 Fy enw i, dwi gynllun o gydion. A ffwrst gweithio o gyfraego miolsbyg. Dwi gynllun i gwybod bod y byddai i gyda'r ffordd i gynllun i gwahoddiogedd eu Llywodraeth i Llywodraeth mewn Troladon i D ởa? Fy蒂arno, dwi'n medw i'r prifsadau Llywodraeth i Llywodraeth i Gwylldoedd, amgylch i'r prifsadau ar-doedd i sicrhau i gyhoedd gynllun i hynny. every aspect thought through and understood clearly. The draft framework was provided to the national planning board last month, as previously promised. The national planning board has asked the expert advisory group to further develop their draft plan, and it is anticipated that the board will consider the revised plan at their next meeting in May. Miles Briggs. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Every week that goes by without a framework to me, amser yn Cysiwrwg, f shorespecialist i ni i g工作odau i gael y cyfrifod costum. Felly roedd wrth hynny i ddyechrau'r gyfnod ar gyfer y llun, i gweithio'r adnod ddechrau'r cyfrifod erbyn dwylo. Rwy'n ddweud y cyfrifod gyda fedd影ad ym gweithredu gyda'r cyfrifod ar gyfer y cyfrifod y cynnwys wgachio, wrth hynny i gael, pawr ddwech i'r cyfrifod ar y cyfrifod cysiwr mewn Bec-Tamig, woeid yneth Eungaf, dweud y Llyfriddor I ask the cabinet secretary will we see this up and running in Scotland in 2019? I am sure that the member will appreciate that it is not for me who is not a clinician to second guess expert clinical opinion and that is precisely why this work is being led by those clinical experts in order to ensure that when the service is introduced it is introduced in a planned, safe, clinically effective and most importantly sustainable way. So I cannot and would not wish to and I do not think members really would wish a politician to start imposing deadlines on expert clinical opinion and their best advice. Our services should always be led by those individuals. What we are clear about is, as the member said, evidence shows that thrombectomy is an effective treatment for patients with severe stroke due to large artery blockage. We do not dispute that. This is a service that we want to see introduced in that planned and sustainable way. We are going about it in exactly the right way to ensure that it will be a service introduced with that clinical expertise leading it. It is safe and it is sustainable. I am happy to update the chamber again following that May discussion at the planning board and with the expert group to ensure that members are kept up-to-date with how we make progress on that. I, too, am keen to do it, but, as a politician, I would never presume to second guess expert opinion. My constituent, Robert Baldock, was one of just 13 people who were lucky enough to receive a thrombectomy in 2017, and it saved his life after a stroke. Despite being left with no speech and other challenges, he has been leading a campaign to bring back thrombectomy, because he wants to make sure that the 600 people who need this operation every year get the best possible chance. Until this treatment is routinely available in Scotland, as it is in the rest of the UK and most of Europe, what contingency plans will be put in place to ensure that more people's lives are not destroyed, for example by transfer to centres south of the border where the operation can be carried out? I have met Mr Gray's constituent and had the opportunity of learning from his experience and hearing about the campaign that he is part of, which is very effective. I have also received the signatures. Let me get a couple of things straight. It is not the case that it is routinely available south of the border. I have the figures in front of me, and that is clear. What is the case is that Scotland lags behind that, and I have never disputed it. However, it is important that we are factually accurate in those matters. The assertion that it is routinely available south of the border is inaccurate. Part of what the expert group is doing with the planning board is looking at the plan that they need to put in place to introduce that safe, sustainable service that we are committed to introducing. In the interim, what additional mitigation measures can be put in place in a way that provides equitable access to patients across Scotland? That will be part of the discussion that comes back to that further meeting in May. Again, as I have said, I am happy to update members at that point. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on a new health centre for Lochgelley. Cabinet Secretary, Jeane Freeman. NHS Fife, Fife Health and Social Care Partnership and the Scottish Government are working together to strengthen the business case for the health centre development in Lochgelley. Under an initiative called local care, a refreshed business case will be submitted to Scottish Government this summer for review by the NHS capital investment group. I welcome this approach and look forward to receiving the revised initial agreement. Annabelle Ewing. I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer. I hear what she says, but for the people of Lochgelley, they will be somewhat puzzled as the so-called initial agreement document, the original initial agreement document, was initially submitted some 18 months ago. Could the cabinet secretary therefore please clarify the process from now on in and what the timescale being worked to is? Cabinet Secretary, I am grateful to Ms Ewing for her supplementary and I understand the frustration that she expresses, but to reshape and strengthen the business case, NHS Fife, Fife Health and Social Care Partnership have been working closely with the primary care team at the Scottish Government and the Scottish Futures Trust to ensure that it is more appropriately focused on a community-based approach that is embedded in primary care. That approach will add somewhat to the timeline. It should nonetheless mean that we receive a better and more comprehensive proposal. A revised business case is almost complete and is about to go through the local governance review process before it is submitted to the NHS capital investment group later in the summer, which I very much look forward to receiving. Alexander Stewart. Mr Stewart, although a new healthcare centre is welcome, with reports of 18 practices having closed lists and major difficulties employing family doctors, how does the cabinet secretary plan to address the GP crisis currently gripping Fife? Again, let me start by urging perhaps a small dialback on the hyperbole here. As the member knows, there is considerable amount of work going on involving Sir Lewis Ritchie, that health and social care partnership, discussions with GPs in the north-east of Fife in order to ensure that we have an equitable distribution of GP services across Fife, taking account of particular rural challenges in certain parts of that area. He is also aware, I am sure, of the introduction and increase in the numbers of undergraduate medical places, the significant additional packages to encourage GP relocation, the ScotGem course, which, of course, is happening in Fife, particularly for postgraduate medical training, all of which is focused on increasing the number of GPs that we have. