 Cerddalfol, mae'r gweithas inhabited ond yn cyfnod, a mae'n cyfrannu i gyfrannu i ddiwrnod chi i'r ffrydr yn ymgyrchol. Rwy'n gweld y byw yn ddigidio ffrinddoch chi'n wathbryd gyfrindprogectau a'r ffrinddd progectau. Mae'r gwthdraeth gyrfa â'r cyfrinddoch cyfrindd progectau yn cael ei gyr注esau i bryd, iddynt gan gilydd bryd, i dim eisiau dros gennychodau i gyrddiaeth â'r gwheithgwysig lleoleddol. Just last week, I attended a national transport event co-led by colleagues in COSLA to engage with newly elected councillors. The strategic transport project review is being informed by the national transport strategy and is also proceeding as planned. I welcome the Scottish Government's commitment last year to improve the A75, as well as links between Dumfries and the A74, having advocated those improvements in my own submission to the national transport strategy. Can I ask the minister how soon we will know what specific road improvement projects in the south-west will be committed to in the strategic transport project review? I thank the member for a question. She will remember from the programme for government by the First Minister that we reaffirmed our commitment to commence this year for the work for the second STPR in the Dumfries and Gallow area. This work will consider the rational improvements, not just to road, but also to rail to public transport and active travel on the key strategic corridors, particularly the A75 and the A77, but also rail corridors to Sister-in-Rar and Calaiso via Kilmarnock to Dumfries. Just this week, I have met the A77 action group, but I have also discussed the A75 as well, before that, also across party meeting the weekend—the week before—on the A77 as well. I am very confident that, in Dumfries and Gallow area, the A75—those two strategic roads, in particular—get a lot of attention, studied some work being done in order to bolster the case for future investment, but clearly the member will understand that the STPR has to go through a process for review. I welcome her thoughts and comments on that. Jamie Greene Can I ask the minister if the national transport strategy will help or hinder the Government's ambitions on reduced emissions and climate change. If he thinks that we will bring about any monumental steps and modal shift in Scotland? Jamie Greene I certainly do, but I would also say to the members that we will not wait for the national transport strategy to necessarily take forward some of the work that we are already doing. The First Minister was incredibly strong, of course, on our intention to phase out the need for petrol and diesel cars by 2032. Our draft climate change plan, which I know the member has also commented on, is a very useful contribution that he has made to that in order to ensure that transport emissions are reduced. We will continue on that vein of work, but, of course, reducing carbon emissions will inherently be part of the national transport strategy. Again, I welcome his thoughts on that. Mary Fee I ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Gypsy Traveller Strategy and Action Plan. Angela Constance The Scottish Government recognises that gypsy traveller communities are among the most disenfranchised and discriminated against in Scotland. We will publish a race equality action plan by the end of this year that includes specific Scottish Government-led activities for Gypsy travellers, which will be followed by a detailed programme of work for the community. I look forward to informing Parliament about our proposals for work in this very important area when we do so. Mary Fee I thank the cabinet secretary for that update. Gypsy travellers are a protected group under equality legislation. Despite that, as the cabinet secretary said, they remain one of the most marginalised and discriminated groups in Scotland. Social attitudes studies show little change in the deeply entrenched views against them. The first inquiry that this Parliament carried out was in 2001. Subsequent inquiries have shown little change in their living conditions or their lives. The Gypsy Traveller community feel let down and ignored by politicians both nationally and locally. Will the cabinet secretary agree to meet with representatives of the Gypsy Traveller community to hear first-hand the issues that they face? Further, will the cabinet secretary agree to take direct control of the issues to make some progress to help this community? I thank Mary Fee. Mary Fee has been a real champion and advocate for the Gypsy community for many years now. We need more people to act in the fashion that Mary Fee has done. She is absolutely correct to underline the issues that are often raised in Scottish social attitudes surveys. I am very conscious that the Equalities and Human Rights Commission describe attitudes towards the Gypsy Traveller community often as the last bastion of respectable racism. I will indeed meet members of the community. As I indicated in my answer, there will indeed be Scottish Government-led action. I am very conscious of two previous committee inquiries, and we now need to get on with the delivery of that action. As I said, I look forward to informing the Parliament of that work in due course. However, if I can say to Mary Fee and others, we have been working very hard on the race equality delivery plan and have been open to the advice and support and, indeed, the challenge from our race equality adviser, Calianna O'Lyle, among others. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to shelter Scotland's appeal to alleviate homelessness. We agree with Shelter Scotland's call to alleviate homelessness this winter, and its latest report contains more evidence that UK Government welfare cuts are causing major hardship and housing insecurity for many people. That is why we have established the homelessness and rough sleeping action group, which includes Shelter, with the objectives of ending rough sleeping and transforming temporary accommodation. The action group has already been working hard on its first objective of minimising rough sleeping this winter, and I will receive its practical recommendations on the actions that we must take shortly. It will then focus on its other questions on ending rough sleeping, transforming temporary accommodation and ending homelessness. We are supporting that approach by creating the £50 million ending homelessness together fund over the next five years. Given the wide range of causes of homelessness and not just rough sleeping, the Scottish Government must