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As we set out in the answer to question S6W-04354 on 30 November 2021 there is a £13 million difference between the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s forecast for Scottish Child Payment expenditure from their January 2021 and August 2021 publications. This does not represent an underspend, it is simply a refinement of their previous forecast.

Scottish Child Payment is a completely new and demand led-benefit, which makes forecasting expenditure more difficult. The Commission revised their forecast once more data became available which suggested a lower number of eligible children.

As we set out in the answer to question S6W-04352 on 30 November 2021, we currently expect Scottish Child Payment expenditure to be in line with the updated forecasts.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

To date, the following organisations have been awarded funding from the £6 million funding available through the Winter Support Fund for the third sector:

The following table shows the total number of homes and projects received and approved where investment benchmarks were applicable, as well as separating out those homes and projects approved above benchmark.

The benchmark system is a flexible, administrative tool which is used for grant assessment purposes only – rather than being a grant rate or grant ceiling. Projects that can be delivered with grant funding at or below the relevant benchmark follow a streamlined application and approval process. Projects which are seeking grant funding in excess of the relevant benchmark follow a more detailed value for money assessment before any funding decision is made.

To note that these figures relate to financial years 2016-17 to 2020-21, and quarter one and two for 2021-22. The Affordable Housing Supply Programme quarterly statistics to end September 2021 were published on 7 December 2021:

The information requested relates to the funding decisions taken by the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen which existed from 2007 to 30 June 2010 and Creative Scotland which was established from 1 July 2010 and brought together the two predecessor organisations.

These national arts and screen development organisations disbursed Scottish Government and National Lottery funds and operated at arm’s length from Scottish Ministers in the disbursement of those funds.

For the period predating the establishment of Creative Scotland, 2007 to 30 June 2010, the published National Lottery Distribution Fund Annual Reports and Accounts of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen provide the information that the member is seeking.

The Scottish Arts Council’s National Lottery Distribution Fund Annual Reports and Accounts for the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2010 are available at the following link:

Transparency and freedom of information releases - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Scottish Screen’s National Lottery Distribution Fund Annual Reports and Accounts for the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2010 are available at the following link:

Transparency and freedom of information releases - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

I have also asked the Chief Executive of Creative Scotland to write to the member with the information they hold on this subject since 1 July 2010.

The standard Scottish Government monitoring and evaluation processes will apply to this funding, as per the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

The relevant data is provided in the following table.

Summary of inspections completed in Care Homes for Adults since 2014-15 up to Q2 2021-22 (April 21- Sep21)

As previously set out, we are working with industry, local government and environmental groups to develop a route map to deliver our waste and recycling targets for 2025. This work will be critical in determining how the waste and resources sector, including local government, will contribute towards lower carbon emissions in the period to 2030 and beyond, including the approach to evaluating progress against our goal to reduce emissions.

Over 6,000 affordable homes were delivered in rural and island areas across Scotland during the last parliamentary term. Our Programme for Government commits to delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 of which at least 70% will be available for social rent and 10% will be in our remote, rural and island communities.

As part of our Affordable Housing Supply Programme, communities will also be supported by the continuation of the demand led Rural and Islands Housing Fund backed by up to £30 million of investment in this parliamentary period. The fund has been described in a Scottish Land Commission report as ‘game changers’ for community-led housing development and were developed in collaboration with community housing trusts.

We have also committed to developing a Remote, Rural and Island Housing Action Plan and will engage with a wide range of stakeholders on its development to ensure it delivers for remote, rural and island communities.

The Scottish Government is continuing to work with the operational and clinical teams in NHS Dumfries and Galloway to support the remobilisation of all services, including surgery for orthopaedic patients.

Whilst local capacity for surgery has been reduced, due to ongoing pressures, the Board have utilised orthopaedic capacity at Golden Jubilee National Hospital for a mix of routine long waiting patients and urgent patients.

To support the system as a whole we published our NHS Recovery Plan, which is backed by more than £1 billion of investment, sets out how we will take forward our aim of increasing NHS capacity by at least 10% in order to address the backlog of care and meet the ongoing healthcare needs of the country.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04734 on 13 December 2021 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers