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Veterans’ specific welfare support is supported by UK Government policy and delivered by Veterans UK and the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS) , part of Ministry of Defence (MOD). The UK-wide service works with local authorities, voluntary organisations, service charities and the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees .

Within devolved areas of responsibility including provision of welfare advice and delivery of the Scottish Government benefits, the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring access to benefits and advice to support veterans and other seldom heard groups. The Scottish Government’s Benefit Take-up Stakeholder Reference Group works with a range of specific seldom-heard groups, including veterans’ groups, to better understand and address non-take-up among particular populations and to maximise incomes. Our Benefit Take-up Strategy outlines our approach to inclusive communications and marketing campaigns. Our Strategy prioritises a person-centred approach and we are committed to inclusive communication standards and supporting seldom-heard groups, whose needs are often complex and require bespoke forms of engagement. Our communications and marketing campaigns are developed in a mindful way which aims to reach as many people as possible and considers those who may not access the most common channels of communication or those who have particular communication requirements.

The Scottish Government has designed the application guidance for Scottish Government benefits to provide comprehensive information on entitlement. Similarly, signposting is included to refer clients to the relevant agencies for reserved benefits where appropriate. Clients may be directed to Veterans UK for further advice. We have also worked with Veterans UK to develop an information sharing process between the organisation and Social Security Scotland. This is intended to ensure that veterans can efficiently access the support to which they are entitled.

Transition is reserved to the UK Government, and there is no funding provided to the Scottish Government to undertake transition related activities. However the Scottish Government has designed the application guidance for devolved benefits to provide comprehensive information on entitlement. Similarly, signposting is included to refer clients to the relevant agencies for reserved benefits where appropriate. Adult Disability Payment launched in August last year. The application form asks clients about their possible entitlement to Armed Forces Independence Payment, War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement and War Pension Constant Attendance Allowance. Where appropriate, clients are then directed to Veterans UK for further advice. We have also worked with Veterans UK to develop an information sharing process between the organisation and Social Security Scotland. This is intended to ensure that veterans can efficiently access the support to which they are entitled.

Furthermore, as part of our Social Security Scotland stakeholder communications plan, we ensure that third party organisations, including those that support veterans, understand the overlaps and are in a position to adequately advise and assist veterans during their interactions with Social Security Scotland or the UK Government agencies administering reserved benefits. We hold regular discussions with Veterans UK and the Ministry of Defence to ensure there is consistency in the messaging provided to veterans and people leaving the Armed Forces.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all armed forces personnel serving and veterans living in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support, including safe, effective and person-centred healthcare. Our policy states that all veterans should not face disadvantage for treatment for health problems as a result of service to their country. We regularly communicate this policy to all NHS Boards via Champions for Armed Forces and Veterans who are responsible for ensuring the implementation of this policy in every NHS Board.

It is the Scottish Government’s continuing aim to ensure that the long-term clinical needs of serving personnel and veterans are better understood and supported within the NHS. We work with key partners including the Ministry of Defence and other UK Governments to assist us with this.

The Armed Forces Personnel & Veterans Health Joint Group (“the Joint Group”), brings together NHS Champions, representatives of the serving community, veterans' organizations, Scottish Government officials and other stakeholders harnessing a range of expertise. The Joint Group works together on priority areas to drive progress in meeting the health needs of Armed Forces personnel and veterans.

Scottish Government works with the Scottish Veterans Commissioner. This work helps us to deliver what is important to individuals and their families, and to foster continuous improvement. Annual progress against the Commissioner recommendations can be found here SVC Annual Progress Report: Findings | (scottishveteranscommissioner.org)

The Scottish Government’s continued support for the Armed Forces and Veterans Community in Scotland is set out in The Strategy for Our Veterans - taking the strategy forward in Scotland: refreshed action plan - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

It is the Scottish Government’s ambition to deliver at least 20 GW of additional renewable electricity generation by 2030, the majority of which will be provided by onshore and offshore wind. The around 50% figure relates to the inclusion of this additional 20 GW of renewable generation, and represents the proportion of the current annual total energy demand of Scotland that may met by renewable electricity.

