The Scottish Government does not hold this information unfortunately. A key transition for Connect Me from the previous IT platform (FLORENCE) to the new platform (Inhealthcare) during 2021-22 means it’s not possible for an accurate picture across Scotland to be made available. FLORENCE in particular allowed for minimal data of this nature to be collected at the time.

To the end of March 2024, 21,092 homes have been delivered towards the target. In the absence of future year budget assumptions we do not have current projections towards the 110,000 affordable homes target. There is additional uncertainty due to the upcoming UK budget on 30 October following the Prime Minister’s statement on 27 September which indicated that the autumn budget would be “painful”.

The Scottish Government launched a call for applications for the second round of funding in July 2024.

The call for applications is open until 4 September 2024 and we welcome bids from any individual or organisation with a Scottish connection, whether that link is through heritage, education, business, culture, or a broader affinity.

Grants from £2,000 to £5,000 will be awarded to support innovative projects that bring together Scotland’s diaspora and promote Scottish connections worldwide.

The Scottish Government has allocated up to £50,000 to the second round of the fund, however what is finally allocated will be subject to final Ministerial decision.

Active travel infrastructure such as footpaths and cycle paths could be funded through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) Tier 1 which has been provided directly to each local authority through their General Capital Grant.

Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust should engage with Perth and Kinross Council who received £738,757 ATIF Tier 1 funding for 2024-25, in order to discuss their proposals, establish alignment with the local authority’s Active Travel Strategy and whether the Council will decide to fund them.

No compensation is available, from CalMac Ferries or NorthLink Ferries, for islanders when their trip is cancelled.

Airline passengers should expect air services to operate as scheduled. The aviation regulatory regime is Reserved to the UK Government and the Scottish Government has no power to intervene in the operation of air services. Passenger rights in relation to aviation in the UK, including in relation to service disruption, are overseen by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

In respect of islanders attending NHS appointments, under the Highlands and Islands Travel Scheme, financial support for travel to hospital is available for patients and authorised escorts, according to eligibility criteria and medical requirements. Health boards are responsible for reimbursing patient travel expenses, in line with Scottish Government guidance, and are expected to support patients to identify and access support available.

Ministers regularly raise concerns about human rights abuses with the Chinese government. The First Minister reiterated these concerns in his meeting with Ambassador Zheng Zeguang.

The Scottish Government take seriously reports of pressure being put on universities in relation to a proposed arrangement between the City of Edinburgh Council and Kaohsiung. The decision as to whether to enter a friendship arrangement with Kaohsiung is for the elected councillors from the City of Edinburgh Council. The Scottish Government continues to engage with the FCDO, who lead the relationship with the Embassy, on this issue to ensure appropriate action is taken.

The Scottish Government through its subsidy, has funded publicly owned ScotRail Trains Ltd., Caledonian Sleeper Ltd and ferry operators, namely CalMac and Serco, in Scotland. This includes meeting their obligations to provide accessible transport as set out in various, relevant legislation.

The National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People provides free travel on local and long distance scheduled bus journeys throughout Scotland for eligible disabled people living in Scotland.

In 2014 the Ferries Accessibility Fund worth a total of £500,000, was launched by the Scottish Government to improve accessibility on Scotland’s ferry network as part of the Ferries Review and Plan 2013-2022; which has successfully delivered a number of projects that improve accessibility across the ferry network.

Although its focus is on supporting bus operators in meeting our Net Zero targets, the second phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB 2) funded 252 buses and coaches of various sizes. The majority of these vehicles must comply with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR 2000). ScotZEB 2 also offered funding towards the installation of wheelchair space in vehicles which did not need to comply with PSVAR 2000 regulations.

The Scottish Government is focused on implementing a phased approach to improving the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). Scoping and planning of this work are underway in continued engagement with partners and stakeholders.

The management of the NHS clinical waste contract is the responsibility for Health Boards. NHS National Services Scotland’s National Procurement and Logistics Service manages the NHS’s relationship with the clinical waste contractor, however there is no target date for when all NHS clinical waste produced in Scotland is processed in Scotland.