Chamber and committees

The 2015 - 2021 Flood Risk Management Strategies included 42 formal flood protection schemes. Local authorities are expected to start work on development of these schemes by 2021. However as flood protection schemes can have significant impacts on individuals, communities and the environment, and so require careful and detailed planning and consultation, it is recognised that construction work may not be completed within the 2015-2021 timeframe.

Schemes (a) under construction are as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04301 on 6 December 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Department for Health and Social Care guidance for pregnant women in the workplace, covers NHS staff in all settings in Scotland and we have taken steps to ensure it is applied. The guidance clearly states that all pregnant staff must have a workplace risk assessment and can only continue working if the risk assessment says, it is safe for them to do so.

If a risk is identified employers must adjust their working conditions to remove the risk or offer alternative work on the same terms and conditions. If this is not possible then the member of staff will be asked not to attend work, but will continue to be paid as if at work. This ensures there is no detriment to NHS staff.

We continue to promote the use of risk assessments across Health and Social Care and on an individual, case by case basis.

Warmer Homes Scotland helps those living in or at risk of fuel poverty through installing insulation and heating measures. Since launch in 2015, more than £160 million has been invested through the scheme, helping over 25,000 households throughout Scotland.

Customer satisfaction levels have remained consistently high, with 100% of customers reporting they were satisfied with the service they received this financial year from a response rate of 82% of customers contacted.

The Warmer Homes Scotland budget allocation has been increased to £50 million for 2021/22 and will be further increased to £55 million for 2022-23.

The Scottish Government extended Free Personal Care to under 65s from the 1 April 2019. We fully recognise the difficulties facing the social care sector during the current pandemic. That is why we recently announced £300 million in additional funding to help alleviate system pressures in the social care sector. This includes £62 million to maximise the capacity of care at home services.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Scottish Government wants to improve support and provisions for people with Down’s Syndrome, but also takes a wider view that this should include all people with learning disabilities, and their families.

We already have a national strategy in place to improve opportunities, outcomes and support for people with Down’s Syndrome, and their families, through the Keys to Life Learning Disability strategy and the Towards Transformation Learning Disability and Autism Plan. Both strategies send a clear message that the human rights of people with a learning disability are respected and protected and that they are empowered to live their lives, the same as everyone else.

The Scottish Budget 2022-2023 includes dedicated funding of £7 million for a range of targeted work to support these strategies and improve the lives of autistic people and/or people with learning disabilities.

Additionally, we have committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill as part of the Programme for Government. This Bill will ensure that the rights of people with Down’s Syndrome, and others, are respected and protected.

To help make sure that the new legislation is championed when it is implemented, we will create a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodiversity Commissioner through the new law.

The mygov.scot portal for reporting allegations of benefit fraud to Social Security Scotland was launched on 24 August 2020.

A total of 429 reports have been submitted to Social Security Scotland through this portal. Of these, 173 were received in financial year 2020-21, and 256 so far in 2021-22 (up to and including 30 November).

As set out in our response to S6W-04807, we are working with industry, local government and environmental groups to develop the route map to deliver our waste and recycling targets for 2025. This work is critical in determining how the waste and resources sector will contribute towards lower carbon emissions in the period to 2030 and beyond, including considering the use of carbon-based recycling targets for local authorities.

It would be wrong of me to pre-empt that process, including formal consultation on findings and proposals, planned for the first half of 2022.

Proof of COVID-19 booster vaccination will appear on the NHS Scotland Covid Status app within 24 hours of the vaccine being administered.