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We want everyone who would benefit from palliative and end of life care to have access to it, including those who are homeless. As the Marie Curie report makes clear, good end of life care requires collaborative, multi-disciplinary support which is based on the specific needs of the individual and their loved ones. However, we know that people experiencing homelessness are less likely to engage with healthcare services regularly and are more likely to have multiple mental or physical health problems - often with uncertain trajectories. This can make it challenging for care and support services to recognise a palliative care need in a timely manner.

To support better identification of the healthcare needs of homeless people, Public Health Scotland published a learning resource primarily aimed at primary care staff earlier this year. The course aims to raise awareness of the health challenges and barriers that homeless people face and support staff in better identifying the health and care needs of people who are homeless. Although the course has been developed with primary care staff in mind as they act as first healthcare points of contact, it is a foundation level course which is accessible and relevant to all staff working with people who are homeless, particularly those working in frontline homelessness services. This course can be accessed here: https://learning.publichealthscotland.scot/course/view.php?id=553

Over the coming months we will continue to work with key stakeholders to explore what further steps we can take to help ensure that people who are experiencing homelessness can access the palliative care and support that is right for them.

Professional dog walkers, like dog owners, are subject to a number of laws relating to dog welfare and control. The majority of dog walkers are likely to operate sensibly and responsibly; however, the profession itself is currently unregulated and the Scottish Government recognises that issues may arise. We will consider whether there may be a need to bring dog walkers under tighter regulation in any future plans for companion welfare legislation.

There are a large number of affordable housing supply programme projects on site at the moment across the country and we are aware that some are subject to delays. My officials are therefore gathering local intelligence through the More Homes Division Area Team network, as well as maintaining links with the trade body Homes for Scotland, to monitor this. The Scottish Government is aware of concerns around price increases and supply shortages of construction materials. We are working closely with the construction industry through the Construction Leadership Forum, chaired by Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, to fully understand the current supply chain issues and, where possible, to put in place mitigating actions to address the issues that are being identified.

I will continue to be advised of developments in regard to materials cost increases and availability, as well as any impact being seen on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme going forward.

The UK government`s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is responsible for the delivery of driving tests in Scotland. However, Transport Scotland meets regularly with the DVSA to explore ways in the delivery of driving tests could be expedited to ensure that waiting times to access a driving test are minimised as much as possible across Scotland. During our recent engagement, the DVSA confirmed that they have increased the number of practical tests being delivered each day and are also recruiting additional driving test examiners to further increase the number of tests that they can deliver including at weekends. Following the recent changes to indoor physical distancing rules in Scotland, announced by the First Minister on 13 July, Transport Scotland has worked with the DVSA to ensure that the number of driving theory tests being delivered in Scotland will be increased in line with the revised rules. As a result, an additional 4,500 driving theory tests will be available to book in Scotland between 19 July to 3 September.

Since 2019-20, the Scottish Government has invested over £3 million in the Bikeability Scotland programme run by Cycling Scotland. Bikeability has three levels of competency which teaches children to ride and control a bike, learn to cycle on quiet streets and cycle independently on busier roads. All schools have the opportunity to participate in all levels of Bikeability, with access to free training resources and instructor training.

The most recent full academic year of delivery, pre-pandemic, was 2018-19. 47% of primary schools in 29 participating local authorities delivered Level 2 on-road training, with over 43,000 pupils receiving cycle training, an increase from 37% in 2015-16. This year, 31 local authorities are taking part in delivering Level 2 training.

17 secondary schools currently deliver Bikeability Level 3 training – to cycle independently on busier roads. In 2021-22, an additional 16 secondary schools will introduce this programme.

Scottish Planning Policy makes clear that local and planning authorities should consider the re-use or re-development of brownfield land before new development takes place on greenfield sites. In November 2020 the Scottish Government issued a Position Statement setting out its current thinking on the issues that will need to be addressed when preparing Scotland's fourth National Planning Framework. The Position Statement includes a commitment to significantly enhance policies on the promotion of a brownfield-first approach to development, including for new homes.

The Affordable Housing Supply Programme provides funding support to both local authorities and registered social landlords to bring forward high quality affordable housing projects across Scotland including support as appropriate for site acquisition, infrastructure and remediation costs for brownfield sites.

This year we opened our new £50m low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme to applications from all Scottish local authorities and Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company. It will help with unblocking the reuse of persistent vacant and derelict land, especially in disadvantaged areas, and bringing forward opportunities for new green infrastructure and low carbon living as part of place based regeneration.

Ministers are pleased that following successful berthing trials the MV Arrow has been chartered.

This means more services between Stornoway and Ullapool, as we look to help Lewis and Harris. It will bring additional capacity to this key route during the busy summer period, by allowing CalMac to free up the Loch Seaforth to let more passengers and their vehicles travel. It will also increase freight capacity.

Both Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) and CalMac continue to actively search the market for further suitable tonnage, either to charter or purchase.

The Scottish Government have also confirmed new investment of £580 million in ports and vessels to support and improve Scotland’s ferry services over the next five years, as part of our wider infrastructure investment plan.

Further to the answer provided to S5W-35358, the Scottish Government notes the significant investment CalMac makes in vessel maintenance. CalMac have contracts in place with a number of shipyards to undertake the annual dry-docking of vessels in the fleet. These contracts allow improved planning of the overhaul work as well as undertaking preventative works

The Scottish Government established a Resilience Fund in 2018/19, which is in addition to the annual expenditure for maintenance.

Projects are listed in Annex D of the Infrastructure Investment Plan; some will need further funding beyond the five year period of the plan.

A National Mission with Local Impact: Infrastructure Investment Plan for Scotland 2021-22 to 2025-26 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government’s office of the Chief Medical Officer is working closely with the UK Department of Health and Social Care and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to prioritise potential treatments for COVID-19. Further results of well-designed randomised controlled clinical trials exploring treatment efficacy of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 are awaited.

The MHRA, together with an independent advisory group, continues to review the emerging body of evidence regarding potential medicines for treatment or prevention of COVID-19, including Ivermectin.

The MHRA advises that, at this time, no application has been received for a licence for ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19, in the UK. However, should an application for a licence be made, then the MHRA has processes in place to expedite such an application, as required.