airdrie pensioners on pension credit will likely receive a payment, but those in an adjacent street that fall into the Coatbridge postcode can be less assured of that money. Can the cabinet secretary give a commitment today that by next winter, cold spell heating assistance will be fully delivered by Social Security Scotland? As a result, people in Coatbridge, Bellshill and other areas around the country will stop being worse off than their close neighbours in Motherwell and Airdrie. I recognise that there have been concerns expressed by many members in the past. The number of weather stations that cover Scotland that are used to determine the trigger for cold weather payments is currently 18. That is something that many members have asked questions on and I have had correspondence with. All those issues will be taken account of, as I said in my original answer, with the work on going with experienced panels. I will update Parliament in due course on the way to benefits, including those to do with cold weather payments. To ask the Scottish Government when it will fulfil the commitment made by the then Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure in January 2016 to double track key pinch points on the east coast railway line between Aberdeen and the central belt. The report commissioned by Aberdeen to the central belt reference group, considered the dualling of the section at Montrose, did not provide journey time improvements and may not represent value for money. Whilst we acknowledge that some parties feel that there has been a lack of progress on this project, there is no question that everyone wants an appropriate and affordable solution to the capacity constraints. The consensus that the reference group had was that further work is required to identify the maximum possible benefits that are achievable for the £200 million that is being invested, and a group is committed to taking forward that work as quickly as possible. The cabinet secretary will recall that the commitment made three years ago was that this was an initial £200 million that it would include double tracking of key pinch points, and that it was intended to secure economic benefits for the northeast, given that the options study that was presented by Transport Scotland to the City region deal committee before Christmas failed on all those requirements. What will he do to ensure that an approved investment plan is put in place so that that £200 million is indeed spent on ensuring that we have the right modern rail infrastructure, specifically between Aberdeen and Dundee, to which the Government made that commitment three years ago? I recognise the important value of making sure that we get the right investments into the transport infrastructure in the north-east of Scotland, particularly in rail infrastructure, and that £200 million of investment that we intend to make into the line continues to be there in order to do that. What is critical to this is making sure that that investment maximises the improvements that we are seeking to achieve on that particular line, particularly in relation to journey times and speeding up journey times. That is why the ARP report has set out a range of different issues that need to be considered in order to make sure that we maximise the benefits that will come from that investment, which I would expect to be taken in line with the Aberdeen City deal, which takes it up to 2026. I assure the member that the reference group is committed to working together to make sure that that investment is utilised in a way that maximises the benefit for communities who are using that particular line. Recent timetable changes mean that Montrose is now a major interchange station, but the facilities for passengers are totally inadequate, particularly if you are travelling alone at night. When did you last raise the issue of an upgrade to Montrose station with Transport Scotland, and when do you expect an upgrade to take place? We look at investing in our rail infrastructure right across Scotland on an ongoing basis. In the next rail control period, we will be investing almost £5 billion in infrastructure right across Scotland. That will look at prioritising different rail stations where there is a need for investment to be made, and that could also include the station at Montrose. The member will be aware of the very significant investment that we are making into the north east of Scotland at the present time. On the Aberdeen to Inverness line, we are investing some £330 million into that line. It has provided a new station, upgrading into existing facilities, and we will continue to make sure that we invest in the rail services across the north-east of Scotland and across the rest of the country. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to NHS 4th Valleys being escalated to stage 3 on the NHS board performance escalation framework. Following a sustained period of low performance against a national four-hour A&E target, the board was escalated to stage 3 on the escalation framework in December last year. Stage 3 indicates that there is significant variation from where performance should be and that tailored support is required. We are now formally supporting NHS 4th Valleys in a structured way, including supporting the development of formal recovery plans and clear milestones, working with the local team, including the chief executive and senior management team at 4th Valleys, to return the board to a sustainable position of performance against a four-hour target. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, and I would pay tribute to the hardworking clinicians, doctors, nurses, auxiliary and clinical staff who, on a day-to-day basis, do all they can just to support patients in 4th Valleys. However, having those classifications is a damning indictment on health chiefs, and what is the cabinet secretary doing as a matter of urgency to rectify the situation? I thank Mr Stewart for that follow-up question. I, too, would pay tribute to the hardworking staff in 4th Valleys and, indeed, across our health service. I do not accept that escalation to stage 3 is a damning indictment of anyone, to be honest, and I do not think that that language particularly helps those hardworking staff to whom he and I have just paid tribute. What it indicates is that there is a need for structured and formal intervention and support from the Scottish Government to a board. I think that that is entirely the right thing to do and I am sure what members would expect me to do and what citizens across Scotland would expect me to do in order to address situations where we have persistent underperformance in particular areas. In the area of 4th Valleys, that is our A&E target, a vital target that we need to meet and one where I am sure with that support, 4th Valleys will return to the sustainable position that we need them to have. Question 5 has not been lodged. Question 6, Neil Bibby. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the future of the construction industry training board and the national construction college campus in Scotland. Minister Richard Lochhead. The construction industry training board recently announced as a result of a review of operations across the UK that part of the role will be transferred to shared services connected limited. As part of the announcement, the construction industry training board has placed in the market the national construction college at Inchinnon, but has confirmed that it does not intend to close the training facility. Responsibilities for those changes lie with the UK Government, but the Scottish Government will provide support to employees who potentially face redundancy. Neil Bibby. I thank the minister for that response. This is a very concerning time for CITB staff in Renfrewshire, where the campus is based. I welcome Jamie Hepburn's meeting yesterday with the GMB trade union, although oversight of CITB is reserved, training policy is devolved. Will the Scottish Government assess the impact that those changes could have on training standards in the Scottish construction sector? Will he make representations to CITB and SSCL to help to keep those jobs in Renfrewshire, including the 29 administration staff who face the prospect of being paid off in October? Is he also prepared to explore other avenues to retain those jobs and the knowledge of those workers in Scotland? We are, of course, concerned about the impact that this change will have on employees who may not transfer as part of the process and who may indeed face redundancy. As Jamie Hepburn and my colleague met the GMB yesterday, he discussed a number of issues that arise out of those changes. We are convinced that our system for training within the construction sector remains robust. However, we will, of course, learn lessons that have to be learned and check if there is any detrimental impact that we are keen to avoid of the changes with the CITB. Indeed, we are monitoring many of the issues that the member mentions very closely, and we will keep him informed. To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to address parking issues around the Scottish crime campus in Garkosh. The Scottish Crime Campus Management Board represents the partners located at the campus that continue to work with campus staff and other stakeholders to identify and implement a solution to the present parking issues. Scottish Government officials attend meetings of the management board, and through that forum are engaging with interested parties to hopefully explore possible future options. Minister is aware that the issue of inadequate parking at the campus is dating back to 2014 and has resulted in cars being parked in verges, damaging the draining system and causing flooding. Can the minister confirm the action that is being taken to address the flooding and, more generally, can the Scottish Government perhaps, if the minister cannot confirm that? If all those issues will be included in the review of the suitability of Garkosh as a possible site for the new mongolans. I will absolutely ensure that the issues that are raised by Margaret Mitchell are part of that consideration. I do not doubt that they will be, but I will reaffirm and confirm that. I am aware, of course, of course, of my many visits to Garkosh. You can see the class parked on the verges clearly in issue there. There is a potential, depending on what happens with the site adjacent to Garkosh, a possibility to look at short, medium and indeed long-term options for that parking issue. I would be happy to take that away with Margaret Mitchell to discuss perhaps in a little bit more detail. Some of that will depend, of course, on NHS Lanarkshire's decision on where the new mongolans hospital may well be. Gillian Smith. I think that it is legitimate to ask the minister if he will recognise that, given those existing problems that I have also been dealing with on behalf of Constituents for a number of years, that a major building works that is associated with a new hospital would worsen the situation for crime campers, staff and local residents, would the minister recognise that? As mentioned, there is a review under way, of course, and that is expected to report in February of this year. I am sure that all that has been taken into consideration. I do not doubt that for a minute, but clearly she has put that on the record, and I know that the health secretary has also heard what she has to say. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent EIS survey, which found that 75 per cent of teachers experience stress due to their workload. We take the wellbeing of all of Scotland's teachers very seriously, and we continue to seek to address undue workload wherever we can to free teachers to teach. We have sought to tackle bureaucracy and reduce workload through a range of measures. Those include the chief inspector of education's definitive guidance on curriculum for excellence, the publication of benchmarks in each curriculum area, the rationalisation of a significant volume of educational guidance and the launch of an online tackling bureaucracy toolkit. We have also taken steps to increase the number of teachers in our schools. Iain Gray The trouble is that teachers know that those measures have been taken, but they do not feel that they have addressed the pressures that they face. Indeed, Larry Flanagan, the general secretary of the EIS, commented on the survey by saying, "...the survey results confirm the deep-set impact of workload pressures on teachers and lecturers, largely arising out of changes to the curriculum, and paint a worrying picture of a profession under the coach." The survey also highlighted that half of teachers would be reluctant to recommend teaching as a career. Does the cabinet secretary understand that teachers' anger, their willingness to contemplate strike action, is not just about pay, it is about workload too? What new and concrete proposals does he have to reduce teacher workload and stress? Let me address a number of the points that Iain Gray has raised. He quotes Larry Flanagan in relation to changes to the curriculum. What the Government has been intent on doing over a number of years is to be involved in the professional associations in much of the curriculum development work that we undertake. That is why the EIS, our members, for example, of the Scottish Education Council so that they can influence our thinking on many of those questions. As I indicated in my response earlier to Mr Gray, we have taken a number of steps to reduce the workload of teachers. I remain absolutely engaged on that question. What is essential is that we see sustained activity at school, local authority and at national level to take particular initiatives to reduce the level of administrative bureaucracy within individual schools. The purpose of that will enable teachers to be free to teach, and that is exactly what we want them to do. To ask the Scottish Government what compensation it can offer to commuters who use Helensbury central railway station in light of reports of frequent delays and cancellations. The Scottish Rail franchise ensures that passengers can be compensated for disruption to their journeys by delay-repay compensation scheme, which is calculated by the amount of delay to the passengers journey over 30 minutes. I have made very clear in the chamber before that performance across the country is not least below the challenging but achievable punctuality standards that we expect and demand from the rail industry. ScotRail has recently announced a compensation promotion, although that is limited to the routes that are worst affected by cancellations due to staff shortages that affected passengers during December. Performance on the Helensbury line has seen a steady improvement over the past couple of weeks, and in recent times has now moved from a period during period 10, where the PPM was at 80.7 per cent, and so far in this period, which commenced on 6 January, PPM to date is now at 89.2 per cent. Many examples I have met with a constituent in my area who missed a job interview and subsequently was not offered another interview due to cancelled and delayed trains. Under the standard scheme, he was only offered £1 in compensation. Can I seek the insurance from the cabinet secretary that those commuters will receive in future fair compensation? I very much regret the inconvenience that his constituent put from the delay in that particular service. As it is set out in the franchise agreement, there is a delay repayment scheme that is set out for ScotRail to implement, which is what it is implementing. In a very specific case, the member raised a last at ScotRail contact in order to explore that matter further. As a Scottish Government, what action is it taking to support the development of Scotland's ports? The Scottish Government is committed to supporting Scotland's ports and harbors, whilst recognising that ports in Scotland operate in a commercial environment and are substantially self-funding in certain circumstances and in compliance with restrictions on state aid. The Scottish Government can provide grant funding to improve schemes. Ports will also be a focus for the Scottish ministers as we take forward the Scottish maritime strategy, which has been developed this year. Donald Cameron The cabinet secretary may be aware that the Stonaway port authority is seeking to invest in a new deep water port in order to allow Stonaway to capitalise on the leisure cruise industry. What support can the Government offer ports such as Stonaway that are looking to expand and attract new business? I am conscious that a number of ports across Scotland are engaged in providing greater access to those who are on leisure cruises, and it is important that we try to maximise the benefits that can come from those matters. We are engaged with a number of different parties in those particular ports in order to look at what further assistance can be provided and, in relation to the one in Stonaway, we will give consideration to that in working partnership with the local authority and the hopper agency.