This percentage will fluctuate through the days and months of generation, due to the intermittent nature of these renewable generation technologies. It is anticipated that at times renewable technologies will generate a volume of electricity equivalent to more than 100% of Scotland’s demand, allowing export opportunities for the excess electricity, and at times they will generate a volume of electricity equivalent to less than 50% of Scotland’s demand.

We continue to support Housing Options Scotland to provide its Military Matters project. This service focuses on housing issues affecting people serving in the Armed Forces in Scotland; all UK Service personnel transitioning into civilian life in Scotland, and veterans – helping them to find the right home in the right place.

We have also published a housing guide which provides information about housing in Scotland and contacts of organisations who may be able to help Armed Forces and ex-service personnel obtain housing suitable for their needs. The guide also directs veterans to the Veterans Gateway which provides information and support to veterans and their families.

The funding awarded through the Scottish Veterans Fund in each year since it was established in 2008 are shown in the following table.

The Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF) funds Community Link Workers (CLWs) as part of primary care multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs). At March 2022, 249 WTE CLWs had been recruited to support GP practices.

The Scottish Government published information on the number of CLWs recruited broken down by Integration Authority on 21 June 2022 as shown in the table below. Further information, including the location, by Integration Authority, of CLWs by both headcount and whole time equivalent, since 2018, can be accessed at: Supporting documents - Primary care improvement plans: summary of implementation progress - March 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The Scottish Government began stage one of the review of Adult Disability Payment in 2022, by engaging with academics and people with lived experience.

We have engaged with disabled people through our experience panels and with stakeholders to inform the parameters of the review. Stage one of the review will soon seek a broad range of views on the eligibility criteria for the mobility component of Adult Disability Payment as part of a public consultation.

The consultation will open shortly and will run for 3 months. People will have the opportunity to engage with the consultation through a series of consultation events in the coming months.

The results of the consultation will be independently analysed and we will publish the analysis of the consultation and the responses received, where the respondent has given us permission to do so.

The findings will be used to inform Stage Two, the independent review of Adult Disability Payment beginning later in 2023.

We have also encouraged veterans to self-declare through a number of data collection activities. Scotland's Census 2022 included for the first time a question on previous service in the UK Armed Forces. Census data will help to support a better understanding of the veterans community in Scotland including numbers, location, employment status, housing and other needs such as healthcare and education. Analysis of the Census outputs, expected in 2024, will help to inform policy development and targeted support.

We also identified opportunities for more regular data collection on veterans by adding the same Census question to our three major household surveys: Scottish Household Survey, Scottish Health Survey and Scottish Crime and Justice Survey. This will improve considerably our understanding of the profile, circumstances and needs of veterans in Scotland, which in turn will help inform policy and services. Each of the surveys also collate re-contact samples, consisting of those who consent to being included in future research. This will give us the option to utilise this sample to carry out more in-depth research with respondents who identify as veterans.

Finally, the Scottish Government has supported work being done at a UK Government level to undertake a scoping study for provision of digital verification of veteran status and to which during 2022 we supported and contributed to the project’s Discovery Phase. We will continue to support the work as it progresses which will make it easier for all veterans to identify as such when accessing services and support. Finally, we have worked with colleagues in the Office for National Statistics, the Office for Veterans' Affairs and the devolved administrations to develop the first UK-wide Veterans’ Survey. The online survey is collecting information from veterans of the UK Armed Forces to help us understand current access to and perception of services in addition to veterans’ experiences and circumstances. The survey launched on 10 November 2022 and findings are expected by summer 2023.

It should, of course, be noted that veterans reserve the right not to declare their veteran status.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

Cornton Vale currently holds two distinctly separate population groups. Peebles House accommodates women who have achieved a Low Supervision category, while Ross House accommodates the women with the highest care needs.

The women currently living in Peebles House have taken part in individual discussions supported by SPS, NHS and Social work colleagues to identify the most appropriate location during the transition period. The identified locations for these women are:

• HMP & YOI Polmont
• The Lilias Centre Community Custody Unit
• The Bella Centre Community Custody unit

In order to ensure continuity of care for the women currently living in Ross House with the highest needs, special arrangements are being made to accommodate these women in HMP & YOI Polmont.