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Procedures provided in the Urgent Care Dental Centres are coded and submitted to Practitioner Services Division of National Services Scotland. This is in line with the normal system of monitoring for NHS dental services.

Across all urgent dental care centres there were 14,241 extractions from 20 March to 20 August.

The Chief Dental Officer (CDO) wrote to all dentists on 30 July confirming that from 17 August NHS dental practices will be able to re-introduce a range of aerosol generating procedures (AGPs). This move will be supported by the provision of enhanced PPE to dental practices which will require to be individually fitted to dental teams members to ensure they work effectively.

This decision has been taken after carefully and thoroughly considering the balance between the overall risk of infection with the needs of patients to be seen by dentists. This limited introduction, with care prioritised for patients in need of urgent care, replicates the arrangements in place in urgent dental care centres.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30868 on 12 August 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

In Scotland, we are currently advising that no more than 20 people should attend a marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration, provided they can be accommodated safely with physical distancing in the chosen venue. Receptions or other celebrations related to a marriage or civil partnership must continue to comply with the restrictions on public gatherings under the Health Protection Regulations and in guidance.

This position will continue to be kept under careful review and we will continue to consider various approaches, including the approach taken by other jurisdictions such as Northern Ireland. Any further changes to the current restrictions will depend on public health advice.

With effect from 15 July, Scottish Ministers amended the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 to remove the restriction on the number of households allowed to be present at marriage ceremonies and civil partnership registrations.

At present, we are advising that no more than 20 people should attend a marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration, provided they can be accommodated safely with physical distancing in the chosen venue. This limit will be reviewed again at the end of August.

Our position will continue to be kept under careful review and we will continue to consider ways to permit marriage ceremonies and civil partnership registrations to take place safely. Any further changes to the current limit on numbers will depend on public health advice.

Social Security Scotland will write to families once for each Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods that they may be eligible for.

As part of operating the Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods, Department for Work and Pensions provides information monthly and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs provide information weekly.

Social Security Scotland will be reviewing the effectiveness of the letters and this will inform future use of Invitation to Apply.

Social Security Scotland routinely monitors applications received and this information will be used to monitor the effectiveness of letters being issued. Information on applications received is published as part of the quarterly Official Statistics publications on Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods.

Social Security Scotland uses data from the Department of Work and Pensions to send ‘Invitation to Apply’ letters. This does not mean that the Department of Work and Pensions supplies Social Security Scotland with data on every live Universal Credit claim in Scotland as it would not be appropriate for them to share data which we do not need to deliver our services.

Instead, the Department of Work and Pensions only shares data on live Scottish Universal Credit claims, where the client’s family includes a child or children under the age of 6 years old. This data does not cover claims that have ended, in the period since the last extract of data was shared, or any unprocessed Universal Credit applications.

This data enables Social Security Scotland to process Best Start Grant and Best Start Food applications. We compare the data received from the Department for Work and Pension, against our records of the payments we have already made and the applications we have received, so that we do not send an ‘Invitation to apply’ letter to anyone who has already had a payment or who has recently applied.

Fair Start Scotland aims to support those who face the greatest challenges accessing the labour market. For carers who are faced with the challenge of returning to work, it provides flexible support, taking into account personal circumstances and removing barriers to accessing work.

It is delivered collaboratively across a range of private, public and third sector delivery partners including a range of specialist providers to ensure people receive the right type of support.