be aware of the importance of support services to prevent homelessness and to prevent failed tenancies where those have been secured. I wonder whether the minister recognises that an understanding of the scourge of homelessness must be matched by the resources to tackle and prevent homelessness. In that vein, I ask what representations he has made to the finance secretary to reconsider the disproportionate cuts to local government over many years, cuts that make it exceptionally difficult for those lifeline services to be sustained and with the untold misery for those who may find themselves homeless as a consequence. The finance secretary has treated local government fairly over many years, and that included increasing funding for local services by some £400 million last year. As I pointed out in my original answer, we also have, from the finance secretary, the £50 million ending homelessness together fund, which I think will go a long way in helping out. However, I would really like to see the Chancellor of the Exchequer standing up at his budget and abolishing the benefit cap, reintroducing housing benefit for 18 to 21-year-olds and ending austerity, because that would be really helpful indeed. Ben Macpherson. Can I ask the minister what effect the UK Government's benefit cap, as just mentioned, is having on increasing the risk of homelessness for low-income families? That has been the case for several families in my constituency. What action the Scottish Government is taking to pressure the UK Government to protect households from further austerity? The Government will continue to put pressure on the UK Government to end austerity. I hope that the Chancellor has heard what I have said today, and we will listen to my colleagues as we move forward. The Scottish Government continues to oppose the benefit cap, which is clearly impacting hardest on low-income families with children, and that is why we have called again and again on the UK Government to reverse this unacceptable policy. The latest DWP figures show that, in August 2017, around 3,800 households were affected by the benefit cap, containing more than 11,000 children. In September, a Scottish Government report highlighted that 30 per cent of families affected by the cap in Scotland are lone parents with three children, losing up to £3,320 per year. It is about time that the Chancellor listened, it is about time that he reversed his decisions on the benefit cap, on abolishing housing benefit for 18 to 21-year-olds, and it is about time that he got a grip with universal credit, which is failing families right across this country. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the roll-out of freestyle Libra glucose monitoring system and whether it has been available in the NHS in England and Wales. Following due process, the flash glucose monitoring device freestyle Libra has been included on the Scottish drug tariff from 1 November 2017. As with all other prescriptions on the tariff, NHS boards must ensure that prescriptions are appropriate, evidence-based, safe and cost-effective. It is essential that investment is used wisely to maximise the health benefit to patients. Given the limitations of the current evidence base to support a consistent approach across boards, the Scottish Diabetes Group has provided advice to help to identify people who should be considered for NHS-funded freestyle Libra across Scotland. The advice is broadly in line with Diabetes UK consensus guideline. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport is well aware that freestyle Libra is a form of flash glucose monitoring through a small sensor wound under the skin and reduces the need for frequent fingerprint blood tests. I understand that the NHS placed it on the NHS drug tariff, as the Cabinet Secretary said earlier this month. When will it be available for each and every health board in Scotland? As I said in my initial answer, I am listing that a medical device in the drug tariff should not be interpreted as a recommendation to prescribe a particular product. What is important is that patients will need to discuss the on-going management of their condition with their healthcare professional and consider whether flash glucose monitoring is suitable for them. As I said, the guidelines that have been developed by Diabetes UK are consistently in line with the Scottish Diabetes Group advice, which is to help clinicians to identify people who should be considered for NHS-funded freestyle Libra. It is a clinical decision, so not everybody, as I am sure the member will appreciate, would be suitable for using the device. I will certainly be happy to keep the member updated as the matter goes forward, but it is for patients to discuss initially with their clinicians about whether they are not suitable for this. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the dyslexia and inclusive practice professional recognition pilot. I am delighted that, through the £200,000 grant funding that the Scottish Government provided to dyslexia Scotland this year, we have been able to support the development of the pilot. The pilot responds to the recommendations that were made in the 2014 Education Scotland Making Sense report and was developed in partnership between the Scottish Government, Dyslexia Scotland, the Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit Working Group, Education Scotland, the General Teaching Council of Scotland and the Open University. I can confirm that 30 teachers representing 24 local authorities are participating. The first of three master classes was held on 30 September, and another two master classes will be held next year. Further support will be provided through online glow sessions. The pilot will run until October 2018, and we intend to have a final evaluation by the end of December 2018. I thank the minister for that detailed response and say that I very much welcome this pilot. However, is she aware that independent schools were not included in the pilot's parameters? Can she confirm why that was the case if the submission can be rectified? Clearly, participation from a wide group of stakeholders is most beneficial. I appreciate Margaret Mitchell's work on the issue over a long period of time, and I am more than happy to look into the detail of that. I should say that there are a number of ways that teachers can improve their professional learning around the areas of dyslexia. That includes addressing dyslexia toolkit, which I mentioned, and there are further online