 We have general questions. Question 1. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the retention of locally accessible inpatient facilities for mental health patients. Cabinet Secretary, Shona Robison. The Scottish Government provides funding to individual health boards who are in turn responsible for providing services that meet the physical and mental health needs of their local population. Some inpatient mental health care will always be necessary, but the focus in recent times has been on maximising the provision of appropriate services in the community. Mental health is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government and we will continue to work closely with our partners, including the NHS, local authorities, the third sector service users and carers, to ensure that we offer the best quality of life and opportunities for people with mental health problems. Alex Ferguson. I thank the cabinet secretary for her response and for meeting with me recently to discuss the situation regarding the Darity facility in Stranraa, which the local health board wishes to close. If it is closed, patients in need of inpatient support will have to be transferred to Dumfries around the journey of over 150 miles for the patients, families and loved ones. There is widespread public anger about this and there is cross-party support for the retention of an inpatient facility in Stranraa, feelings that were most recently expressed at a well-attended public rally just last Saturday. Things are getting somewhat heated. Local council of all parties are keen to meet with the cabinet secretary. It is just coming, Presiding Officer. Local council of all parties are keen to meet with the cabinet secretary to discuss the situation and my simple question is to ask whether she is willing to undertake such a meeting. Cabinet secretary. As the member knows, the board is now committed to engaging with local stakeholders for six months on the proposed service model that seeks to maximise the provision of local community-based care. I have been reassured by the chief executive that he remains personally committed to meeting with any elected representatives who wish to discuss this. It is a matter for the board. I am happy to continue to meet with Alex Ferguson. I have also met with Aileen McLeod and any other members in this place who want to meet with me to discuss that. In terms of taking forward the consultation on the proposed service change, that is best left to the board to get on with the job of doing that while consulting local elected members. To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Welfare will be in sport last met NHS Lanarkshire and what was discussed. Minister of Health and Welfare Government officials regularly meet with representatives of all health boards, including NHS Lanarkshire, to discuss matters of importance to local people. How are NHS Lanarkshire and the Scottish Government responding to the outbreak of H1N1, otherwise known as swine flu, in the Cymru, in the Colseith area? Can the cabinet secretary set out if there is anything that the Government can do to increase the uptake of the flu vaccine in the vulnerable groups who would be most at risk from the virus? I reassure the member that we have been kept fully informed of the issue and that there is a very low risk to the public and that it is being well managed by the local health professionals, as you would expect. I am happy to write to the member with more details of that if he finds that helpful. On the uptake of the flu vaccine, it is very important that people who are entitled to the vaccine and who would benefit, particularly those who have health conditions and who make them more vulnerable, should take up the flu vaccine. Of course, there has been a lot of promotion of the flu vaccine up with the uptake campaign. I am aware that it appears to be that the vaccine is a better fit this year with the flu that is out there in the community. Again, that is an important message. If Mark Griffin would find it helpful for me to write to him with a more detailed response, particularly on the H1N1 issue, then I will do that and make sure that he is fully appraised of the work that has been taken forward locally on that issue. I ask the Scottish Government when work will start in the schools that are receiving funding from the recently announced £230 million investment under the Scotland Schools for Future programme. Cabinet Secretary, Andrew Constance. The Government wishes to maintain momentum across Scotland for the future programme and build on the excellent progress that has been achieved to date. Councils have already been informed that we expect all 19 of the schools that we announced on 25 January to be delivered and open for business by 31 March 2020 at the very latest. Morever, earlier delivery dates are expected and encouraged. As part of the project development work, councils will be working with the Scottish Futures Trust to draw up detailed programmes that capture key milestones and ensure that the projects will be delivered by the required timeline. Can the cabinet secretary confirm what steps will be taken to ensure disruption to pupils' education, such as those at Walliford primary school, will be kept to a minimum? It is for education authorities to develop and implement such transition plans. We would hope and expect that any disruption to children's education is kept to an absolute minimum when moving them from an existing school to a new one. In the case of Walliford primary school, East Lothian Council has indicated to Government officials that the relocation of the school will indeed require a statutory consultation to be undertaken in terms of the Schools Consultations Scotland 2010 act. In this act, a council's proposal paper must set out clearly, among other things, how it intends to minimise or avoid any adverse effects that may arise from implementation of the proposal. We understand that East Lothian Council has still to carry out this very important consultation. The First Minister announced last week that funding is now available for rebuilding Queen Margaret academy in my constituency. Can the cabinet secretary give me details of when this work will start and the expected completion date of the rebuild project? As part of the project development work that is rightly undertaken between councils and the Scottish Futures Trust, it will draw up very detailed programmes, capturing all the key necessary steps, mapping out a timeline. It is the intention that all 19 schools will be delivered and open for business by 31 March 2020 at the very latest. Of course, I can write to Mr Scott with more specific information about the envisaged milestones with regard to the school and his constituency. 