Chamber and committees

There were 42 proposed flood protection schemes set out in the Flood Risk Management Strategies published by SEPA in December 2015.

Of the 42 projects 8 have been completed.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of pharmacies that have closed over the past 12 months nor reasons for closures. The provision of community pharmacy pharmaceutical care services are the responsibility of territorial Health Boards as set out in the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009, including pharmacy closures. Each Health Board holds separate data on those community pharmacies that have been unable to deliver pharmaceutical care services due to closures.

Any challenges faced by community pharmacies in ensuring the safe and effective dispensing of treatments should be discussed with the local Health Board.

Having spoken to Public Health Scotland, I can confirm that only limited information is published in the Stage of Treatment publication on cancelled planned operations. You will find this information at: Cancelled planned operations - Month ending 30 September 2021 - Cancelled planned operations - Publications - Public Health Scotland

If you would like more detailed information, I would suggest contacting NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde directly.

As set out in the Programme for Government 2021 - 22, published on 7 September 2021, the Scottish Government is committed to establishing a dignified and compassionate miscarriage service by the end of 2023. This commitment includes ensuring women’s services have dedicated facilities for women experiencing unexpected pregnancy complications.

As part of delivering on this commitment, we will carry out a scoping exercise to establish current service provision across all 14 Health Boards and host a series of roundtables to discuss with stakeholders what more can be done to improve miscarriage care and support for women who experience complications during pregnancy. The first roundtable will take place in early 2022.

The primary objective of the booster programme is to maintain protection against severe COVID-19 disease, specifically hospitalisation and deaths over winter 2021-22, and is aimed at maintaining protection in those most vulnerable, and to protect the NHS.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) reviewed all the currently available evidence and data in respect of the newly emerging Omicron variant of COVID and has concluded that a COVID-19 booster vaccination should not be given within three months of completion of the primary course. They have advised that the booster vaccination should now be offered in order of descending age groups, with priority given to the vaccination of older adults and those in a COVID-19 at-risk group.

We will continue to work at pace to deliver booster doses in line with this new JCVI advice.

There are no shortages of the COVID-19 booster or seasonal flu vaccines.

Scottish Government officials are working closely with Health Boards and Integration Authorities to deliver the current autumn/winter vaccination programme, with NHS Boards using a delivery model which is most suitable for their local circumstances, whilst maintaining a COVID-19 safe environment and maximising efficiency.

Each Health Board operates their own escalation policy for the management of inpatient capacity that includes well established processes with locally agreed trigger points for maintaining a safe service and ensuring patient safety. At present, we are only aware of NHS Lanarkshire operating at the highest level of their local escalation - “Black”.

Health Boards across the country are operating under significant pressure due to the direct and indirect consequences of the pandemic, which has been the biggest challenge the NHS has faced in its 73 year existence.

The Scottish Government is in daily contact with all Health Boards to monitor the pressures in the system and continues to support improvement work to minimise delays for patients no matter where they are in the system.

The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund has not been administered by local authorities so I have assumed that you are referring to the £10m Tenant Grant Fund announced in June and have responded to your question on that basis.

Local authorities were issued with non-statutory guidance to support them in their administration of the Tenant Grant Fund on 17 September 2021. A copy of this guidance can be found at: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tenant Grant Fund: guidance for local authorities - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

In 2016, agreement was reached between Scottish Ministers and COSLA on a new strategic funding plan for flood protection schemes. The agreement guarantees that until 2026 the level of flooding capital grant in the local government settlement is set at a minimum of £42 million per annum. 80% of the available £42 million is allocated to prioritised flood schemes and the other 20% is allocated between all 32 councils to take forward other flood risk management actions.

The Programme for Government published in 2020 included a commitment to invest an extra £150 million in flood risk management over 5 years in addition to the £42 million per annum. This funding will also be distributed to local authorities through the general capital grant. We are working with partners on the best way of allocating this additional funding.

The amount in the general capital grant available to local authorities for flood risk management this year and each year up to 2023-24 is:

The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund has not been administered by local authorities so I have assumed that you are referring to the £10m Tenant Grant Fund announced in June and have responded to your question on that basis.

The purpose of the Tenant Grant Fund is to mitigate the short to medium term financial challenges being experienced by tenants adversely impacted by restrictions and regulations introduced since March 2020, to control the spread of Covid-19.

The fund enables local authorities to prevent homelessness and sustain tenancies by directly reducing, alleviating or paying off rent arrears altogether where a tenant is in either the social or private rented sectors, and has faced difficulties due to Covid-19.

On timings, the non-statutory guidance issued to support local authorities in their administration of the grant fund sets out that it is to be used specifically to help repay rent arrears that have arisen due to the Covid-19 pandemic between 23 March 2020 and 9 August 2021; and that arrears before 23 March 2020 cannot be covered.

However, local authorities have discretion as to payment in individual cases and should consider whether the payment is a necessary or justified action to avoid the tenant becoming homeless. This recognises the experience that local authorities have in supporting people in a housing crisis, and will help identify where funding would be most effectively provided.

The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund and the PRS Landlord (non-business) Covid-19 Loan will close to new applications at the end of December allowing final loans to be paid before the end of 31 March 2022, in line with the allocation of the Tenant Grant Fund.