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A planning application has been submitted by Stonepack Ltd to Scottish Borders Council for a proposed Sand and Gravel Quarry at Slipperfield, West Linton. It is understood that the Health and Safety Executive does not advise, on safety grounds, against the granting of planning permission in this case. As this is a live application it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits of the case.

A breakdown of these awards by local authority area is not currently gathered although this information is collected at application entry level and is as follows:

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.

The Complex Pelvic Mesh Removal Service in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) is managed through a Service Level Agreement with NHS National Services Scotland (NSS). The service reports to NSS on a number of indicators, including patient experience data, any significant adverse events and waiting times. This information will be used for comparison across the UK specialist centres, and will support quality assurance and improvement.

In addition, NHS Scotland is taking part in the development of a UK-wide Pelvic Floor Registry, which will aim to monitor and improve patient safety. It will record surgical mesh implants, and related medical devices, given to patients, and the organisations and surgeons that have carried out the procedures.

The registry will also collect information about patients that receive alternative procedures that do not include a medical device or implant so that outcomes can be compared and complications can be understood.

The main aim of the registry is to improve patient safety. It will mean that patients can be traced in the event of a product recall or safety concern relating to a specific type of implant or treatment. Outcomes data collected by the registry will also be used to improve procedures offered to future patients.

NHS Scotland will pilot the registry in Scotland and the NHS GGC will be involved.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00790 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 /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

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.

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.

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

The Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Bill was introduced on 23 June 2021. It is published on the Scottish Parliament website .