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A range of financial support is provided through Social Security Scotland. This includes Funeral Support Payment, a one-off payment providing support to low-income families in receipt of a qualifying benefit, including self-employed parents, for a baby stillborn after 24 weeks or who died after birth.

These families may also be eligible for Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment up to £707.25. If the parent is in receipt of Scottish Child Payment they will receive payment equivalent to the value of entitlement in the 12 weeks prior to the child’s death.

An agreement is in place between Scottish Government and COSLA that local authorities in Scotland will not charge burial or cremation fees for children aged 0-17 or stillborn babies.

The Scottish House Condition Survey provides a snapshot of the Scottish housing stock in each survey year including the construction age and built form of Scottish domestic buildings. Within this it provides estimates of the number of dwellings with a prepayment meter for gas or electricity.

The 2022 SHCS returned to full in-home surveying in April 2022, and we expect to publish the key findings as National Statistics in February 2024 which will include updated figures for dwellings with prepayment meters.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS sold the former remand institution site at Longriggend and its landholdings on 2 October 2003. The sale included the former remand centre car park and the social club site.

The Women’s Health Leads meet together as a Network on a quarterly basis. The Network enables the Leads to identify common challenges and exchange ideas on innovation and best practice, along with discussions on progress to implement the Women’s Health Plan.

Earlier this year, the Network identified access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) as a subject that would benefit from a national approach and in response, the LARC Short Life Working Group was established. Chaired by Professor Anna Glasier, Women’s Health Champion, the group is working to identify and take forward actions to address current challenges in access to LARC methods of contraception.

The Women’s Health Champion quarterly blog provides an update on the Network: Health and Social Care Women's Health Champion Archives - Health and Social Care (blogs.gov.scot) .

In the Programme for Government 2023 to 2024 , the Scottish Government confirmed the Housing (Scotland) Bill will be brought forward as part of the year three legislative programme. This Bill will introduce new duties aimed at the prevention of homelessness.

We continue to engage with stakeholders, including COSLA and organisations from across the homelessness sector, on the development of the duties in order that we get our approach right.

The Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group convened a Task and Finish Group to set out recommendations on how best to prepare for the duties. We are considering the report which was published on 30 th August 2023 and will respond in due course.

As Minister with lead responsibility for Occupational Health, as part of the Health & Social Care portfolio, I responded on 20th November 2023 to the proposal submitted by the Scottish Occupational Health Action Group (SOHAG).

Many of the drivers of ill-health, and particularly ill-health in the workplace, are wider societal factors and I am clear that a cross-government response is required to address both the social determinants of health, as well as improving people’s experiences at work. Occupational health has a key role to play as part of the range of interventions that support fair and healthier work places.

In the 2022 – 2023 cohort, there have been 25 teachers who have achieved the Dyslexia and Inclusive Practice programme. An award ceremony will be held on 11December 2023 in Stirling at Dyslexia Scotland’s Offices.

The members of the Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness are:

• Paul McLennan MSP, Minister for Housing (chair)
• Elena Whitham, MSP, Minister for Drugs & Alcohol Policy
• Maree Todd, MSP, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport
• Emma Roddick, MSP Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees
• Natalie Don, MSP, Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise
• Jenni Minto, MSP, Minister for Public Health and Woman’s Health
• Joe Fitzpatrick, MSP, Minster for Local Government and Planning
• Siobhan Brown, MSP, Minister for Victims and Community Safety
• Patrick Harvie, MSP, Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights
• Graeme Dey, MSP, Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans

The Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness remit is to bring together ministers from across the Scottish Government to identify the actions required across portfolios to prevent and end homelessness. The group then collectively ensures delivery of these actions. The group provides a space for shared political leadership and enhanced policy links with a view to ensuring everyone has a safe, warm place to call home.

We have published further information on the Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness on the Scottish Government’s website at Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . This includes the membership and terms of reference of the group. The Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness has so far had one meeting. The minutes, once available, will also be uploaded to this webpage.

£350,000 was allocated in 2023 to the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway workstream based at the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD). This funding was provided to establish a national onboarding team for closed loop systems, based at NHS Golden Jubilee. Therefore, territorial Boards did not receive any share of the funding.

The cost of the most recent national donor gamete campaign delivered in partnership with NHS Scotland is £50,519.60 inclusive of VAT.