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The Scottish Government will set out a strengthened framework of support in the forthcoming Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan in 2022, to support the growth of the marine renewables and offshore wind sectors, focused on funding for the infrastructure these sectors need, such as port upgrades.

The Scottish Government publishes as part of annual housing statistics publications information on the number of local authority housing tenancy changes made each year due to succession. The available Scotland level published information on this, covering the period 2001-02 to 2018-19 is available at Housing statistics: Management of local authority housing - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) , with a local authority level table available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 62926).

Prior to October 2020, Scottish local authorities could claim for subsidy from the EU School Milk Scheme to put towards their local school milk schemes. Following the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, the Scottish Government committed to providing funding to allow Scottish local authorities to continue offering subsidised milk in their schools.

This funding arrangement will continue for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year during which time we will be working with our local authority partners to develop a free school milk scheme which provides for children’s dietary needs. Stakeholder engagement will take place appropriately during that process.

The Scottish Government wants to improve opportunities, outcomes and support for people with learning disabilities including Down’s Syndrome. To this end, we have committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill as part of the Programme for Government. This Bill will ensure that the rights of people with Down’s Syndrome, among others, are respected and protected.

To help make sure that the new legislation is championed when it is implemented, we will create a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodiversity Commissioner through the new law.

Additionally, we have set out our commitment to people with a learning disability, including those with Down’s Syndrome, and their families through the Keys to Life Learning Disability strategy and the Towards Transformation Learning Disability and Autism Plan . Both strategies focus on outcomes intended to ensure people with a learning disability live healthier lives, enjoy choice and control over the services they use, and are supported to be independent and active citizens.

Transport Scotland and CMAL fully understand the importance and significance of engaging with the relevant trade unions on ferry services and future vessel contracts. Regular meetings were held with unions by Transport Scotland, CMAL and CalMac, from the outset of the Islay vessels project. Similarly, these bodies have provided unions with progress updates, whilst listening and taking action on their views when appropriate. Transport Scotland will ensure a similar approach will be taken with all future projects.

I appreciate how difficult postponement of treatment has been for people with chronic pain, including those who may have had their normal treatment paused as a result of the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many factors determine the suitability and availability of specialist pain procedures, including clinical prioritisation and the availability of staffing, theatre capacity and the ongoing implications of COVID-related pathways.

In September 2020, the Scottish Government published the Framework for recovery of NHS pain management services to support the rapid and safe re-mobilisation of specialist pain management services. We remain committed to ensuring that Health Boards, including NHS Lanarkshire, resume specialist pain services as quickly as it is safe to do so.

We will shortly be launching a public consultation on a new Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery which includes an aim to deliver more timely access to care and improved health outcomes for people with chronic pain.

The Scottish Government has awarded the following funding to the Health and Social Care Alliance for work related to the Chronic Pain Patient Reference Group since 2019 to cover all activities including support for representatives attending meetings of the National Advisory Committee for Chronic Pain and capacity building activities. Funding has been provided since 2019 as follows:

Information on resource planning assumptions and outturn spend for financial years 2016-17 to 2019-20 can be obtained from our annual Outturn Reports . The Outturn Report for 2020-21 has not been published as yet, and a table comparing resource planning assumptions with the outturn expenditure in each financial year from 2016-17 to 2020-21 has been placed in SPICe under BIB number 62906.

Local authorities have worked with local partners to undertake a significant workforce expansion to support delivery of the 1140 commitment and we have seen an increase in the availability of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) places across the local authority, private, third and childminding sectors.

The underpinning policy framework for the ELC expansion, Funding Follows the Child, was developed jointly between the Scottish Government and COSLA. Local authorities are responsible for adhering to the guidance and ensuring they undertake appropriate impact assessments to support their policy and investment decisions, as they do routinely.

Implementation of Funding Follows the Child is overseen by the ELC Joint Delivery Board which is chaired by the Minister for Children and Young People and the COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People. The Joint Delivery Board regularly reviews the risks and impacts of the ELC expansion programme, including any issues with adherence to the Funding Follows the Child and National Standard guidance.

Chronic Pain services in Scotland are currently unable to gather electronic data on return appointments in a consistent manner and one that could support routine national data collection by Public Health Scotland (PHS).

The 18 Weeks Referral To Treatment (RTT) standard applies to the entire patient journey from the initial referral to the start of treatment and so repeat appointments after the start of treatment would not be included in this metric. Achieving the target depends on waiting times for diagnostic tests, new outpatient appointments, inpatient and day case treatment.