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Since 2007, 48,813 affordable homes for social rent have been delivered in Scotland (from April 2007 to September 2017).

Over the period from 2007-08 to 2016-17 financial years, this government’s supply of social rent affordable housing per capita has been 112% higher than in England.

The following table shows the number of affordable housing units delivered for Scotland and England within each financial year and the rates per capita for each year.

Number of Affordable housing units for social rent delivered in Scotland and England, with per capita rates, financial years from 2007-08

Sources: Scottish Government Affordable Housing Supply Programme management information system and Ministry for Housing & Local Government live tables. In 2016, there were 4,099,000 social rented homes in England, which equates to 7,417 per 100,000 population and 594,632 in Scotland which equates to 11,002 per 100,000 population. The rate in Scotland was 48% higher.

The Scottish Government has noted the supporting statistics published by the Department for Work and Pensions, and remains concerned about many aspects of the UK Government's current social security system. We continue to hear from individuals who have experienced distress as a result of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Employment Support Allowance (ESA) assessments, and delays in the system exacerbate this for individuals.

As we have made clear from the outset, the Scottish Government is committed to introducing a social security system that is founded on dignity and respect. We are designing an assessment process which prioritises the needs of the disabled person – not the needs of those delivering the assessment.

We have made a clear commitment that profit making companies will not be involved in delivering assessments for disability benefits once devolved to Scotland. The culture and attitude of assessors will also incorporate dignity and respect. To ensure this, and to increase the quality of assessments, there will be consistent and appropriate training of assessors.

The Scottish Government believe that the statistics published by the UK Government in response to the review could have been clearer. For example, they report that the proportion of all Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment Support Allowance (ESA) decisions that were upheld at Mandatory Reconsideration and then overturned at First Tier Tribunal is 3% for PIP and 4% for ESA. However, 65% of PIP and ESA cases appealed were decided in favour of the applicant.

The Scottish Government is of the view that this indicates that DWP are not doing enough to get decisions right first time or at Mandatory Reconsideration stage.

We are committed to introducing a social security system that is founded on dignity and respect. Our approach to decision making will focus on getting decisions right first time, by making use of existing evidence.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living in Scotland with long term conditions such as cystic fibrosis, are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put the patient at the centre of their care.

Cystic Fibrosis is a complex condition that affects people in different ways. As such, people with cystic fibrosis should be cared for by a team of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals with specialised knowledge providing professional skills, care and support to this group of patients and their families. This will include the development of a care plan unique to the individual’s needs.

The Scottish Government is working in partnership with Shelter Scotland and the Scottish Association of Landlords on a comprehensive awareness raising campaign to ensure everyone involved in private renting, from tenants and landlords to letting agents and housing professionals, understand their new rights and responsibilities. In the longer term we will continue to raise awareness to ensure that landlords re-letting their property using a Private Residential Tenancy for the first time and tenants starting a new tenancy in the future are aware of their rights and are able to access clear information.

Equally Safe is the national strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls, which was developed by the Scottish Government and COSLA. A delivery plan for this strategy over 2017-21 was published on Friday 24 November and sets out our plans to tackle violence against women and girls. It includes a total of 118 actions under 4 priority areas, which are focused on preventing violence from happening, strengthening services for victims and survivors, and ensuring that perpetrators receive a robust response.

In the next 12 months, the Scottish Government will work with partners to progress actions, including the development of an ‘Equally Safe’ accreditation scheme for employers to promote best practice in tackling gender-based violence in the workforce, including sexual harassment, and an expansion of Rape Crisis Scotland’s sexual violence prevention programme in schools, to at least 11 local authorities. We will also continue to invest significant resources in front-line services to support women and children experiencing violence and abuse. Furthermore, we will continue to work with the Parliament as it considers the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill, which seeks to strengthen legislation around coercion and control.

The delivery plan can be found at http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/11/5647.

Scottish Ministers have raised the unfair treatment of police and fire VAT with their UK counterparts on numerous occasions face to face.

The amount of unrecovered VAT incurred by the Scottish Police Authority and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service between April 2013 and March 2017 was in the order of £140m. This could see a cost to the Scottish public purse of £280 million by the end of the current parliamentary session in 2020-21.

The Scottish Government has answered six parliamentary questions regarding the ability of Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to recover VAT.

There have been four oral parliamentary questions raised on this matter. For reference, these are:

• S50-01080. Answered on 07 June 2017.

• S50-00719. Answered on 01 March 2017.

• S50-00345. Answered on 16 November 2016.

• S40-04412. Answered on 03 June 2016.

There have been two written PQs. For reference, these are:

• S5W – 09050. Answered on 12 May 2017.

• S4W – 04819. Answered on 12 January 2012.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Thirteen letters have been sent to the UK Government. Of these, six contained requests for meetings, five of which were consented to by the UK Government. One request was rejected as it fell during a pre-election period.

The thirteen letters included:

• 07 June 2012. Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Justice to Chancellor of Exchequer.

• 21 June 2012. Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Justice to Exchequer Secretary to Treasury.

• 28 November 2014. Letter from Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy to the Chancellor of Exchequer.

• 03 March 2015 Letter from Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland.

• 09 March 2015. Letter from Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy to the Chancellor of Exchequer.

• 01 November 2015. Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Justice to Home Secretary.

• 20 November 2015. Letter from Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy to the Chancellor of Exchequer.

• 08 January 2016. Letter from Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy to Chief Secretary to Treasury from DFM.

• 14 February 2016. Letter from Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy to the Exchequer Secretary to Treasury.

• 17 March 2016. Letter from Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy to Chief Secretary to Treasury.

• 12 November 2016. Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

• 10 February 2017. Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution to the Chancellor of Exchequer.

• 12 November 2017 Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

We do not routinely hold information in relation to references made to Police and Fire VAT during ministerial speeches and statements.

The Scottish Government issued two news releases on this issue on 14 February 2017 and 1 August 2017.