 The first portfolio of questions is health and social care. If a member wishes to seek to ask a supplementary, they should please press the request to speak button during the relevant question or enter the letter R in the chat function. As ever, I would appreciate short and succinct questions and answers to match. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the impact of minimum unit pricing of alcohol. Minister Marie Todd. Public Health Scotland are leading a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of minimum unit pricing of alcohol, details of which can be found on their website. The evaluation is over a five-year period and a final report will be produced in 2023. The evaluation covers the impact of minimum unit pricing in four outcome areas—implementation and compliance, alcoholic drinks industry, consumption and health and social harms. As the evaluation is on-going, it will be premature to draw conclusions on the findings of the reports that have been published by Public Health Scotland so far. I thank the minister for that reply. Some charities have been calling for a 65p unit price. Does the Government think that that is a possibility? On the level of the minimum unit price, that is under way. It is really important that that work is carried out thoroughly to ensure that any change to the level has a robust evidence base. We know that the pandemic has changed drinking behaviour and no more so than for those who were already drinking heavily before the pandemic. There is more work to be done to better understand the continuing impact of the pandemic on alcohol harm. That is much wider than the impact on MEPs, and it also encompasses the impact on treatment and support services. It is too early to know whether the change is drinking behaviours during the pandemic are temporary or not, and that will be relevant for the review of the price. With regard to reviewing the level of MEP, it is currently too early in the process to make a decision on what that might be set at and when that might happen. The legislative procedure to change the minimum unit price is an affirmative Scottish statutory instrument. The member will know that that means a detailed level of scrutiny, and it is really important that we take the time to get this right. There will be a full public consultation on that, and I will provide more detail on timings once officials have worked through those details. Many people in organisations, including those benches, have called for a social responsibility levy to tackle problems related to alcohol and drug misuse. The powers, including the alcohol Scotland act, have not been used in that regard. I met with alcohol focus last week, who have called for further work to explore what can be done to ensure that money raised through initiatives such as minimum unit pricing can be spent not by the producers, but by health interventions. What further action is the Government taking in that regard? The member will be aware that we have a number of actions that we have already achieved. Minimum unit pricing is one policy, but there have been a number of other things that we have done. We have lowered the drink drive limit and introduced the multi-buy discount plan. We have increased alcohol brief interventions, and we are evaluating all those policy interventions at the moment. As I said, there has been a significant change in drinking behaviour during the course of the pandemic, and we need to try to interrogate that and understand it better, although we are evaluating all the other measures that we have taken in order to find a way forward. What I absolutely agree with the member on is that Scotland, although we have done a lot of work over the years to tackle that unhealthy relationship that we have with alcohol, is still a significant problem for us with that first year of the pandemic, showing that 23 people a week died of directly alcohol-related deaths. There is much more work to be done, and I am willing to consider all options. 2. Pam Duncan-Glancy To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of long waiting times for women's health screening in Glasgow. Following the temporary suspension of all adult screening programmes in March 2020 due to Covid-19, they have since resumed safely and in a phased way that initially prioritised higher-risk screening participants. The Scottish breast screening programme has worked to increase screening capacity, including through the deployment of additional mobile units, as well as additional appointments at evenings and weekends. Recently published annual statistics showed that uptake in the recommended age range of 50 to 70 has exceeded pre-Covid levels, rising to 75.1 per cent, which is above the 70 per cent performance target. With respect to cervical screening participants on the non-routine—that is the higher-risk pathway— are receiving screening invitations at the same time as they would have done pre-Covid. Those on the routine pathway now receive invitations up to around six months later than they would have done pre-Covid, and the programme will continue to monitor that and look for opportunities to improve it. The most recent available data shows that more than two thirds of people are waiting more than 12 weeks for gynaecology appointments beyond the treatment time guarantee, and almost 60 per cent are being left to wait even longer—16 weeks, for some—and we do not know how much longer beyond that. Does the minister think that it is acceptable for women to wait so long? Will the Government publish more data on women who have waited beyond 16 weeks, and will they set out what they are going to do to support health boards to reduce waiting times? That does stray away from the territory of screening into the territory of diagnostics. The screening programme has recovered well from its pause, I would have to say, but the entire NHS system is still suffering the impact of a pandemic, which we are still coping with on a daily basis. I am aware that some NHS health boards are experiencing longer than usual waiting times for procedures such as colposcopies. I know that that is concerning, but we are regularly reviewing waiting lists. Clinical experts are involved in that assessment to make sure that people