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Grant funding for the National Performing Companies is based on their delivering an agreed programme of artistic and educational activity and on meeting criteria for designation as National Performing Companies. The companies budget for routine maintenance and refurbishment from within the totality of Scottish Government and other income.

Capital grant funding allocated to the companies for investment in property is shown in the following table. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra does not own any buildings. It should be noted that prior to 2007-08, the companies received their core grant funding from the Scottish Arts Council.

NHS Lothian along with all other boards have an agreed financial plan to deliver a balanced outturn in 2014-15 and the board have indicated they will achieve this position in 2014-15.

The Scottish Government work with NHS boards to help them achieve financial balance through long-term financial planning.

In 2015-16, NHS Lothian’s resource budget is planned to increase by £37.7 million (3.2%) to £1,225.7 million. This is an above inflation increase in 2015-16 and includes £7.0 million of additional NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) funding. This follows a previous increase of £46.8 million (4.1%) in 2014-15, which included NRAC parity funding of £17.521 million.

The NHS Lothian financial plan for 2014-15 was approved by the Scottish Government in March 2014 as part of the board’s 2014-15 local delivery plan. The NHS Lothian plan forecasts that the board will remain in financial balance over the five-year planning period. Boards have a statutory obligation to meet their financial targets and are expected to submit plans which reflect this.

The Scottish Government is taking necessary steps to ensure that Scotland benefits by engaging with the Scottish transmission owners, to encourage them to develop proposals for submission to the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), to ensure that any opportunities to benefit Scotland are realised.

As part of its price control review for the period 2013 to 2021, Ofgem has allowed up to £500 million for the three UK transmission owners (National Grid in England and Wales and Scottish Power Energy Networks and Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission in Scotland). This is to allow these companies to reduce the visual impact of existing transmission lines in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales and National Scenic Areas in Scotland. This does not need to be limited to undergrounding and there is strong argument that undergrounding would be an expensive option which severely limits the amount of lines whose visual impact could be mitigated.

Opportunities in Scotland are restricted to the 4% of the network within the eligible designated area. Scottish Government officials have engaged with the two Scottish transmission owners to encourage participation and to promote Scotland’s interests in this regard. The companies are in the process of developing a methodology for providing an assessment of the areas concerned. It is envisaged that this methodology will include stakeholder engagement, a technical impact assessment of all relevant infrastructure and a schedule of potential mitigation options. Consultation with communities and other stakeholders will also feature in any proposals going forward.

Ofgem has published factsheet 109 which provides background and explanation of the available funding. This factsheet is available from its website at:

The Lothian Partnership has used additional funding to extend a range of intermediate care services, the majority of which are not bed based. An additional seven step-down beds are planned for Midlothian. In addition the Edinburgh Partnership has leased the old Pentland Hills care home from BUPA to create 60 interim care home beds.

All health and social care partnerships will be required under the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 to produce a strategic commissioning plan from April 2015 which should identify the present and future care needs for their populations, including intermediate care beds, and develop these accordingly.

As I indicated to Parliament during portfolio questions on 7 January 2015, we are taking a number of steps to ensure that Scotland is on track to meet its climate change ambitions. We intend that the second report on proposals and policies will be delivered in full. Where policies and proposals are not being delivered, we will seek to bring forward new policies to achieve the same, if not a greater, level of emissions abatement. Preparatory work for producing the next report on proposals and policies (RPP), which is due for publication in 2016, has already commenced, and we aim to lay RPP3 as soon as reasonably practicable. In addition, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy has agreed to fund new modelling capability to help in preparing RPP3 and procurement of the model is underway. We are also exploring how the UK Committee on Climate Change can help us address the challenges we face in delivering on our annual as well as longer term targets.

The National Marine Plan as laid before Parliament makes clear that the Scottish Government supports a low carbon economy which involves a transition from fossil fuel based energy consumption towards investment in renewable energy and increased energy efficiency. The plan is also clear that oil and gas are set to remain a vital source of energy while this transition takes place and therefore it is sensible to secure reserves domestically as far as possible for as long as required. Chapter 9 of the plan sets out the objectives and policies for oil and gas. Policy and objectives relevant to a reduction in carbon emissions are set out in General Policy 5 (climate change) which applies to all marine development and use and in a number of sector chapters, particularly Chapter 10 on Carbon Capture and Storage and Chapter 11 on Offshore Wind and Marine Renewable Energy.

Paragraph 3.15 of the National Marine Plan as laid before Parliament sets out how the plan provides guidance on resolving potential competition and conflict.

The plan stipulates a set of General Policies which apply to all development and use of the marine environment. General Policy 4 encourages development and activity which enable coexistence with other development, sectors and activities. It also encourages development or use which does not result in areas being unsuitable for future use by others. Where different activities are incompatible or mutually exclusive, it provides criteria by which regional marine plans may select areas for preferential use by specific sectors.

General Policy 9 of the National Marine Plan as laid before Parliament stipulates that development and use of the marine environment must protect and, where appropriate, enhance the health of the marine environment. The accompanying policy provides additional detail on how this may be achieved. This reflects the contribution of Marine Protected Areas and includes actions to enhance the status of Priority Marine Features where appropriate. The policy also states that consideration should be given to opportunities to enhance biodiversity and associated ecosystem services, including recovery and/or enhancement of degraded habitats or species populations.

Chapter 12 (Recreation and Tourism) also contains a specific objective and a policy which support enhancement of natural resources and paragraph 11.39 notes the potential opportunities for enhancement in exclusion zones around energy generation infrastructure.

The strategic objectives and General Policies of the National Marine Plan set the context for development in Scotland's marine area and seek to ensure development and use of the marine environment is undertaken sustainably. Where appropriate, specific sectoral policies provide additional direction regarding environmental considerations to be taken into account in decision making.

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The National Marine Plan as laid before Parliament stipulates a set of General Policies which apply to all development and use of the marine environment. General Policy 9 states that development and use of the marine environment must (a) comply with legal requirements for protected areas and protected species (b) not result in significant impact on the national status of Priority Marine Features and (c) protect, and where appropriate, enhance the health of the marine area. The accompanying policy text provides additional detail as to how this may be achieved, as do specific sectoral policies which ensure the natural marine environment is protected.