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NHS Boards are responsible for receiving and approving applications for the Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI). Successful applications are then sent to the Scottish Government for processing.

As such, the Scottish Government does not hold information on how many SDAI applications have been received in the NHS Borders area, and this information is held by the Health Board.

Scottish Government has provided grant funding to a total of six successful SDAI applicants in the NHS Borders area.

This information is not recorded by the Scottish Government.

Scottish Dental Access Initiative applications are first submitted to the individual NHS Boards for processing and approval. Therefore, the Scottish Government does not have sight of all applications made to the NHS boards.

We have been in regular dialogue with ALACHO since this survey was undertaken in November 2023 and I have also been meeting with Housing Convenors across Scotland to discuss the homelessness and housing supply pressures that are facing councils. I meet with local authorities with the greatest temporary accommodation pressures on a regular basis to explore the best way to build resilience in the system.

This year, we have provided an additional £2 million to the 15 local authorities with the greatest percentage increase in the use of temporary accommodation. We have committed to maintain the homelessness budget for 2024-25 at broadly similar levels to 2023-24 and we will invest £556 million in affordable housing in 2024-25. Further investment in our housing capital budget will be a key priority if new funding becomes available as a result of the UK Government’s Spring Budget 2024.

The Scottish Housing Regulator has noted that the demands on some local authorities now exceed their capacity to respond, and it is engaging with the City of Edinburgh Council and Glasgow City Council on improvements in the way they discharge their duties to people who are homeless.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24861 on 5 February 2024. 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 Scottish Government has not provided funding to the Barbara Koerner Memorial Trust

Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Information in relation to the number of dental practices providing NHS dental services in the Dumfries and Galloway area is held by the Health Board.

The Scottish Government has awarded the following amounts since the Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) was granted in the NHS Borders area in 2009:

Following the recent Scottish Government announcement on XL Bully dog safeguards, Scottish Government officials are continuing to engage with Police Scotland about the impact of enforcing this change to the law, including any impact on police dog kennels.

Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Information in relation to the number of dental practices providing NHS dental services is held by each Health Board.

There have been a number of organisations in the sector, including the Scottish Housing Regulator, Audit Scotland and SOLACE, documenting the difficulties local authorities are experiencing and the risks this could present to the provision of homelessness services and accommodation. I respect the decisions of the local authorities who have declared a housing emergency.

The Scottish Government has commissioned expert groups to recommend action to potentially reduce the pressures local authorities are facing and set out in its response the actions we will take. I am engaging with Housing Convenors across Scotland on a regular basis to discuss the homelessness and housing supply issues that are impacting on them most. We know that increasing housing supply is key to tackling homelessness, but a flat and falling funding trajectory from the UK Government has significantly impacted our ability to deliver on all our capital infrastructure commitments. We will invest £556 million in affordable housing in 2024-25 and we have stated that our housing capital budget will be a key priority if new funding becomes available as a result of the UK Government’s Spring Budget 2024.