are seen as early as possible according to their risk. In recognition of the challenges that are faced by health boards, we have agreed additional funding to address capacity challenges and increased waiting times in colposcopies. We are more than happy, and we are doing that as part of the NHS recovery for all other fields as well. Leading health charities have in recent days called on the SNP Green Government to urgently appoint a women's health champion, as promised last August. There is no time to lose. That is why I am extremely concerned that this appointment may not be made for another two years. Can the minister tell us in black and white when exactly this role will be established so that women can access the healthcare and treatment that we deserve? Minister, before you answer the question, the lead question was to ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of long waiting times for women's health screening in Glasgow. The supplementary is well-wide of that. However, I appreciate that the supplementary has now been asked, and if the minister wishes to make a short response to that, that would be up to the minister. I can make a very short response. When we set out the women's health plan, the appointment of those women's champions was a medium-term ambition, and we are absolutely on schedule to achieve that within the timescales that we set out in the plan. Question 3, Monica Lennon. To ask the Scottish Government when the scoping exercise and the availability of specialist services within NHS boards for miscarriage and unexpected pregnancy complications will be completed. All NHS boards have been contacted in relation to the scoping exercise and the availability of specialist services within NHS boards for miscarriage and unexpected pregnancy complications. A lead professional for each board has been appointed. The scoping questionnaire will be sent to all NHS boards by the end of this month, and the deadline for all completed responses is at the end of June. The results will be then analysed over the course of the summer. Monica Lennon, I appreciate the update from the minister. It's been three months since we met with my constituent Louise Caldwell to discuss that progress, so I'm a bit concerned that the questionnaire hasn't gone out yet, but hopefully that work will complete by June. Is the minister confident that the Government's promises to have compassionate miscarriage services in place and every health board will be in place by the end of 2023, as promised? Will she join me again in paying tribute to Louise Caldwell, who single-handedly has brought his attention this matter to the Parliament's attention and has in touch with thousands of women in Scotland who need this action to happen now? I will join you in your tribute to Ms Caldwell. It's one of the incredible privileges of this job that we meet people at the most difficult of times in their lives and that they use those experiences to improve things for people who come after them. Ms Caldwell is in exactly that category. It was a privilege and a pleasure to meet with her, and I know that my officials have been in on-going contact with her. With regard to the timescales, it is very difficult at the moment to be absolutely certain. We don't know what is going to happen with the pandemic over the course of the summer, the winter and the next year, but our intention is certainly to stick to the original timescales if we possibly can, as much as it is practicable. Pre-clampsia affects 6 per cent of pregnancies that have undetected can prove fatal for mother and child. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendations at the NHS carry out four simple placental growth factor tests to positive diagnosed pre-eclampsia, however, a previous scoping has identified a potential issue with the suitability of laboratory services and facilities in Scotland. Will the Scottish Government commit to resolving this as soon as possible so that expectant mothers in Scotland can also be offered these crucial tests so that they can have their babies in safety? I am grateful to the member for highlighting the importance of early intervention in the diagnosis and treatment of pre-eclampsia. I understand exactly how worrying pregnancy-related complications can be for women and for their loved ones, and we are committed to ensuring that all women receive high-quality, safe maternity care. As the member knows, we have tasked the Scottish Perinatal Network with examining the adoption of placental growth factor testing for pre-eclampsia in Scotland following the draft NICE guidance, which was published for consultation in March this year. That draft guidance includes two further placental growth factor tests, taking the total tests available to four. The network's first step will be to understand how those additional tests are conducted in practical terms and identify if there are any challenges to implementation. Work is under way in this, and I would be more than happy to write to the member to provide an update following the further scoping activity. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address any mental health and wellbeing issues arising from people experiencing loneliness in part due to restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Scottish Government recognises that social isolation and loneliness are public health issues that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and associated restrictions. We issued a wide range of advice on maintaining positive mental wellbeing during the pandemic, for example, through our clear your head campaign and on the NHS informed website. On 7 May, I announced £15 million for year 2 of the community's mental health and wellbeing funds for adults. That follows on from £21 million provided in 2021-22, which supports small-scale community projects to improve mental health and wellbeing issues such as social isolation and loneliness. The Government is also investing £10 million over the course of this parliamentary session to tackle social isolation and loneliness more broadly. One million of that funding has been allocated for immediate work by organisations tackling social isolation and loneliness, including helplines, befriending and practical