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle the issue of land banking in town centres. The Scottish Government has asked the Scottish Land Commission to evaluate the impacts of land banking practices and to make recommendations to ministers. That is included in the Land Commission's programme of work 2018-21. We want all our towns and town centres to be vibrant and successful, and exploring options to address land banking is one of a number of actions that we are taking to try to achieve that. The cabinet secretary will be aware of the recent purchase of buildings in the Mid-Steple quarter in Dumfries after they had been left to deteriorate. Can she confirm that land banking is an issue that the Land Commission will consider, in particular, with a view to difficulties in urban areas? Yes, indeed. The Land Commission has been asked to tackle it across Scotland, but that should include reviewing issues in urban areas. Our working community ownership does, of course, cover urban and rural Scotland. We know that land banking can remove land from productive use for years at a time, and I am determined that Scotland's land should be used productively, not sit idly, contributing nothing. The Land Commission is looking at various issues that are thwarting our efforts to make sure that everyone in Scotland benefits from land, including land banking. Scottish Government is working with stakeholders to improve its autism strategy. The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lives of autistic people and their families through our 10-year strategy for autism. The strategy directly funds a number of organisations who assist in delivering the outcomes and priorities that we set in the autism strategy. That includes the extensive work of the Autism Network Scotland, Inspiring Scotland and NHS Education Scotland, alongside specific projects with other public bodies such as the Care Inspectorate. The work of the strategy is increasingly being informed and developed and implemented with the involvement of autistic people's organisations and autistic individuals. Over £2 million is spent each year directly supporting stakeholders in a number of national and local initiatives around Scotland, with each initiative contributing to the implementation of one or more of the outcomes that were identified in the 2018 outcomes and priorities document. I thank the minister for that answer. Can the minister confirm if spending on autism has gone up or down for this year in comparison to last year? The Government is committed to mental health and is committed to improving the lives of people with autism and their families. Mental health is a key priority in an additional £250 million that will be spent on mental health services over the next five years. We have listened to the voices of autistic people and their organisations and have involved them in the work of supporting the strategy, and we will ensure that there are appropriate autism services in support. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the school estate in Dumfries meets an acceptable standard. According to the latest published national school estate statistics, 87 per cent of Dumfries and Galloway council schools are in good or satisfactory condition. Our aim is for no child to have to learn in a school that is in a poor or bad condition. Through the schools for the future programme, the Frees and Galloway council has been awarded significant funding of £24.5 million towards three school projects. Oliver Mundell, I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, but does he accept that after over 10 years of SNP government is pretty appalling that school children in Dumfries are still asking me why they have leaking roofs, mouldy walls and windows that will not shut? There is no prospect of a new school in sight. I am concerned about the conditions that Mr Mundell recounts, but I remind Mr Mundell that he is a supporter of localism. Local authorities carry the statutory duty and responsibility to maintain their school estate. While the Government, as we have assisted in that respect, because when this Government came to office in 2007, the proportion of schools in a good or satisfactory condition was 61 per cent. It is now 87 per cent as a consequence of the investment that this Government has made. I am absolutely delighted to work with the Frees and Galloway council to try to address those issues. I had a very constructive meeting with Councillor Elaine Murray, formerly a colleague of us in this Parliament, and also with Councillor Rob Davidson, to constructively address and give them advice on how we might help them to support the development of their school estate. Of course, as Mr Mundell will know, although he has not been prepared to lift a finger to vote for any of the provisions that would allocate any money to local authorities on this question, the Government is committed to £1 billion-worth of investment in the school estate. Before Mr Mundell comes here with the usual whinging critique of everything, I ask him to think that perhaps he could make a contribution to the process by voting for the Government's budget, as opposed to playing fast and loose with the public finances of Scotland. Emma Harper To ask the Scottish Government for an update on the Scottish Government's discussions with the Frees and Galloway council officials regarding the reopening of the