The AWPR/B-T project is currently scheduled to open to traffic in the winter period of 2017-18.

Provisional data from Scottish Assessors show that there are just over 5,000 properties who have a rateable value below £18,000 in 2016-17 who will have a rateable value above £18,000 in 2017-18 due to revaluation, but it is not possible to confirm how many of these properties are eligible for or are currently claiming Small Business Bonus Scheme relief.

Each local authority is responsible for determining the tendering process they use for bus services. The Accounts Commission are the custodians of Best Value and Audit Scotland is responsible for carrying out best value audits of local authorities. Scottish Councils are autonomous bodies, independent of central government and as long as they act legally the Scottish Government would not become involved.

The Transport Bill, which we want to introduce during the current Parliament, will aim to strengthen the range of options available to local authorities to improve bus services in their areas, such as through better partnership working with bus operators, setting up their own bus operations or introducing local franchises, in which operators would compete for the right to operate services under contract. These options will be sufficiently flexible to be customised to meet the needs of both rural and urban areas. We will consult on these measures.

We expect that anyone who living with or after cancer has access to the services appropriate to their clinical needs. The Scottish Government’s cancer strategy ‘Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action’ and the accompanying £100 million investment over the coming years serve as a blueprint for the future of cancer services in Scotland, improving the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare for people who may be suspected to have, or who have a confirmed diagnosis of cancer of any type.

It is the responsibility of NHS to plan and provide services to meet the needs of their resident populations, in line with relevant national strategies/frameworks, within their annual funding allocations. To assist health Boards in making these decisions, plans are in place to introduce a national and regional workforce planning system across the NHS in Scotland to help deliver the vision set out in the Health and Social Care Delivery Plan, the National Clinical Strategy and the Cancer Strategy.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07773 on 16 March 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

In addition, the Scottish Government has committed to invest an extra £2.5 million recurring funding in specialist nursing and care from 2015-16 onwards.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07773 on 16 March 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Information on the number of specialist nurses who are responsible for the delivery of cancer care and urology oncology is published by ISD Scotland and is available at the following link:-

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2016-12-06/Clinical_Nurse_Specialists_S2016.xls

The Scottish Government has committed to invest an extra £2.5 million of recurring funding in specialist nursing and care from 2015-16 onwards.

NHSScotland Boards are expected to ensure that patients with specialist conditions have appropriate access to a range of professionals, including specialist nurses, to ensure optimum management of their condition.

I will oversee the review which will be conducted by officials with the relevant expertise from across Transport Scotland and Scottish Government. In my statement to Parliament I made clear that I am fully committed to keeping everyone informed about the purpose and progress of the review, including ferry users, local authorities, local communities, ferry operators, trade unions and members of Parliament.

Following a commitment made in the Ferries Plan 2013-2022, Transport Scotland, under guidance of a working group of key stakeholders, is currently conducting a comprehensive review of ferry freight fares. The aim of the review is to develop an overarching policy for freight fares across Scotland’s entire ferry network, including the Northern Isles Ferry Services.

A substantial amount of work has taken place and a potential preferred option for setting freight fares has now been identified. I have asked Transport Scotland officials to undertake further detailed analysis in order to fully understand the impact of implementing this option.

We have always been clear that the exact timing of the introduction of a new freight fares structure will be decided only after careful consideration of all relevant factors. It is important that this work is done properly and thoroughly. I hope to be in a position to provide more information on timing following the conclusion of the detailed analysis of the preferred option.