4. Fiona McLeod To ask the Scottish Government for what reason personal independence payments are included for income assessment as part of the common financial tool in a bankruptcy process. The common financial tool determines the level of contribution a debtor can pay, ensuring that the interests of debtors and creditors are considered. It is absolutely clear, both in legislation and guidance, that no contribution is appropriate where income is derived solely from benefits, and where there is private income, any contribution must not include any element of state benefits that are in payment. The common financial tool guidance also makes it clear that, where personal independence payment or similar benefit is received, full account must be taken of additional expenditure that is likely to be required for care, mobility or other health-related matters. 5. Fiona McLeod I thank the Deputy First Minister for that answer and I know that it will be of interest to a constituent of mine. May I ask how many bankruptcies have involved people in receipt of personal independence payments or similar benefits in the last year? I do not have the specific information. Since April 2015, 295 bankruptcies have been awarded following a debtor application, where income has included personal independence payments, disability living allowance or attendance allowance, and a contribution has been applied in one of those cases to the level of private income that has been involved. I hope that that clarifies the issue for Fiona McLeod. 5. David Torrance To ask the Scottish Government how it works with the NHS and local authorities to ensure that medical and home care for older people is adequate and sustainable. Our legislation to integrate health and social care provides a platform for health boards and local authorities, along with third and independent sectors, to work together to ensure that people are supported to live as independently as possible for as long as possible in their own homes. The Public Bodies Joint Working Scotland Act 2014 places a duty on integration authorities to create a single strategic plan for the integrated functions and budgets that they control. The plan will set out how they will plan and deliver services for their area and the views of clinicians and care professionals, along with the independent and third sectors. Service users and carers will be central to shaping the commissioning and planning process. 5. David Torrance I thank the cabinet secretary for the answer. Can the cabinet secretary clarify the progress that has been made between NHS Fife and Fife Council in improving outcomes and supporting services redesign of health and social care integration? The establishment of a new joint board and what share of a Scottish Government integrated care fund for 2015-16 is allocated to Fife. I can say to the member that yesterday I attended the formal launch of Fife's health and social care partnership. It was a very well attended event with people from all sectors there and it was a very positive event through the day. NHS Fife and Fife Council are making steady progress in relation to the integration of health and social care. I have signed off their integration scheme, which details how integrated arrangements between both organisations will work and the integration joint board was able to be legally established from 3 October 2015. The partnership recently conducted its consultation on the strategic plan. It ran from 7 October last year to 6 January this year. The consultation is now closed and the results will be considered by the integration joint board on 10 February. Finally, NHS Fife's integration joint board received £6.73 million from the integration care fund in 2015-16 and, of course, will get its share of the £250 million announced in the draft budget by John Swinney if Fife Council accepts the Scottish Government deal. Lewis MacDonald To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects to deliver the commitment that it made on 30 April 2014 that four specialist major trauma centres will be operational from 2016. Cabinet Secretary, Shona Robison Good progress continues to be made developing the right trauma network for Scotland. However, there are differing views among clinicians on just how many major trauma centres Scotland needs and it is extremely important that we get the model of care right. I have asked the national planning forums to examine what the appropriate balance of centres and responsibilities within a new trauma network would be. This new network will be developed to complement our A&E departments across the country and ensure the right specialist with the right experiencer in place to save more lives in the most difficult of circumstances. Lewis MacDonald It is very disappointing to hear that answer because the Government made a very clear commitment in April 2014 that there would be four specialist major trauma centres. Does the cabinet secretary not understand the impact on the morale of staff and on the ability of hospitals to recruit staff when she renegs on that promise? I do not understand and perhaps she can explain why it is that Aberdeen royal infirmary and Ninewells hospital in Dundee are now faced with this uncertainty after a very clear commitment was made by her Government two years ago. Cabinet secretary I do not know if Lewis MacDonald is suggesting that we just go ahead despite the fact that the clinicians do not agree at the moment about what the model of care should be. Surely it is important that we listen to the clinicians across the world. Maybe Lewis MacDonald does not want to hear the detail of the answer. I think that it is important that he does and that we listen to the clinicians. As I said, good progress continues to be made with the work to develop the four major trauma centres. That may well transpire to be the right model for Scotland. There is better data now than that that was available in 2013. That is why I have asked the national planning forum to look again at the most appropriate model for Scotland, taking all of that into account. Until that work is completed and until we get the clinicians to agree on what is the best model for Scotland, I will not make a decision on the number of major trauma centres. I am happy to keep Lewis MacDonald updated, but I am quite surprised that he wants to, in the face of a lack of clinical agreement on this, to push forward anyway. I think that that speaks volumes about Lewis MacDonald's position on this matter. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the progress of the Scottish strategy for autism. The Scottish strategy for autism is a 10-year strategy, and while progress has been made, there is still work to be done. The Scottish Government reviews the progress of the strategy through quarterly meetings with the National Autism Governance Group. This group provides service expertise, strategic leadership and challenges the delivery of the strategies. Outcomes aimed at improving outcomes for individuals and families living with autism. The strategy progress is highlighted at the annual autism conference, which was most recently held in December 2015. The recommendations of the strategy have been reframed into an outcomes-based approach, which identified the priorities from 2015 to 2017. Those outcomes focus on improving services so that people with autism can live healthier lives, have the choice and control of the services that they receive and are supported to be independent active citizens. Mark McDonald. Can I ask the minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the Mental Welfare Commission report into the tragic death of Ms MN, an individual on the autistic spectrum who took her own life in a care home, and how the recommendations from that report will inform the work of the autism strategy in the future? I read with the great sadness the report from the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland on the death of Ms MN. I accept the recommendations for the Scottish Government. The report and recommendations will be discussed with the Autism Strategy Governance Group at their next meeting on 11 February as to how we take those recommendations forward. Following that, a response from the Governance Group and the Scottish Government will be sent to the Mental Welfare Commission advising me on the actions to be taken forward and, of course, any lessons for the overall strategy will also be taken forward as well. Question 8, Neil Findlay. To the Scottish Government, whether it has confidence in the chair and chief officers of NHS Lothian. Cabinet Secretary, Shona Robison. Yes, Neil Findlay. At NHS Lothian, we have a chairman who arrogantly dismisses hundreds of emails from members of the public who are extremely concerned about the future of the children's ward at St John's hospital, and a senior officer in the organisation who warns that a protracted review process would increase the risk of service disruption, but who then agrees to such a delay following pressure from civil servants and from you, Cabinet Secretary. So how can the public have confidence in any of you when you are playing party politics with the health and wellbeing of children across Lothian? Cabinet Secretary. Perhaps a bit of self-awareness wouldn't go amiss with Neil Findlay. The outcome of the independent review and the timing of it was absolutely a matter for the board and for the Royal College of Pediatric and Children's Health. They have confirmed that they have had no discussion with the Scottish Government. It's an independent review commissioned by NHS Lothian and the timing of which was due to the availability of experts from the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health to carry out the review. Neil Findlay asked about the 400 members of the public who have contacted NHS Lothian. I absolutely do expect NHS Lothian, whether that's the chair, the chief exec or anybody else within NHS Lothian, to listen to the concerns of those 400 individuals. I have made that clear to the chair of NHS Lothian that he should do so. I would hope that Neil Findlay would accept that assurance that any member of the public, whether they email, write or attend one of the local meetings, should be heard. The review process, which I understand is going very well, will be a full process carried out by the Royal College. I hope that Neil Findlay is not casting aspersions about the role of the Royal College here. The Royal College of Pediatric and Children's Health is engaged in a full consultation with local people. I would hope that Neil Findlay would encourage local constituents to attend those meetings and take part fully. The only person who is talking about closing that word at the moment appears to be Neil Findlay. Question 9. What proportion of the £12 million funding for flood-hit communities derys from Barnett consequentials and when will it be distributed? Any Barnett consequentials accru to the Scottish Government are added to the total funding available to Scottish ministers. It is then for Scottish ministers to decide how available resources should be allocated. The First Minister announced the £12 million funding package on 9 January. Confirmation was received from Her Majesty's Treasury on 18 January, indicating that the Scottish Government will receive £14.5 million of resource in 2015-16. That was additional to the Barnett consequentials received in December, which supported the £4 million aid package announced in the budget statement. Local authorities are now actively paying out grants to those affected by the recent flooding. I thank the cabinet minister for his response. From whatever source the funding comes, it will certainly be a good use given the devastating start of the year, which a number of communities in my region have had to endure due to flooding and its aftermath and world experience for some time yet. I would also like to acknowledge the flood recovery appeal, which has reached £300,000 due to the generous support of the public, businesses and funders, which is open to applications over and above any Government funding. Will the minister agree with me, however, that prevention is much better than cure, given reports that plans for the long-awaited flood prevention scheme for Stonehaven are to be called in by the Scottish Government? Can he give me an undertaking that the process can avoid significant further delays, while ensuring concerns of local residents and traders about the proposed development are taken fully into account? I think that that will involve flood defences, but as the flood management strategies make clear, that also involves alleviation measures in the hill areas before water flows down to the coastal areas such as Stonehaven. I am not familiar with the issues about the flood scheme in Stonehaven, but Lizzie Bennum will know that all applications of this nature have to go through effective public consultation and consideration, and some planning issues may not have been able to be resolved in that process, but I will explore the rationale and reasoning for the situation in Stonehaven and will write to her to confirm the details.