Chamber and committees

The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund is operated and administered on behalf of the Scottish Government by Energy Savings Trust (EST), using a variation of an existing contract. EST carry out affordability checks based on the income and expenditure information provided by the applicant. Initial credit scoring is undertaken by Credit Safe which is powered by TransUnion. Applicants can appeal the credit scoring and in this process a separate credit score is obtained from Credit Karma. This ensures that any error in the original credit check does not impact final decision-making.

All costs associated with operation and administration of the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund are with EST. These costs form part of a wider contract and are commercial-in-confidence, although these can be shared in confidence with the Finance and Constitution Committee where appropriate.

We remain committed to reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004. We will announce our legislative programme to Parliament in September as part of the Programme for Government.

When an application to the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund is received an initial affordability assessment is performed, based on estimates of income and expenditure provided by the applicant. Where affordability is not shown the application is not credit checked. Applicants can ask for an appeal of the affordability assessment.

As at 21 June there were 8 applications that failed the affordability check and a further 4 applicants that unsuccessfully appealed the affordability assessment.

There were 254 applications which failed to reach the minimum credit score and a further 142 applicants who unsuccessfully appealed the credit score check.

Please note that data regarding the number of COVID-19 vaccination sessions delivered are held by individual NHS Health Boards.

It is important to be clear that there has been no change in the Scottish Government’s policy on the remuneration arrangements for independent contractors or those working within a primary care settings participation in the COVID Vaccination programme.

The Scottish Government wrote to Health Boards on 5 March 2021 to ensure that the original policy was being properly implemented. Following this, a number of Boards adapted their approach.

As the NHS Recovery Plan develops, we will engage with key stakeholders to ensure all aspects of NHS Recovery are explored and incorporated.

We have recently established the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, hosted by the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, to support NHS Boards to deliver several complex national programmes, such as the Modernising Patient Pathways Programme.

Several Third Sector organisations and societies are involved in the delivery of programme workstreams, as well as co-production of patient pathways and self-guidance materials to support patient wellbeing. These include:

• Crohn’s & Colitis UK
• Coeliac UK
• Bowel Cancer UK
• Pain Association
• Pain Concern
• Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland Chronic Pain Reference Group
• Endometriosis UK
• FND Hope
• Cerebral Palsy Connect
• PSP Association
• Versus Arthritis
• Parkinson’s UK
• Research UK
• ENT UK

The Scottish Government does not hold any trend data for grey partridge across Scotland, due to low sample size in the Breeding Bird Survey annual monitoring scheme. The UK trend shows a 64% decline over the period 1995-2018. The more recent 10-year trend (2008-2018) is lower at a 34% decline.

Although the Scottish Government’s Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) does not have any options specifically for grey partridge, it does provide funding for options that benefit the habitats of grey partridge, namely:

• Beetlebanks,
• Creation of Hedgerows,
• Management or restoration of existing hedgerows,
• Forage Brassica Crops for Farmland Birds,
• Grass Strips in Arable Fields
• Retention of Winter Stubble for Wildlife and Water Quality
• Species Rich Grassland Creation and Management
• Species Rich Grassland Management only
• Stubbles followed by Green Manure in an Arable Rotation
• Unharvested Conservation Headlands for Wildlife
• Wild Bird Seed for Farmland Birds

The Scottish Government has committed to spending £66.16m towards these options from 2016 through to 2025. 1,838 businesses have these options in their AECS contracts, with over 29,000 Ha due to be managed throughout Scotland in 2021.

Further information about the scheme and how to apply can be found at Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (ruralpayments.org)

This partnership working is continuing to grow and develop and will form part of our NHS Recovery Plan due to be published shortly.

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery, hosted by the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, has been established and commissioned by the Scottish Government to support NHS Boards to deliver wide-ranging and complex national programmes, such as the Scottish Access Collaborative and the Modernising Patient Pathways Programme.

As part of this, several Third Sector organisations and societies are involved in the delivery of programme workstreams, as well as co-production of patient pathways and self-guidance materials to support patient wellbeing. This involves a wide-range of Third Sector bodies, including Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Coeliac UK, Bowel Cancer UK, Pain Association, Pain Concern, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland Chronic Pain Reference Group, and Endometriosis UK plus many others.

As at 21 June 182 tenants have received, or are in the process of receiving, a loan from the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund, with a combined funding value of £503,148.96. There are a further 7 loan offers in process, with a combined value of £17,470.08

Within the loans paid / in the process of being paid there are 138 private rented sector tenants and 44 social rented sector tenants.