support. I thank the minister for his very cool answer. Given the significant impact on the mental health of older people in particular, many of whom were isolated for long periods during Covid, they are now even more isolated and stressed as they struggle on their pensions to cope with 9 per cent rise in inflation. Does the minister agree that it is high time that the Tory Government took immediate action to raise the state pension and ensure that those 40 per cent who do not claim pension credit do get it? Does the minister agree with me, then, that that would certainly help to improve their mental health and wellbeing? I absolutely agree with Christine Grahame. It is well past time that the UK Government brought forward an emergency budget to protect the most vulnerable people in our society, not least our pensioners. Of course, rumours abound that in the face of the crisis that centres on 10 over the Sue Gray party report released earlier today that the UK Government might tomorrow finally take some action. Time will tell whether that happens or whether any announcement is remotely sufficient. It is time for the UK Government to take cognisance of the real difficulties that people are having during this cost-of-living crisis and the impact that that is having on their mental health and wellbeing. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Although the pandemic undoubtedly exacerbated feelings of loneliness and isolation among much of the population, for many, a huge benefit to both physical and mental health was the ability to access and use green space. Given that we know that a consequence of this Government's poor record on health inequalities is fewer people from our most deprived areas visiting the outdoors regularly than the least, can the Minister update Parliament on cross-department Scottish Government plans to make outdoor space accessible to all and close the gap in use between our most and our least deprived communities? I am very well aware of the value of green spaces in our communities and how beneficial they have been for people during the course of the pandemic period in particular. As a former planning minister, I can assure Ms Mohan that there is cross-government work on those issues. I am quite sure that Ms Mohan and others in the chamber will be cognisant of our plans for 20-minute neighbourhoods and to ensure that local people have a say in their own neighbourhoods through local place plans. I am quite sure that the public will make their views known about the valuable role that green spaces have in our society. Can the minister outline what support is available specifically for rural communities such as those in the north-east, where specialist mental health facilities might not be available locally and accessible public transport connections are not sufficient or available to enable people to easily access services elsewhere? Although there are many, many positives about rural life, we also recognise that there can be challenges relating to rural isolation. Those may be increasingly felt by those in remote communities as a result of the pandemic. In partnership with the National Rural Mental Health Forum, we are working to ensure that those communities have equal and timely access to mental health support and services. Our community mental health and wellbeing fund for adults has provided support for projects that tackle social isolation across our country, including in rural communities. To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of delayed discharge in NHS Scotland. We are constantly and closely monitoring the delayed discharge positions throughout the collection of daily management information received from health and social care partnerships right across the country. I am continuing to meet with selected health boards and their local authority and partnership colleagues alongside the minister for mental wellbeing and social care. We meet regularly to discuss issues and actions that are taken to address those delays. Health and social care partnerships are freely committed to reducing delays and continue to work tirelessly to support hospital discharges. However, the whole health and social care system remains under significant pressure and more people coming through hospitals who need high levels of care and support to go home are discharged without delay. Improvement programme, backed by £5 million of funding, continues to progress across Scotland with the key aim of improving patient flow through and discharge from hospital. In February 2015, the then health secretary said that she wanted, and I quote, to eradicate delayed discharge out of the system. Yet seven years on and the situation is worse and not better. In fact, since this failed promise was made, over 10,000 years, yes, 10,000 years' worth of delayed days spent in hospital by people who were ready to go home. Does it remain this Government's aim to eradicate delayed discharge? If so, by when? I would gently point out to Greg Hoy that something quite significant has happened since 2015 over the last couple of years, which has exacerbated the pressures on social care and, of course, on acute sites. That is the pandemic. That is not just in Scotland, of course. That is happening right across health systems and social care systems across the UK. In fact, I know that in England the rate of delayed discharge is double what is here in Scotland per head. That is almost double. That is an example simply to point to the fact that the issues of the pandemic affect health services right across the country. We will continue to invest. I have announced over £300 million to help with winter pressures. A significant proportion of that, of course, much of that recurring funding went into the issue of social care and improving the situation around delayed discharge. Delayed discharges are far too high, so we will continue to take action to reduce delayed discharges. Of course, we want to get to a position where nobody, of course, is delayed in our hospitals for any longer, so we will continue to do and make that investment, and I will leave Greg Hoy and not to come out with any solutions but to grumble from a sedentary position. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I hope not to grumble from a sedentary position. Since Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister seven and a half years ago, £960 million has been wasted on delayed discharge. I acknowledge that the cabinet secretary has provided additional funding, but it was some time ago and it does not seem to be working because delayed discharge is still going in the wrong direction. When he expects to see improvement and when delayed discharge will be ended, will it be another abandoned promise? No, again, we will continue to work hard to reduce delayed discharge. If it was not for that funding, I can promise Jackie Baillie that the situation would be far worse than it currently is. In fact, I would say that, in March of this year, the total delays in Scotland were 1,836. The latest figures, of course, will show and do show an improvement on that picture. It is still far too high, where Jackie Baillie and I do not disagree. The situation around delayed discharge is far too high, but there is not a panacea. There is not a simple solution to that. Otherwise, Governments right across the United Kingdom, including Labour-run Wales, would have figured that out by now. We are working hard to invest in social care. That is why we, for example, have given funding to increase the pay for adult social care workers in Scotland. That will be part of the solution. We will continue to invest and, of course, I hope that we will continue to see the trajectory of delayed discharges move in the right direction. That is another typical grand promise from the SNP that has not been delivered. It was to eradicate it completely, all gone. That was long before the pandemic. There is no point in the minister pointing at England, pointing at the opposition or at everybody else when he is in charge of this policy and has failed to deliver it. It is not even making any progress. It is going backwards. When is the Government Minister going to accept that this has not been delivered and when is he going to deliver a policy that does actually work? It is not going in the wrong direction, because I have just mentioned that March 2022, this year, we had 1,836 delayed discharges. We are now at a figure that is below that. I hope to continue to make progress in the right direction. Willie Rennie, Jackie Baillie, Craig Hoyd and I all agree that those numbers are still far too high. We will continue to invest, as I have done, with more than £300 million of winter funding, much of that recurring and much of that money going into social care to help to provide solutions. What I will not do is take lectures from a Liberal Democrat about broken promises. To ask the Scottish Government what provision it exists to provide an in-patient specialist dermatology service for patients at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The requirement for in-patient dermatology bed provisions has significantly decreased over recent years with a trend towards focusing on ambulatory care. Such a number of enhancements have been made to the ambulatory care services across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to reflect that trend. However, while in-patient dermatology admissions have fallen significantly, arrangements are in place to ensure that any patient who is clinically assessed as requiring in-patient treatment can still be admitted to hospital. Patients will be admitted to an in-patient medical bed and managed by the dermatology medical and nursing team. As part of recovery plans and remobilisation, the speciality will continue to review the best provision of care going forward, although it should be noted that, regardless of this outcome, there will be a continuing commitment to meet patients' needs and expectations, including in-patient care, for dermatology patients where clinically indicated. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Unfortunately, the reality on the ground might be a wee bitty different. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde no longer have any dedicated in-patient dermatology beds. That means that my constituent who suffers from severe atopic eczema has seen her quality of life, her work and her mental health dramatically deteriorate. The elimination of beds at the Queen Elizabeth hospital, dedicated specialist beds, puts my constituent in a much inferior position for what is out-patient daycare at the GRI. I have asked the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to urgently review the provision of specialist dedicated beds. Will the cabinet secretary look at that as well, contact Greater Glasgow and Clyde and ask the deputy-series to consider the review that I am calling for? I will, of course, have a conversation with Greater Glasgow and Clyde about the issue that Bob Dorris has raised. My understanding is that, if any patient that is clinically assessed is needing in-patient care, that will be provided. If that is different to the experience that his constituent has experienced, I would urge him to contact Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which seems like he has done, but if he wants to raise that issue with me, he is welcome to do so. It may not be appropriate to carve out specialty beds where the demand is relatively low—not withstanding, of course, the impact that condition has on his constituent—but it should be the case that, of course, anybody who has that clinical need, if they are clinically assessed, is needing that in-patient care, then that is managed and the specialty dermatology services are provided to them. I am happy to pick some of the detail off-table with Bob Dorris. Bob Dorris makes a great point on how dermatology issues affect mental health and quality of life. It is not just Bob Dorris's constituent, but everyone. Dermatology has over one in 10 patients waiting over a year for an outpatient appointment. We know the use of images in referrals to the dermatology department speeds up the process. Only five health boards are using this system. Why is it not all of them and why is this not already a national standard? I think that it is an important point that is made by Santish Gohani on that. Of course, I will work with health boards right up and down the country to make sure that we can speed and give pace to the use of