Clinicians and other health and social care professionals will take account of all relevant evidence based guidance as appropriate. This will include guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence such as guideline NG69 Eating disorders: recognition and treatment. Guidance on the treatment of eating disorders in Scotland includes:

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland Recommendations for Management and treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland (2006) (http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/previous_resources/best_practice_statement/eating_disorders_in_scotland.aspx)

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland Eating Disorders in Scotland A Patient’s Guide (2007)

(http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/previous_resources/best_practice_statement/eating_disorders_-_guide.aspx)

Royal College of Psychiatrists Management of Really Sick Patients with Anorexia Nervosa – for Young People (2012)

(http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/usefulresources/publications/collegereports/cr/cr168.aspx)

Royal College of Psychiatrists Management of Really Sick Patients with Anorexia Nervosa – for Adults (2^nd Edition 2014)

(http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/CR189_a.pdf)

In respect of targets, there are no specific targets for the treatment of people with an eating disorder.

Currently within Scotland data is published on a quarterly basis on the number of patients receiving treatment against the waiting time standard of 18 weeks referral to treatment for psychological therapies; and the number of children and young people receiving treatment against the waiting times standard of 18 weeks referral to treatment for specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This standard covers treatment across the range of mental health services and the quarterly data reports are published online at: http://www.isdscotland.org/Publications/ .

A wider review that has been undertaken across health services to look at how targets and indicators for health and social care align with the Government’s strategy for the future of the NHS and social care services and support the best use of public resources. Sir Harry Burns is the independent Chair of a National Review of Targets and Indicators for Health and Social Care, and we expect to see Sir Harry’s report published around the end of August.

Moray College has confirmed that the Life Skills course has not been cancelled and is part of their 2017-18 curriculum. There has been reduced demand for this course and the College is offering it as a part-time course in the coming academic year to ensure it remains financially viable.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to produce a Local Housing Strategy that sets out their strategy, priorities and plans for delivering housing and related services. Strategies should include plans for meeting any Gypsy/Traveller housing needs in an authority’s area. Where necessary, authorities should provide Gypsy/Traveller sites in line with their strategies.

The Scottish Government recognises the contribution that Scotland’s Gypsy/Traveller communities have made to our national life. It will publish a strategic programme of work in Autumn 2017, which will describe all the relevant policies across the Scottish Government that help to secure improved outcomes for Gypsy/Travellers.

We do not hold information on whether pedal cyclists involved in injury road accidents were wearing high-visibility jackets. However, since 2013 Transport Scotland has collected information on whether injured cyclists were wearing helmets or not. Figures for 2016 are provisional and final figures will be released in October 2017.

The following table shows the number of accidents where pedal cyclists were involved over the last five years:

Of the pedal cyclists who were injured in those accidents, the following table shows the number of casualties who were wearing or not wearing a cycle helmet:

Safety for all road users is of paramount importance to the Scottish Government. However, we have said for many years now that the wearing of helmets and high visibility clothing is up to the individual, as it is in other parts of the United Kingdom, and we have no plans to legislate for these changes. We do, however, promote the use of correctly fitted helmets, encourage cyclists to be as visible as possible to all other road users, especially in the hours of darkness or in bad light, and of course, the use of reflectors and lights on bikes are already in legislation and therefore it is against the law to ride a bike without lights and reflectors at night time.

Minutes from the National Advisory Committee for Stroke meetings are available on request and will henceforth be published on the Scottish Government site at; http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Health/Services/Long-Term-Conditions/Stroke

The Scottish Government is committed to building cohesive and resilient communities where everyone enjoys the opportunity to flourish. Integration is a long-term and two-way process, and we are very clear that it is not something that can or should be ‘done to’ people. It needs people and communities to be involved, and to take steps which will enable everyone to be active citizens. We are taking forward a range of approaches - like implementing the Race Equality Framework and developing a refreshed New Scots refugee strategy - to ensure this, and today I had the pleasure to visit Fife Migrant Forum to hear about their important work as well as announce over £20m funding for the next year to promote equality and cohesion across Scotland.

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) is the specialist provider of blood, tissues and cell products in Scotland. They provide a free delivery service to hospitals 24 hours a day every day of the year. Therefore they do not use Blood Bikes Scotland.

It is a matter for individual NHS Boards to consider whether they enter into an agreement with Blood Bikes Scotland or a similar organisation to transport medical supplies between NHS facilities in their area. The Board would have to be content that the organisation met the relevant regulatory and safety requirements.

Outdoor education encompasses a wide range of learning which can take place in a variety of outdoor settings. It includes activities in school grounds; science and geography fieldwork; environmental and countryside education; outdoor and adventurous group activities; learning through outdoor play; and visits to heritage sites or cultural events.

The National Trust for Scotland runs a number of outdoor learning programmes, for school age children and others, and provides settings which can be used for outdoor learning experiences through the properties and sites which it maintains. The Scottish Government contributes funding to support this work indirectly through grants and partnership work undertaken by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which is a charity registered with OSCR.

In the current financial year approximately £140k of HES’ core budget is allocated through its Learning Team and Ranger Team budgets to support projects, activities and events with Outdoor Learning elements such as exploring outdoor sites, project elements such as creative art inspired by outdoor settings, events such as guided walks and in-depth experiences such as wildlife surveys or John Muir Award. In addition, HES administers an educational travel subsidy scheme on behalf of Education Scotland which provides support for free educational visits to its historic properties and those of its partners, including the NTS. In 2016-17 this scheme provided over £140k of travel grants to enable over 32,000 students to participate in educational visits, of which £36.3k funded the travel costs of school visits to NTS sites.

Scottish Government funds Keep Scotland Beautiful to deliver the Eco-schools programme in Scotland; a grant of £300k is being made available in 2017-18. The Eco-schools programme supports schools across Scotland to engage with pupils on climate change and sustainability issues, increasing knowledge and engaging on actions that pupils can take around waste, water, food, transport and energy. In many schools, this programme is a natural context for learning both about and in the outdoor environment.

This question has been answered on the basis that the situation being referred to is the removal of a child from school for the purpose of providing alternative means of education.

It is the legal responsibility of every parent to provide efficient education to all of their children who are of school age. The education must be suitable to the child’s age, ability and aptitude and may be delivered either by sending the child to a public school or by other means. The other means would include home education.

If a parent wishes to withdraw their child from education being provided by their local authority, they must seek, in accordance with Section 35 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (the 1980 Act), the authority’s consent before doing so. If a child has attended a local authority school and the parent requests to withdraw the child to home educate them it is the duty of the local authority to consider such requests and approval should not be unduly withheld. However consent by the local authority is not needed in a number of situations including if the child has never attended a public school in that authority’s area.

However, should the question relate to removal for unspecified reasons often referred to as an unauthorised absence you may find the Scottish Government publication Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1: attendance in Scottish schools provides guidance to schools and local authorities on how to promote engagement and motivation, including among those who may be at risk of poor attendance.

It is up to education authorities to decide what sanctions, if any, they will use if there is an unauthorised absence.

Non-domestic properties, subject to certain exemptions, are entered in the valuation roll and liable for non-domestic rates. Dwellings are entered in the valuation list and liable for council tax. This determination is made by local assessors in line with the relevant legislation. There are no current plans to amend the legislative provision, notwithstanding that the Scottish Government awaits the conclusion of the external review of non-domestic rates led by Ken Barclay and will respond swiftly come that time.