training modules that teachers and support staff can register and take part in. However, I am more than happy to take up any detail specifics of areas that we still need to address in this issue to broaden out that professional learning. To ask the Scottish Government in light of the Parliament passing the Scottish Liberal Democrats amendment in October, following the debate on active travel unanimously, what action is it taking to ensure that every child in the country has access to cycling proficiency training? I welcome the member's amendment to the Scottish Government's motion. In the last two debates that I have led in this Parliament, I found myself agreeing with Mike Rumbles on a number of occasions, despite my better instincts. We have, for a number of years, provided funding to Cycling Scotland for bikeability Scottish cycle training for all primary school children of Scotland. This year, we are investing around £800,000 for that training. On the back of the amendment that was accepted, he will know that we have doubled, or will double, our spread in active travel. It would be fair to assume that a reasonable proportion of that should go towards ensuring that the ambitions of the Liberal Democrats amendment are met. Earlier this month, I met Cycling Scotland in a number of stakeholder organisations on active travel to discuss the issue. I have asked Cycling Scotland to redouble its efforts to promote the funding to local authorities and schools. Any ideas that the member has, I would be happy to listen to. Mike Rumbles Well, I thank the minister for that very comprehensive response, and I am grateful for his support for the issue. Can he just outline when he thinks that the whole programme might eventually be completed, how long it will take to achieve? I will try to give a little bit more detail as we develop that, and I will keep the member updated, because he will understand from doubling the budget in active travel that we want to ensure, frankly, that we get as much bang for the buck. We are talking to active travel stakeholders, we are looking at international comparisons, we are looking at UK comparisons to see where we can hopefully meet those ambitions. In terms of bikeability in our primary school children, the year 2016-17, we now have a record number 36,711 children taking part in that, but, like his amendment, we want to see much more than that. I will endeavour to keep the member updated. In terms of increasing cycle rates, we are putting a lot of effort into our young people to get them more active on active travel, but, certainly, it should not be seen as something for young people. I would recommend active travel and cycling to those of a vintage disposition. Brian Whittle Following on from that, in teaching our children to cycle safely, it would be imagined that we need to create an environment in which there are safe places for children to cycle. I wonder whether the minister could take a look at how we can create an environment around our schools where our children have the opportunity to cycle to and from school. I think that the member makes a point well. I think that I remember him saying in the active travel debate around his own family circumstances how more comfortable he would be if there was a segregated cycle pass that the Government certainly believes will make our roads safer, so I can give him that guarantee that we will continue to invest through our community links and community links plus project on segregated cycle paths. I would say that the bike ability, what was previously known as the proficiency test, also has an element of on-road training, which I think is excellent for children. He will also know that our guidelines are recommendations to local authorities around 20mph zones around schools, which we think are a great idea. However, if the member has further ideas of how we can improve safety on our roads, particularly for those around travelling to our schools, then of course I am all the years to listen to that. Stewart Stevenson Can the minister tell us how per capita spending on active travel in Scotland compares with that that prevails elsewhere in the UK? After our active travel debate last week, I asked that very question to try to examine the figures myself. From next year, when we have the increase in the active travel budget, we will spend at least £14.80 per head of population in Scotland on active travel. In England, if we exclude London, it is £6.50, in Wales it is estimated to be between £3.00 and £5.00. In Northern Ireland, to quote cycling UK, the spending is quote-unquote limited and spread very thinly. So again, I am pleased to say that Scotland leads the way in this endeavour. Richard Lyle I thank you, Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve the availability of electric car charging points in housing estates. The member will know, of course, that we have switched on Scotland action plan, which takes forward our ambitions in terms of electric charging points. Of course, we have announced in the programme for government our increased ambition to phase out the need for petrol and diesel cars. By 2032, I luckily corrected that, I hope, for the record. I thank the minister for that answer. I welcome what has been said, but I raised this issue because I recently had a constituent discuss this matter with me following the refusal of our local housing association to take part in the Scottish Government scheme, which I welcome the scheme, to fund the installation of a personal car charging point in its home. Can I ask, therefore, what further action can be taken to encourage the installation of such points and utilisation of wonderful government initiatives in our local communities? As I have said to the member, we are investing heavily in the electric charging infrastructure. We have around about 700 charge points. Around about 150 of them are rapid charge points. We do believe that the infrastructure is hugely important. I would refer the member to that switch on Scotland action plan, which I mentioned previously. I obviously do not know the specifics of the case, but if it is helpful to the member, I will have my officials make contact with that housing association to see where the barriers may be and see if there is some sort of resolution to this particular issue. That concludes general questions. Before we come to First Minister's questions, members may wish to join me in welcoming to the gallery Her Excellents Tina Intleman, ambassador of Estonia to the United Kingdom.