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The Care Inspectorate, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, operates a formal complaints procedure for anyone who is unhappy about a registered care service. This procedure explains people's right to receipt of high quality services and what steps they can take if they feel this is not being met. Details of how people can register a complaint is well publicised on the Care Inspectorate's website.http://www.careinspectorate.com/images/documents/82/Procedure%20for%20handling%20complaints%20-%20Jul%2014.pdf

Additionally National Care Standards stipulate that service providers must make available to service users and their families details of their complaint handling procedures. This information is provided to everyone receiving a registered care service and ensures they are fully familiar with their rights and expectations from the outset.

Together these easily accessible information ensures service users are made aware of what to do should they wish to complain about a care service, or challenge the findings of any such investigations.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03333 on 27 October 2016. 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.

As previously advised in that answer, the service is expected to be up and running by Spring 2017. I can confirm that the recruitment process for the specialist clinical posts, including relevant neurosurgeons, is currently underway, as is equipment procurement.

I can also confirm that, pending the start of the new service, we continue to ensure that everyone in Scotland who is considered clinically suitable for Deep Brain Stimulation has access to it.

Opt-out blood borne virus testing for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV is available for all new prisoners at HMP Castle Huntly, Cornton Vale, Glenochil, Grampian, Kilmarnock, Perth, Polmont and Shotts, while Barlinne, Greenock and Low Moss have an opt-out approach for Hepatitis C and HIV. We are working with NHS boards to deliver the service in the remaining prisons.

Through the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus networks, the Scottish Government has regular discussions with Health Protection Scotland, NHS boards and Hepatitis Scotland to help promote best practice and information sharing in relation to identifying people who remain undiagnosed.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the services, support and care available to people with hearing loss through its long term strategy ‘See Hear’. Awareness raising and training were identified as one of the recommendations in the strategy. The strategy was jointly endorsed by COSLA and is being implemented through local partnerships. Local leads have been identified to drive progress across priority areas.

Health Protection Scotland collects data on Hepatitis C tests from the West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre, East of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre, Department of Medical Microbiology at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Ninewells Hospital and Medical School. These specialist laboratories receive positive samples from the 14 Hepatitis C testing laboratories in Scotland in order to carry out PCR testing for confirmation. Negative tests are generally not sent to these specialist laboratories. Therefore, for accuracy, the testing database only includes tests from Boards where there is complete data (negative and positive samples). This means that Hepatitis C test data is only available for prisons within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Grampian, Lothian and Tayside board areas. Between 2013-2015, 3,964 people were tested for hepatitis C antibody in the prison setting in these four board areas.

The Scottish Government does not currently collect data on people in supported accommodation, however Scottish Government are currently in the process of implementing a data collection which will provide some data on this. As rents in supported accommodation generally exceed local housing allowance rates we would expect a significant number of those in supported accommodation receiving support for housing costs to be affected.

The Department for Work and Pensions are responsible for collecting and publishing data on housing benefit and local housing allowance (LHA). LHA rates are published at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/privaterent/tenants/Local-Housing-Allowance/figures. The Scottish Government has not made any assessment on the current shortfall between awards of LHA and rents. LHA rates currently only apply to the private sector.

No assessment has been made on the impact of local housing allowance changes to investment. The Scottish Government made clear it was concerned about the potential impact, and welcomed the announcement that funding for supported accommodation would be maintained at current levels.

The Scottish Government intends to use devolved funding to ensure that the supported accommodation sector is put onto a secure and sustainable footing. We will work with a broad range of stakeholders to achieve this.

Local Authority Strategic Housing Investment Plans (SHIPs) are produced every two years by local authorities. These are the key documents which identify the strategic housing projects to assist the achievement of the 50,000 target. SHIPs will be directly informed by the councils Local Housing Strategy and developed in consultation with key stakeholders.

Funding decisions are therefore based on the priorities of local authorities as identified in their Housing Need and Demand Assessments, Local Housing Strategies and Strategic Housing Investment Plans.