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The table gives the contribution from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) towards discretionary housing payments (DHP) in each local authority area in Scotland.

Local authorities are allowed to supplement the amount they spend on DHPs from their own resources up to a maximum of 1.5 times the figure given in the table. Therefore the overall amount of DHPs spent in any local authority area in a given year is capped at a maximum of 2.5 times the figure given below.

However, we do not hold information centrally on the amount of DHPs awarded by each local authority in Scotland. We therefore do not know how many local authorities spent up to their maximum allowed amount.

In addition, a further breakdown of the amount allocated to each tenure is not held centrally.

Further information on the allocation of DHPs is available from the Department for Work and Pensions website at:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/local-authority-staff/housing-benefit/user-communications/hbctb-circulars/subsidy-circulars-2013/

Summary of Discretionary Housing Payment amounts by Scottish local authority (DWP contribution)

The initial diagnosis, subsequent treatment and the ongoing aftercare that may be required by patients with cancer is a top clinical priority for both the Scottish Government and NHSScotland. The nature of aftercare required for patients treated for cancer will vary according to tumour type and will be determined by clinical judgement based on individual patient need and evidence-based, good practice guidelines.

A key component of the Scottish Government’s Cancer Taskforce Action Plan is the development and implementation of models of care which promote recovery of function and confidence after anti-cancer treatment, empowering patients to self manage where it is appropriate and right to do so and reducing the need for unnecessary face-to-face follow-up without impacting on cancer surveillance or outcomes.

The Scottish Government is working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, the NHS and local authorities to support a whole system redesign of care following active treatment of cancer.

The overall aim of this transforming care after treatment programme is to ensure that patients are prepared for and supported to live with the consequences of a cancer diagnosis and its treatment.

The programme promotes holistic needs assessment and personalised care planning for patients after treatment, development of follow-up risk stratification and implementation of appropriate models of care so that patients will receive the appropriate level of support and intensity of surveillance.

The following table gives the number of homeless applications where at least one member of the household had slept rough on the night immediately before they made their homelessness application.

Source: Scottish Government HL1 dataset as 27 Feb 2013.

It is for clinicians to determine the frequency of follow up checks from a consultant following surgery for patients with cancer. It is expected that the necessity for and regularity of these checks will vary according to tumour type and will be determined by clinical judgement based on individual patient need and evidence-based, good practice guidelines.

The Scottish Government’s HL2 Return gives snapshot information on the number of households in temporary accommodation at the end of each quarter.

Table 2 in the following file gives the number of households with children in bed and breakfast at the end of each quarter.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/RefTables/TempAccomJulySept2012

The Scottish Government supports a national infrastructure and related support for financial inclusion and financial awareness, including training for debt advisors and a Financial Learning Online Scotland website for financial capability practitioners. On 21 January 2013, the Deputy First Minister announced a £5.4 million funding package for advice services designed to help them manage the growing number of requests for help as a result of UK Government’s welfare reforms.

Work in communities across Scotland on financial inclusion and financial capability is taken forward by local authorities, who are well placed to assess local need for services and put in place appropriate provision.

Child protection statistics gathered for 2011-12 will include, for the first time, information on children affected by parental substance misuse. These figures will be published on the Scottish Government website in the spring.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis is a rare lung condition, the cause of which is unknown. It can be difficult to diagnose as the main symptoms are similar to other lung conditions. Diagnosis will usually be made by a respiratory specialist and may involve a number of tests including chest x-ray, CT scan and in some cases lung biopsy.

Respiratory Managed Clinical Networks have been established in all NHS health boards across Scotland, supported by pump priming funding from the Scottish Government. Our National Advisory Group (NAG) for Respiratory Managed Clinical Networks is working to develop a co-ordinated approach to improving respiratory services across Scotland and provides the opportunity for Local Managed Clinical Networks, patient representatives and stakeholders to discuss issues, identify solutions and share best practice.

The Department for Work and Pensions publishes information on the number of housing benefit claimants on their website. This information is available at:

http://83.244.183.193/hb_la/#view=hblaview11&selectedWafers=0&selectedColumns=0

During November 2012, there were 481,830 housing benefit claimants in Scotland.

We do not hold information centrally on the number of housing benefit claimants who are also in receipt of disability living allowance. From responses to the Family Resources Survey 2010-11, we estimate that around 46% of housing benefit claimants are also in receipt of disability living allowance. This would suggest that around 222,000 claimants are in receipt of housing benefit and disability living allowance.