Social Security Scotland does not intend to routinely publish information on the reasons for Child Disability Payment applications not proceeding to part two of the application process.

Applicants have six weeks from the completion of part 1 of the Child Disability Payment form to complete part 2 of the application. There are various reasons why a part 2 application form may not be registered for Child Disability Payment applications. These can include where applicants make repeat applications whilst awaiting a decision or where applicants are already in receipt of Disability Living Allowance for Children.

To access the scheme, all those aged 5-21 must be carrying a new card. A valid card must be presented to obtain free travel. Until a valid card is received applicants are required to pay the fare of any journeys required. Transport Scotland will not provide refunds for journeys made without a valid card.

Lockerbie railway station is serviced by Avanti West Coast and Transpennine Express, known as cross-border rail operators. These operators are managed by the Department for Transport.

Transport Scotland officials have frequent meetings with all cross-border rail operators to discuss Covid related issues and service delivery. We are aware of the issues that Transpennine Express face in delivering a reliable service at Lockerbie due to Covid and industrial action but continue to press for improvements to performance.

We welcome their intention to increase services in May 2022 and the arrangement reached by Transpennine Express for Avanti West Coast to make special stops, where possible, at Lockerbie in the event that Transpennine Express is unable to call.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with the construction sector, through the Construction Leadership Forum (CLF), to assess shortages of both materials and labour facing parts of the construction sector, including the manufacturing slowdown, and continue to be advised of developments in this regard.

We continue to work closely with our social and affordable housing delivery partners and to monitor progress on a project by project basis across the country through our network of area teams. This is a constantly changing position and we are working together to deliver warm affordable homes for the people who need them, including accessible social housing for disabled and older people, as quickly as it is possible to do so, and to make full use of the £3.6 billion five-year funding already secured to support the delivery of social and affordable housing across Scotland.

Forestry and Land Scotland continually carries out various assessments in regards to all of its deer culling activities. Any issues noted in regards to any deer’s health or welfare are recorded in their Wildlife Management System. Culling of pregnant hinds carried out professionally and following industry best practice, as operated by Forestry and Land Scotland, has no welfare issues associated with it.

The vast majority of deer on Scotland's national forests and land are in excellent condition and are managed sustainably in line with their land management objectives

CalMac Ferries Ltd and NorthLink Ferries Ltd, who operate public service ferry contracts on behalf of the Scottish Government, are required to comply with UK employment legislation. In addition, employment terms and conditions of staff reflect the principles set out under the Scottish Government’s Fair Work Framework.

The arrangements in place at other commercial and local authority ferry operators are a matter for the relevant employer and employees.

The Scottish Government’s policy towards local authorities’ spending is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. As such, the vast majority of homelessness funding provided to local authorities in the annual local government finance settlements since 1999 has been included in the block grant and is therefore not separately identifiable. It is therefore not possible to determine how much of the local government finance settlement each year supports work to tackle homelessness in any year.

However, the unquantified amounts within the block grant have been supplemented in recent years through identifiable sums added to the block grant, which are enhanced or reduced by the overall annual changes in the local government finance settlement. The additional resource, set out in the table below, was allocated to local authorities for the development and implementation of rapid rehousing transition plans and for preventing and responding to homelessness.

Severance arrangements and the scrutiny of severance cases follow the process set out in SPFM . This includes arrangements around voluntary exits and settlement agreements and use of confidentiality clauses.

• Data in relation to settlement and the number of confidentiality clauses in Scottish Government and Public bodies, NHSScotland and Scottish Funding Council overseen bodies is held from 2014 and, since then, has been provided to parliament annually – see links to previous reports . 2020-21 data will be published imminently.
• We do not hold information prior to 2014, nor do we hold information in respect of local authorities.

SG and public bodies, NHS and SFC Data. - CC = confidentiality clause.

It is not appropriate for the Scottish Government or Ministers to comment on or intervene directly in individual cases relating to patient care.

We are aware that, following the tragic incident involving Mr Brown, the Scottish Ambulance Service has launched a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident. The Service has been in regular contact with Mr Brown’s family and have confirmed that they will meet with the family again to discuss their full findings once their investigation is concluded in mid-March 2022.

Both new vessels; the MV Glen Sannox and Hull 802 will have an accessible toilet with changing facilities, which includes a height adjustable bench and ceiling hoist. There will also be a smaller standard accessible toilet on each of the vessels.