technology. We saw that, of course, with the pandemic. We should not have taken a pandemic to, for example, ensure that we had that video technology, for example, with near-me video technology when accessing GP services. Where we can increase the pace around the use of technology for dermatology services, I will make sure that that conversation happens with every single health board about how we can quicken and speed up the pace of the use of that technology. Question 8 has not been lodged. That concludes portfolio questions on health and social care. We will now move on to the next portfolio, allowing a brief pause for front-bench teams to change positions, if they wish. The next portfolio is social justice, housing and local government. If a member wishes to seek to ask a supplementary question, they should please press their request to speak button during the relevant question or enter the letter R in the chat function during the relevant question. Again, I make a plea for short and succinct questions and answers to match, otherwise I will not be able to take all questions. Question 1, Russell Findlay. Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reasonable period of time for households to install interlinked fire alarms in line with the new legislation has now passed. This legislation improves fire safety and ensures the same level of protection applies to all homes. A reasonable period will depend on individual circumstances, that is why it is not defined in legislation, including in the case of the new fire alarms standard. The Scottish Government in partnership with COSLA published a statement on 21 January confirming that local authorities will take a proportionate and measured approach to compliance. Russell Findlay. Thank you for that answer. We have a law that came into force over four months ago. It was rushed through in defiance of warnings from those benches and from many others, yet we still do not have a date in which people risk being criminalised for non-compliance. Can the cabinet secretary commit to providing some form of date or guidance, and if not, even to give guidance as to when she might be able to do that on behalf of all the people who do not know what their situation is going to be? Russell Findlay would have heard my first answer that said that a reasonable period depends on individual circumstances. It is not uncommon for that to be in legislation, it is not defined in other pieces of legislation and it is not defined in the new fire alarms standard. What has been said by local authorities that they have the broad statutory responsibility for tackling substandard housing in their area is that they will take a light-touch approach. However, what is important—and it is disappointing that Russell Findlay portrayed the sort of defiance and opposition to this as being something of merit—when, actually, if I could quote from Alistair Perry from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, he said, having the earliest possible warning of a fire in the home, canon has saved lives and property, having interlinked alarms installed will allow everyone, anywhere in the house, to take action as quickly as possible. Why would you want to oppose that and then make a virtue of opposing it? I just find that very difficult to understand. Presiding Officer, the cabinet secretary said that the local authorities have the duty to enforce and uphold the new standard for fire alarm systems. Can the cabinet secretary say whether all local authorities have enforced the standard for their own tenants? As I understand, there is a very high level of compliance by local authorities and RSLs for the new standard. I think that there was a small number of properties still to be done, but their intention was to get to 100 per cent as quickly as possible. But good progress had been made. I would be happy to write to Mark Griffin with the latest figures if he would find that helpful. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people facing eviction in the week of the Covid-19 pandemic. The latest data shows that eviction action by landlords in both the private and social rented sectors reduced significantly and remained low throughout the worst of the pandemic. Private sector evictions have recently started to return to pre-pandemic levels and social rented sector cases remain substantially lower than pre-pandemic levels. We are committed to providing increased stability, quality and affordability in renting. That is why we are taking forward reform through our new deal for tenants, including strengthened tenants rights, rent controls and a new regulator for the private rented sector. I would like to thank the minister for that answer. In recent weeks, the Social Justice and Social Security Committee has heard evidence that sheriff's officers are making up for lost times since the pandemic. For local authorities, the committee has also heard that remarkable cost of the eviction process is an estimate of 24,000 for relatively simple cases. To evict people who must then be rehoused in temporary accommodation anyway, it is surely better for all involved to avoid the situation. What is the Scottish Government doing to minimise evictions and work with local authorities and others to support people in danger of that? I am grateful for the question. I share Mr Chowdry's concern about the issue, and I hope that we all do. It would be overstating the case to say that people are making up for lost time. As I said, social rented sector evictions remain low compared with pre-pandemic levels. Private rented sector eviction actions have started to return to pre-pandemic levels, but are certainly not above those levels. On the immediate action, as Mr Chowdry will know, the coronavirus recovery and reform bill includes putting two measures on a permanent footing that were introduced on a temporary basis—pre-action protocols—for the private rented sector and making all repossession grounds discretionary so that all the circumstances of both the landlord and the tenant have to be taken into account. I hope that that is something that the chamber will welcome. Does the minister welcome, as I do, that the measures that improved fairness in the private sector during the pandemic have been