north-west community campus in Dumfries. I discussed the issue with the leader and the deputy of the Frees and Galloway council when I met them on 12 February. The council expects that the Langland special school pupils will return to the campus on 20 March, with nursery and primary pupils returning in the week commencing 25 March, and secondary school pupils will return once the SQA diet is completed in the week commencing 3 June. Question 6 has been withdrawn. Question 7, Liam McArthur. To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the principle of fair funding for internal ferry services in Orkney and Shetland. The Scottish Government understands the significant financial challenges that can fall on individual local authorities and remains committed to the principle of fair funding in the provision of ferry services and ferry infrastructure. As part of this commitment, this year's budget has made available a further £10.5 million in support for internal ferry services, bringing the total support provided for this purpose in the last two years to £21 million. Liam McArthur, I thank you ahead of last year's budget. This Parliament voted unanimously for the Government to deliver on its earlier promises to provide fair funding for Orkney and Shetland's lifeline internal ferry services. The councils in Orkney and Shetland have made clear what is needed to deliver on those promises and the will of this Parliament. Why is the Government short changing Orkney and Shetland and why is it walked away from the principle of fair funding for ferries in the Northern Isles? Mr McArthur, I hope that he was listening to my answer and said that we have not walked away. We have specifically committed to the principle of fair funding. It was welcome that Mr McArthur supported last year's budget to provide £10.5 million for funding this year. Mr McArthur's party did not support this year's budget, which is providing a further £10.5 million to support Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council. Those are serious matters and I recognise Mr McArthur's got a legitimate interest in that. It is a fair question to ask. I am keen to engage with him on it. We recognise the difficulties that local authorities face in providing those services. We are committed to working with councils to try and find a fairer future for funding of the services. We are obviously in dialogue with councils about providing business cases, which might support if they wish to transfer the services to the Scottish Government. That process is under way. I would reiterate the point that Mr McArthur could play a constructive role in supporting that in the forthcoming year by his colleagues working with the Government on its next budget, instead of opposing it on constitutional grounds. I had a letter from the minister this morning saying that the way that £10.5 million in the budget—he had not decided how the £10.5 million in the budget would be distributed—said that Argyll and Bute Council had issues with their inter-island ferries, and he seemed to allude that the £10.5 million in this year's budget would be spread to include Argyll and Bute Council, which would mean that Orkney and Shetland Council would receive considerably less than they did last year. Can he let me know if that is the case or whether additional money will be put into the budget for Argyll and Bute Council? I can say to Ms Grant who raised a fair point. I met with ferry officials this morning to have further discussions about the allocation of the £10.5 million, and we hope to report to both Orkney and Shetland Council in the very near future in advance, hopefully, of Orkney and Shetland Council's meeting next Tuesday to settle their budget on the detail of the allocation. We recognise the issue with Argyll and Bute Council. We are currently in discussions with Argyll and Bute Council about potentially transference of services to the Scottish Government, and we are working with the authority on a measure to try to reach a common understanding of the costs involved in doing that. I am happy to engage with Rhoda Grant on further discussions that we are having with Argyll and Bute Council in that respect. To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of emergency worker time is lost due to mental ill health. Information on the proportion of time lost to mental ill health is not held centrally. The recording and management of absences undertaken by emergency services bodies in their capacity as employers. Effective health and wellbeing support is vitally important, which is why our police, fire and ambulance services, along with other NHS Scotland boards, have policies in place so that staff can access support when it is needed. I am grateful for that answer. We know from recent reports that staff day is lost due to mental ill health among our hard-working emergency workers is rising, but that is not the only reason that staff lose time. A recent visit to dry-law police station in my constituency, and the chief inspector there told me that he was very concerned about the number of hours lost at shift time when officers attending a situation in which mental ill health was a factor, were then having to stay with that person within hospital for several hours until they were discharged with that duty. Will the minister work with Police Scotland to review the situation and the regulations around police attending the situation where mental ill health is a factor? I thank Mr Cole-Hamilton for his question. I think that it is important that we look at all the effect of mental illness and mental ill health across the piece, across services. Certainly in my own area, we are piloting distressed brief interventions. It is one of three pilot areas across Scotland where people can access, who present to emergency services, access next day support that is being evaluated, but anecdotally, and from the evidence that we have had so far, that project is working very well and has been supported by emergency services, including the local police, in assisting them in their duties. I thank you very much, and that concludes General Questions. Before we turn to First Minister's Questions, I invite members to join me in welcoming to our gallery the Hon. Stephen Rodden, MLC president of Tynwold.