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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

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 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.

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.

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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00633 on‎ 13 July 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government is aware of the vast challenges in attempting to ensure pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy is offered to every patient at the point of diagnosis.

Pancreatic cancer patients can present as asymptomatic despite pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, while patients can also be diagnosed through many different pathways.

This can result in clinicians not always having the specialist knowledge and experience to know about the importance of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.

The Scottish Governments National Cancer Recovery Plan will help address this knowledge gap by working to review Cancer Clinical Management Guidelines in liaison with relevant parties.

Under the National Cancer Recovery Plan, we have funded the Scottish HepatoPancreatoBiliary Cancer Network (SHPBN) which is reviewing guidelines to address this issue.

The information requested is not held centrally. Details of the funding awarded to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is published in annual reports and accounts available at www.sepa.org.uk and www.rbge.org.uk . Details of Scottish Government funding provided to Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) are published in their Annual Financial statements available on their website at www.sruc.ac.uk .

Budget allocations to areas of the Scottish Government are published in annual Draft Budget documents available on the Scottish Government’s website at www.gov.scot .