incorporated into part 4 of the Covid Recovery and Reform Bill, ensuring a better balance between the rights of tenants and the rights of landlords? Does he welcome also that the move is supported by Shelter Scotland, Citizens Advice Scotland, Living Rent, Public Health Scotland and Police Scotland? Yes, indeed. As I said, the placing of those measures on a permanent basis is a very positive step. The wider proposal set out in our New Deal for Tenants consultation made clear the Government's commitment to see improvements in the rented sector to ensure that people are treated fairly and can access good-quality properties. Making those provisions permanent is an important step toward achieving that. All the action grounds have been discretionary for council and housing association tenancies for 20 years. Therefore, those provisions contribute to our aim of developing a more unified approach across all forms of renting, reducing the gap in outcomes between the social and rented sector, recognising that adequate housing is a human right for all. To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are for Social Security Scotland of the redeployment of staff to the agency from the DWP. There are no current plans to redeploy any department for work and pension staff to Social Security Scotland. Furthermore, since Social Security Scotland was created in 2018, no department for work and pension staff have been redeployed from the department of work and pensions to Social Security Scotland. Richard Leonard. Well, thank the minister for that reply, although I think it's quite shocking. The PCS union, which represents these workers, has quite rightly mounted a campaign to save their jobs and avert these closures. Under the banner, first we were clapped, then we were scrapped. In November 2021, Boris Johnson went so far as to call them miracle workers. He might be in need of a miracle worker himself now that the Sue Gray report has been published. Last week, the Auditor General produced a report on Social Security Scotland. In it he said, and I hope the minister will listen to this, timescales are challenging and substantial risks remain, including getting operational staffing in place. He spoke of a high and increased reliance on contractor staff of around 47 per cent. Driven mainly, he said, by on-going challenges with recruiting staff, with the relevant skills and experience needed. Could we have a question, please, Mr Leonard? So, can the minister reassure Parliament and can he reassure those 64 DWP workers in Aberdeen and the 101 DWP workers in Kecody facing redundancy that, rather than sending the pace team, the Government will enter meaningful talks with the PCS and the DWP to transfer and redeploy those workers? First of all, I am not a DWP minister, so I cannot be accountable for the UK Government's actions, as Mr Leonard will be aware. However, we are recruiting significantly for Social Security Scotland as it scales up to continue to build on the significant achievements that were acknowledged in Audit Scotland's report as we continue to roll out new Scottish benefits and undertake significant case transfer. As of 31 December 2021, the agency SourceCruits Scotland employed more than 1,900 staff, and the member will be aware that we expect to employ more than 3,500 full-time equivalent staff across Scotland by March 2023. Of course, that is open to everyone who would wish to apply for those vacancies. Indeed, since Audit Scotland undertook its investigation and analysis to prepare its important report, there has been further recruitment in that period up until now. We continue to recruit. We have adequate staffing to serve the people of Scotland as things stand, and we look forward to welcoming more people to Social Security Scotland as we continue to take the devolved benefit programme forward. We all agree that the UK Government's decision to close 42 DWP off-season, putting 1,100 jobs in the line, is a staggering situation at a time of cost-of-living crisis. Does the minister agree that the UK Government should rethink its plans and put hard-working staff and DWP service users first, categorically ruling out any further closures and redundancies? I do think that, and I should have acknowledged that in my answer to Mr Leonard, as well as to Mr Kidd. Furthermore, Social Security Scotland has well-established links with Skills Development Scotland, which run the partnership action for continuing employment, which provides support for any large-scale redundancies if the UK Government do proceed. Of course, we do not want them to undertake those closures. Social Security Scotland, as I have said, is also in the process of recruiting across a range of roles and will work with all relevant partners to understand the situation that has been raised by both members and actively promote our vacancies to anyone facing redundancy. Social Security Scotland has experience of working with other partners in the civil service with a view to supporting positive outcomes for people who find themselves facing redundancy while being appropriately diligent in our operations, as well. To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of Social Security's efficiency in delivering benefits. The Scottish Government has designed a social security system that is straightforward for people applying for benefits, either online or by other means that suit them best. Also, when considering disability benefit applications, we also aim to get decisions right first time, much more regularly than the DWP has. That will reduce the need for lengthy and inefficient appeals processes. A lot of thought has gone into improving our system in this regard when compared with the DWP. Lastly, it is also worth noting that in its client survey, 92 per cent of respondents rated their overall experience of Social Security Scotland as very good or good. Building on that, the agency's operating costs when case transfer is complete will be comparable with the DWP's. I hope that the minister is aware that there has been an issue, as of late, with an incredibly slow process in times for many of the devolved benefits. For example, in January of this year, the average processing time for the best start grant was 30 days, for the highest