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I have not had any formal meetings with Peel Ports specifically to discuss these matters. However, a meeting is planned for 19 February 2019 to discuss Peel Port's plans for Inchgreen Drydock.

Transport Scotland and Network Rail are continuing to work collaboratively with the Glasgow Airport Access Project team as they reconsider the evidence base and transport appraisal work to address comments raised in an independent audit of the Outline Business Case. The audit highlighted concerns around the potential impact of a Tram / Train option on services using Glasgow Central Station and its approaches, including those to and from Inverclyde and Ayrshire.

It has been clear for some time that introducing a Tram / Train type solution to the very busy heavy rail network south of Glasgow Central Station would be challenging. The recent South Glasgow Timetable Capacity Study, commissioned by Transport Scotland at Ministers request, has concluded that while it may be possible to introduce a Tram /Train service to Glasgow Airport, this would have a detrimental effect on performance of existing and future services using Glasgow Central Station, including those on the busy Inverclyde, Ayrshire, Shotts and East Kilbride lines, and require:

(i) the reduction of current rail services, and/or

(ii) the deferral of future service enhancements, and/or

(iii) significant and high cost infrastructure enhancement at Glasgow Central and on approaches which are currently not funded.

On 30 January I Chaired the Glasgow Airport Access Executive Steering Group which includes the Leaders of both Glasgow City and Renfrewshire Councils and representatives from Glasgow Airport and Network Rail. At this meeting the group heard updates on the progress of the audit close out work including how the significant concerns over the Tram / Train impact, costs and deliverability have been considered and how the other options for improving connectivity to the Airport have been developed. The project team now intend to a present Personal Rapid Transport (PRT) connection to Paisley Gilmour Street within the updated Outline Business Case to the Glasgow City Deal Cabinet in due course.

In 2019-20, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will be supported with additional investment of £75.4 million, increasing the Board’s resource budget to £2,231.2 million. Frontline NHS Boards will also receive a share of £392 million to support reform and improve patient outcomes across primary care, waiting times, mental health and CAMHS, trauma networks and cancer.

As announced in October, a new three year financial planning and performance framework will be introduced from 2019-20. This will require NHS Boards to deliver a break-even position over a three year period, rather than annually as is the position at present. This will provide additional financial flexibility for Boards, supporting them to deliver the measures set out in the in the health and social care delivery plan at a national, regional and local level.

Investment in social care and integration will exceed £700 million and the Scottish Government continues to ensure that our partners in Local Government receive a fair funding settlement, despite further cuts to the Scottish Budget from the UK Government. Local Authorities will receive a funding package of £11.1 billion in 2019-20 – a real terms increase of over £210 million for essential public services in Scotland. This total includes an additional £160 million that has been allocated to increase Local Authorities’ expenditure on health and social care and mental health.

We continue to work with farmers, food producers and industry bodies to drive forward the Ambition 2030 food and drink strategy. Our Programme for Government sets out a range of new measures to support the sector, building on the range of work that is already ongoing.

Indeed, direct investment and support to the food and drink sector in Scotland from the public sector across a range of areas including skills, education, research, industry development, standards and capital investment equates to approximately £100 million per annum. This support is provided on a national basis, and is therefore available to businesses across the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency.

Examples of companies in the region that are benefitting from food processing and marketing cooperation grant funding awards are the Ardgowan Distillery, which was awarded a grant of £983,000 towards construction of a new distillery at Inverkip, and the Start-up Drinks Lab which was awarded a grant of £22,000 towards creating a small scale bottling facility at Port Glasgow. Both awards were made in November 2017.

The Scottish Government has also committed to invest £1.2m in the Food For Life programme over 2018-21 to try and get all 32 local authorities achieving its award in their schools. The programme supports councils to get more local produce on the table and a Local Authority holding the award within an area provides obvious opportunities for local producers. I know the Food For Life team are currently in engagement with a range of Local Authorities across Scotland, including Inverclyde Council with a view to achieving the award.

Connect Local, Scotland’s Local Food and Drink Advisory Service which is funded by the Scottish Government, provides support to build connections between local producers and entrepreneurs, micro-businesses and SMEs by offering specialist advice for enterprises with limited experience of marketing local food and drink. In doing so it works to improve communication within the supply chain to help deliver stronger working practices between suppliers, processors, sellers and consumers. The service is available across Scotland and anyone seeking advice on the range of food and drink support available to them should visit .

The Scottish Government is currently developing options to deliver on the conclusions of the Low Vision Services Review. As part of this work Scottish Government officials will meet with colleagues from the Welsh national low vision service (Low Vision Service Wales) on 15 February 2019 to understand how that service has successfully delivered a safe and high quality national service for visually impaired people.

The Scottish Government continues to support the Community Eyecare Services Review recommendation for dispensing opticians, who are key members of the community eyecare services workforce, to be nationally listed for the provision of some NHS eyecare services. The Government is currently exploring all options to find the most effective way of delivering this.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone working in our tourism sector has the skills to provide a high-quality and memorable experience for each one of our many visitors, including those who do not speak English as a first language. We have not, as yet, had any specific discussions with consulates on this issue. Skills Development Scotland and the Centre for Work Based Learning are currently conducting research to identify skills gaps across the sector, including foreign language skills. This research will help inform the work of our Tourism Skills Group and will complement the work being undertaken in line with Skills Development Scotland’s Tourism Skills Investment Plan.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of language skills to the tourism sector, particularly in light of the high proportion of European and other international staff employed and the potential impact of Brexit on those people and skills. It engages regularly with its agencies and the sector on skills issues, including language skills, through the Tourism Skills Group, overseen by Skills Development Scotland. The Scottish Tour Guides Association is a member of the Group.

The Scottish Government announced a wide package of measures in the budget to support town centres including maintaining a competitive business rates package which caps the increase in rate poundage below inflation; ensures that 90% of properties in Scotland pay a lower poundage than other parts of the UK; and supports small businesses through the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) which lifts small businesses out of rates altogether. Over 1,100 businesses in Inverclyde received up to 100% rates relief through the SBBS this year, an increase of more than 500 businesses over the last 10 years.

The Scottish Government also announced a new £50m Town Centre Fund to drive local economic activity and support town centres to become more thriving and sustainable places. This fund will enable local authorities to stimulate and support a wide range of investments which encourage town centres to diversify and flourish. The Scottish Government will work in partnership with COSLA and local authorities to deliver this fund including developing proposals on how this fund will be distributed and allocated.