As I announced in Parliament on 13 September 2016, the Scottish Government has set up the 2016 National Basic Payment Support Scheme.

Under this scheme, eligible farmers and crofters will be able to receive a loan of
80 per cent of their expected eligible CAP Basic Payment and Greening 2016 up to a maximum of €150,000.

More information is available at:

https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/topics/all-schemes/national-loan-schemes/loans-for-2016-17-payments/

Suicides in Hospitals

Records do not provide precise enough information on the location where the suicidal act occurred to identify those event that happened in hospital. Whilst data can identify people who are in hospital at the time that they died from suicide, it is anticipated that a large number of these will be due to suicidal acts occurring outside of hospital, after which the individual is taken to hospital.

Suicides in Prisons

Information relating to Prisoner Deaths is published on the SPS Website under Freedom of Information.

Any death in prison custody may lead to a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) under the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiry (Scotland) Act 1976 however the decision to hold an FAI is a matter for the Lord Advocate/Procurator Fiscal. No cause of death is recorded where a death has not yet been determined following FAI.

For information the term 'Event of Undetermined Intent' is an outcome where the exact intent of the individual concerned cannot be ascertained.

The table below shows the number of suicides in prison determined by Fatal Accident Inquiry, recorded in calendar years 2007 to 2016.

On 29 June 2016, the First Minister travelled to Brussels and was supported by Scottish Government civil servants. On 9 August 2016, the First Minister travelled to Berlin and was supported by Scottish Government civil servants.

National Records of Scotland holds over 80 linear km of archive material comprising millions of individual items in a wide variety of formats. 7562 of these items are currently marked as “unfit for production” and a further 1494 are marked as “record at risk”. Annual figures are not kept. As the national archives holdings are measured in linear kilometres, it is not possible to express these items as a percentage of the total collection.

The Scottish Government is involved in a wide range of activities to attract investment in South Scotland. These activities include boosting export performance to attract foreign investment, developing transport links to help maximise the potential of the area as well as working with the South of Scotland Alliance to raise the profile of the South of Scotland and to identify and develop opportunities for growth.

Projects identified in the South of Scotland Alliance's Rural Regional Economic Development Programme as significant in supporting economic growth include four key areas of activity to maximise opportunities: Borders Railway and Central Borders Business Park, Mountain Biking, M74 Economic Development Strategy, and the Stranraer Waterfront. The Scottish Government is committed to creating a more inclusive form of growth that tackles inequalities whilst driving competitiveness and we are committed to working with the Alliance as these projects develop.

Over the last three years seven Regional Selective Assistance grants worth a combined £2,146,300 have been awarded to businesses in the South of Scotland, helping to create 175 new jobs. In the same timeframe six inward investments have been secured for the South of Scotland, creating 531 new jobs and safeguarding a further 67 jobs.

We also recognise that good digital infrastructure has an important role to play in attracting new investment. The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme is delivering over £410 million of investment to extend fibre broadband access across Scotland to areas where the market would not otherwise go, and over 95% of premises across the south of Scotland will have access to fibre broadband by the end of 2017 as a result of this investment. However, we want to push coverage even further and, as set out in the Programme for Government, the Scottish Government has committed to delivering 100% superfast broadband coverage by 2021 and we expect new procurements - to deliver new investment to meet our 100% target - to begin from 2017.

We will continue to work with partners to ensure that the South of Scotland continues to attract new investment.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked the Chief Executive to contact you with the information you have requested and my understanding is that this will be with you soon.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked the Chief Executive to contact you with the information you have requested and my understanding is that this will be with you soon.

A full five-year policy review of the Home Report was launched on 5 December 2013 and consisted of a public consultation (the findings from which were published on 7 May 2014) and a research study (published on 7 January 2015). Overall, the Review found that the home report is supported and valued. A clear majority of the respondents to the consultation felt that the home report was continuing to meet its original objectives and that these remained appropriate. The review found that while the home report had an impact on buyers and sellers, the impact on the wider housing market was more limited.

The Scottish Government carried out a full policy review after five years of operation of the home report. The findings of a public consultation were published on the Scottish Government website on 7 May 2014, and of a research study on 7 January 2015. We have no plans to undertake a further policy review at this stage.

Businesses are required under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments to ensure disabled people do not experience substantial disadvantage compared with nondisabled people.

The duty is ‘anticipatory’. An organisation cannot wait until a disabled person wants to use its services, but must think in advance (and on an ongoing basis) about what disabled people might reasonably need.

Examples of reasonable adjustments would include ramps and stairway lifts, making doorways wider, installing automatic doors, more lighting and clearer signs. If a disabled person would be at a substantial disadvantage compared with a nondisabled person, not providing reasonable adjustments would be unlawful discrimination and could result in a discrimination claim under the act.

More examples are provided on the EHRC’s website at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/multipage-guide/reasonable-adjustments-practice