Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to S6W-20317 on 15 August 2023 for information on the approach taken across Scotland.

Scottish Water publishes details of individual projects on its website. Examples of investment in Dumfriesshire include https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/In-Your-Area/Investments-in-Your-Area/Kippford-Wastewater-Upgrades and https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/In-Your-Area/Investments-in-Your-Area/Gatehouse-of-Fleet-Sewer-Upgrade .

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 .

Working with Transport Scotland, Scottish Futures Trust published a market insights report looking at electric vehicle (EV) tariffs on its website in November 2022. This report highlights significant opportunities to harness private sector investment to support the continued development of Scotland’s EV charging network.

The pace and scale of investment in the public network will increase over the coming years; and our Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund aims to leverage £60 million of public and private investment to increase the size of the network to 6,000 charge points by 2026.

Current guidelines for healthcare professionals regarding fibromyalgia are available from authoritative professional sources such as the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) - https://www.sign.ac.uk/our-guidelines/management-of-chronic-pain/ and the Royal College of Physicians - https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/guidelines-policy/diagnosis-fibromyalgia-syndrome

a) Neurological Conditions: estimating the prevalence in Scotland of selected conditions using GP and Hospital Admissions datasets , a Scottish Government experimental statistics report published in December 2022, contains estimated prevalence of selected neurological conditions in Scotland, including ME/CFS.

b) We do not hold data on the prevalence of people living with fibromyalgia in Scotland.

c) Until March 2023, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported monthly on responses to long COVID questions in the COVID-19 Infection Survey (CIS) . This reporting provided prevalence estimates of self-reported long COVID by duration and associated activity limitations, with data available at Scotland level.

The Scottish Government republished the Scottish Good Practice Statement on ME/CFS in February 2023, updated with key recommendations from the latest NICE guidelines on ME/CFS.

Officials continue to work with stakeholder groups to explore how we might further review and implement the guidance in Scotland.

Council Tax is a local tax and the responsibility for the administration of the system, including the application of any reductions, rests with each individual local authority.

Properties that are incapable of being occupied, that are undergoing, or which have undergone, major repairs or structural alterations are exempt from Council Tax for up to 12 months. Local authorities also have discretionary powers to reduce the Council Tax liability of unoccupied properties by up to 50% for an unlimited period.

Health and Social Care Partnerships submit monthly reports to Public Health Scotland on the number of people waiting for packages of care. The last published submission on the 21st August showed that 294 people were waiting for a care at home package in the community and 65 people were waiting for a care at home package from hospital on the 7 th of August in Dumfries and Galloway. 84 people were waiting for a social care support assessment from the community and no one was waiting for a social care support assessment from hospital on the 7th August in Dumfries and Galloway.

These figures represent a snapshot and will vary on a daily basis as individuals are added to lists at point of assessment and are subsequently assigned care packages.

The Scottish Government knows that the sector faces challenges and is committed to working with all partners to improve social care support services and to delivering a National Care Service to provide high quality care across the country.

Proposals for creating new woodland in Scotland are assessed under the Forestry (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017. These regulations require those developing forestry projects to identify and consider potentially significant effects on the environment, including cumulative effects.

Scottish Forestry’s Woodland Creation Application Guidance advises those developing forestry proposals that identifying potential impacts and protecting the environment should be factored into the woodland design before any application is submitted. As a result, forestry proposals are often extensively modified, including where cumulative effects have been identified, during the development process to take account of potential environmental impacts, and applications must be supported by analysis of key environmental information.

Since 2019, no forestry applications have been refused consent as a result of significant cumulative environmental impacts.

We need to rapidly accelerate our deployment of renewables in order to support decarbonisation of the GB grid by 2035, and significant investment in our grid infrastructure is required to ensure clean, low-cost renewable electricity can flow to where it is needed. We are clear that such infrastructure must be delivered with lasting benefits for our economy and the people of Scotland .

In regard to the proposals for pylons in the Torthorward area, we understand that Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) has undertaken the first of two rounds of public consultations on the proposed Harestanes West connection. No application has been submitted to Scottish Ministers for consideration with regards to this development. Once an application is submitted it is subject to consultation with the public, statutory and local bodies, and local communities have an opportunity to make a representation to the formal application.

The Scottish Government is aware that communities in areas which may be impacted by proposed electricity network developments may have questions and concerns regarding pylon infrastructure, and we can provide assurance that any potential impacts - on communities, nature, landscape and other valued natural assets - are important considerations when determining applications for consent.

In Dumfries and Galloway, a range of eating disorder care and treatment is provided in line with good clinical practice across primary care, community services and specialist services for children, adolescents and adults.

This includes the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Specialist Eating Disorder Service which provides out-patient treatment to children and young people impacted by an eating disorder. In addition, there is a Specialist Eating Disorder Service for adults, SEDS, which is based within Mountainhall Treatment Centre. This service provides those over the age of 18 a safe, supportive and collaborative environment to support them to live a more fulfilled and independent life.

Furthermore, Dumfries and Galloway has pathways into paediatric, general adult and CAMHS inpatient facilities when admission for an eating disorder is required.

Through Scottish Government funding of over £600,000 per annum, Dumfries and Galloway also has access to a wide range of support services offered by Beat, the UK’s largest Eating Disorder charity, which include:

• Nexus – A Carer telephone support programme which provides a weekly scheduled coaching call to support recovery.
• Synergy - A new service that provides direct support to under 18s and their families through weekly sessions over Zoom.
• Solace - Structured weekly peer-to-peer support groups for carers via Zoom.
• Motivate - Weekly support for those aged 18+ to ensure service users remain motivated while waiting for treatment for anorexia or bulimia to begin.
• Bolster - Weekly support through telephone sessions for Adults (aged +18) who are unable to access treatment.
• Momentum - Self-help programme based on cognitive behavioural therapy for adults (aged 18+) who present with Binge Eating Disorder or regular binge eating episodes.