ever. How will we address the snail's pace or processing times? First of all, I do not think that Mr Balfour is accurate in his description of the agency's performance, in that I think that, as the client survey has evidenced the experience of people applying and dealing with the agency, it is very positive according to their feedback. Of course, we are always looking to improve our services, both the efficiency and the experience of clients in those using our services. For example, automating benefits is something that we are putting a lot of investment and thought into. For example, child winter heating assistance is already automated. A low-income winter heating assistance will be automated and no one will have to reapply for our disability benefits. They will be automatically transferred from the DWP to Social Security Scotland. We are also going to automate two of our family early learning payments and best start grant schooling payments in line with the Scottish child payment, where we already have the information to do so. There is a lot of work going on to continue to improve the system, but efficiency is already at the heart of everything that we are doing. As the minister has mentioned, I also welcome Audit Scotland's report, which highlights the Scottish Government's significant achievement in the scale and pace of delivering those benefits. Can the minister provide some more detail about what the Audit Scotland report says about the experience of those who are engaging with the new Social Security Scotland system? I encourage all members to look at the report, which praises our approach to ensuring that it is people who help to design our social security system every step of the way and has been. In regard to those who use our new Scottish social security system, the report states that there is a conscious focus on the needs of service users. Building on the principles of dignity, fairness and respect, people are positive about their experiences of engaging with Social Security Scotland. There are only a few thousand cases for the adult disability payment, but it is due to rise quite fast in the next five years to almost half a million cases. People depend on that money. When the ramp-up starts this summer, how confident is the minister that everyone will get their money on time? I think that Mr Rennie makes very important points around the scale-up as we go through the different phases of the pilot. Of course, we are in phase 1, and there will be two further pilot phases before national roll-out at the end of August. That is why we are continuing to undertake recruitment and continue to refine our systems so that those who are applying receive a good service and a much better experience than the DWP as they go through the process of their application. We will also initiate case transfer for adult disability payment from 13 June in the regulations before Parliament at the moment. Of course, that will begin the process of making sure that we deliver for those clients, both those who are applying and those who are being case transferred. We are very focused on making sure that that is done safely and securely to serve the people of Scotland. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of the social security benefits. Social Security Scotland is delivering 12 benefits now, seven of which are completely new forms of financial support, not available elsewhere in the UK, and they are supporting low-income families, carers and disabled people. As Audit Scotland stated last week, this has been a significant achievement in challenging circumstances. Social Security Scotland is ensuring £3.9 billion in payments this year to reach around 1 million people, as well as preparing for further benefits to be delivered and transferring around 700,000 cases from the DWP. I will say more about that to Parliament in our debate tomorrow. I thank the minister for that answer. A report from Audit Scotland last week forecasted that the adult disability payment case load will increase from 20,000 cases in 2022-23 to 475,000 cases by 2026-27. Considering the numerous delays to the roll-out of devolved benefits, can the minister guarantee that the Scottish Government is fully equipped to respond to the rapidly increasing case load? Minister, I understand that you dealt with that subject further to a supplementary raise by Mr Rennie, but if you feel that you have anything further to add in light of the specific framing of the supplementary question from Ms Gozo, please go ahead. To elaborate on my first answer, Audit Scotland's report was complimentary on what has been achieved so far in very challenging circumstances, including a pandemic. Parliament should be mindful that during the pandemic, as well as the Scottish Government having to reprioritise resources and delay some of what we were doing, so did the UK Government. The delivery of devolved social security is a joint programme with the UK Government, the DWP, HMRC and the Scotland Office. When it comes to what we do next and what we still have to deliver, engagement between both Governments is very important to doing that successfully. We are very committed in a constructive manner to working with the UK Government as we do that and undertake case transfer. The fact that we have delivered 12 benefits—7 of which are new—is remarkable progress, as it is acknowledged in the Audit Scotland report. We have introduced benefits that were not in the programme when the Scottish Parliament passed the Social Security Act in 2018, so the progress has been significant. I look forward to debating that tomorrow. I can take two supplementaries if I have brief questions and brief answers to match. