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We have started the transfer of approximately 52,000 DLA Child awards from DWP to Social Security Scotland. We will begin the transfer of approximately 300,000 awards of Personal Independence Payment in summer 2022.

Our aim is to safely and securely complete case transfer for all people in Scotland in receipt of disability and carer benefits by the end of 2025. We will do so sooner if possible, as long as we do not risk the process being anything other than safe and secure for this significantly large number of people, and will do so jointly with the UK Government as case transfer is a joint programme of work.

The most recent Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts, published on 26 August 2021, estimate that an additional 209,000 people, who are not in receipt of Personal Independence Payment, will apply for Adult Disability Payment between 2022-23 - 2026-27.

The Scottish Government works closely with the Home Office on the requirements for the Passenger Locator Form (PLF). It is a UK wide system as border controls are a reserved matter. However, as health policy is devolved, the Scottish Government ensures that the PLF aligns with Scottish policy and legislation for international travellers arriving into Scotland. The 48 hour completion window for PLF submission is a vital tool which enables Scottish Ministers to act swiftly in response to emerging concerns, such as when changes are made to the country/territory red list, or when new international travel restrictions are announced, often at short notice. The PLF contains specific logic to ensure travellers into Scotland have the met the correct health measure requirements (tests, isolation, managed quarantine) based on where they have travelled from. The trace and compliance response to international travel has required PLF data to be immediately and securely available across health departments. To enable this, the PLF is only available online accessed via Gov.UK. Details of the helpline to provide and advice on completion are also available on Gov.UK. The helpline is not able to complete the PLF on an individual’s behalf.

We recently reviewed progress against the new and existing actions in the October 2020 Ending Homelessness Together action plan. We published our findings in the October 2021 annual report to Parliament: Ending Homelessness Together: annual report 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The Scottish Government has never issued any guidelines on measuring low-frequency noise.

We currently report on progress against the measures in Ending Homelessness Together action plan by means of an annual report to parliament. At the most recent meeting of the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group on 5 November 2021, we invited views from the expert group, which includes representatives with lived experience of homelessness, on how we can more effectively measure the impact of measures to end homelessness. The group saw value in the development of an improved outcomes monitoring framework. Officials are now exploring ways to improve the way we use evidence and data and will report back to the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group in due course.

The Scottish Government has not carried out any research into developing a method for assessment of low-frequency noise.

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.

In 2016, agreement was reached between Scottish Ministers and COSLA on a new strategic funding plan for flood protection schemes. The agreement guarantees that until 2026 the level of flooding capital grant in the local government settlement is set at a minimum of £42 million per annum. 80% of the available £42 million is allocated to prioritised flood schemes and the other 20% is allocated between all 32 councils to take forward other flood risk management actions.

The Programme for Government published in 2020 included a commitment to invest an extra £150 million in flood risk management over 5 years in addition to the £42 million per annum. This funding will also be distributed to local authorities through the general capital grant. We are working with partners on the best way of allocating this additional funding.

The amount in the general capital grant available to local authorities for flood risk management this year and each year up to 2023-24 is:

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.