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Regarding the forthcoming roll-out of adult disability benefit in Glasgow, I am already hearing from my constituents who are welcoming the no requirement to reapply feature once it has been set up. Does the minister agree with me that that provides reassurance and dignity to those in receipt of it? Yes, it does. It stands in contrast to the UK Government's managed migration to universal credit, where people will need to reapply without any support. We will safely and securely transfer 700,000 adults and children from the DWP to Social Security Scotland, and that is already under way. Each and every one will be transferred automatically, with no need whatsoever to reapply, and we will contact them about their transfer both before and after, so that they are kept informed. That is a key part of our approach to adult disability payment, which also removes degrading DWP-style assessments, which so many disabled people told us they found distressing and intrusive. What progress has the Government made developing a leaving fund for women fleeing domestic violence? I am happy to consult with colleagues who are the ministers responsible for that area and supply and answer to Pam Duncan-Glansford in writing. I rise to ask the Scottish Government what discussions the local government minister has had with local authorities regarding services to promote social wellbeing. I regularly meet representatives of local authorities and COSLA to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland. We have a joint programme board with local government to oversee work to achieve the Covid recovery strategy, which has a fundamental focus on tackling inequalities and improving wellbeing for everyone in our communities. We are also working closely in the creation of our child poverty action plan and local delivery plans as part of our national mission to tackle child poverty. The cabinet secretary agrees with me that the emphasis is placed on the holistic approach of social wellbeing by the newly elected SNP administration in Perth and Cynros. It is a positive and promising example of how local government can put the Scottish Government's vision of a wellbeing economy into practice at all levels and is suitably adapted to the needs of the local community. I am delighted that the new SNP administration in Perth and Cynros is embedding social wellbeing into their local approach. To support more local councils and regions to embed the wellbeing economy approach into their local strategies, we have committed to publishing a wellbeing economy framework. I am sure that we will have a lot to learn from Perth and Cynros, as will other councils. The decision by the SNP Green Government to cut over £250 million of council funding is clearly impacting on the ability to deliver local advice services. What assessment have ministers made of the loss of advice services that are so important to our fellow citizens, especially probably in Perth and Cynros, where that might also face cuts? We have increased funding to advice services from this Government because we understand the importance of ensuring that people get access to the advice that they need, particularly in these times. It is a bit rich for Miles Briggs to talk about local government funding. We have delivered a 3.6 per cent cash terms revenue budget increase to Scotland's councils between 2013 and 2020. Over that same period, English local authorities faced a cash terms revenue cut of 14.7 per cent. The local government association has just set out in the 2021 spending review submission that English councils have already dealt with a £15 billion real-terms reduction to core government funding between 2010 and 2020. Miles Briggs says one thing in opposition, and then, of course, he does a completely different thing when they are in government. To ask the Scottish Government how its housing strategy will support local authorities with developing dementia-friendly homes. As set out in housing to 2040, our aim is for everyone to have a safe, high-quality home that is affordable and meets their needs in the place that they want to be. That is why our affordable housing supply programme is already supporting the provision of dementia-friendly homes in communities across the country, where that is identified as a strategic priority by local authorities. I will give an example at North Lanarkshire Council. It recently completed 27 new homes at Caledonia Avenue, Bellshill, using best practice principles for dementia design, backed by almost £1.6 million of Scottish Government investment. I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer. Approximately 90,000 people are living with dementia in Scotland, with roughly 20,000 people diagnosed each year. Due to SNP council cuts, care and repair services have been reduced or scrapped in local authority areas, including North Lanarkshire Council, with others only providing a basic level of service to those who are living with dementia. Given the need for more dementia-friendly homes, does the cabinet secretary agree that care and repair services are essential so that people can live at home and independently for as long as possible? Does she also agree that, by cutting local authority budgets, that impacts the most vulnerable in our communities? If Meghan Gallagher had been listening to my previous answer, she would have heard what I said about local government funding in terms of the increase that we have given. Times are tough, and, of course, we have to, in a fixed budget, give a fair settlement to local government. We also have to fund social security benefits. Of course, it was the Conservatives who supported the doubling of the Scottish child payment, so we have to balance all of those things. I am not aware that the Conservatives came forward with any amendments to the budget asking for an increase in local government funding. I might be mistaken about that, but I do not think that they did. However, on the important issue of people with dementia, of course, care and repair services are important, as is the range of services that support people with dementia. I said to Meghan Gallagher that we were funding directly through our affordable housing supply programme in North Lanarkshire Council, for example, the £1.6 million of Scottish Government investment to help to make sure that the homes are fit for purpose for people with dementia. That is something that we are happy to do and support across other local authorities, so it is not factually correct to say that we are not investing in dementia services, because I have clearly demonstrated that we are. That concludes the portfolio questions on social justice, housing and local government. There will be a very short pause before we move on to the next item of business.