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Information on (a) the current national waiting times statistics for CAMHS and Psychological Therapies (PT) do not provide information on diagnosis. Therefore we are unable to report on the average wait for mental health diagnosis.

A patient level data set (CAMHS and PT National Dataset) is currently under development by Public Health Scotland which will provide more detail on the diagnosis and treatments received by individuals, and associated waiting times.

Information on (b) the average waiting time for mental health treatment for Child Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Psychological Therapies (PT) is shown in the table below. The median is calculated by taking the middle data point when sorting the number of weeks taken to first treatment. Please note that this includes all patients accessing CAMHS and PT services and excludes other mental health treatment such as inpatients reported elsewhere.

Since 2011 the Scottish Government and COSLA have been jointly responsible for the national Scottish Strategy for Autism to ensure people live healthier lives, enjoy choice and control over the services they use, and are supported to be independent and active citizens.

In March 2021, Scottish Government and COSLA jointly published the “Towards Transformation” plan which reiterates our commitment to collaborate with delivery partners (including local authorities, the third sector and autistic led organisations) to reduce the inequalities experienced by autistic people.

The Scottish Government and COSLA are working with stakeholders, including HSCPs, Local Authorities, and people with lived experience on a new leadership structure to tackle the issues that people with learning disabilities and autistic people face. This new structure has lived experience at its heart.

Officials also regularly attend the Social Work Scotland Learning Disability and Autism sub group to engage with local learning disability and autism leads to share learning related to the Learning Disability and Autism strategies and to hear about local work.

Challenging behaviour is often the result of extreme frustrations in communication and Scottish Government recognises the challenges this brings for everyone. Scottish Government, together with the Scottish Commission for People with a Learning Disability, established the Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Community of Practice to embed the principles of PBS nationally and locally.

Alongside this, Scottish Government funded the Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Postgraduate Certificate which is currently being delivered to a range of practitioners across Scotland to improve specialist skills locally, for the benefit of individuals and families.

Parallel to this is the work of the Scottish Network for Reduction of Restrictive Practices (SNRRP) in recognition of the fact that the use of restrictive practices with people who have been identified as vulnerable in Scotland, including children, adults, and older adults is a significant concern. The aim of the SNRRP is to eliminate the misuse of restrictive practices in Scotland and to ensure that where these are used, they are done so safely, with respect for people’s human rights, and in a culture of openness and transparency. The network also exists to promote the use of positive alternative approaches to the use of restrictive practices.

The Scottish Government is undertaking a range of action to support local authorities to promote positive relationships and behaviour in schools. This includes investment in various violence reduction preventative approaches with young people across Scotland, which take place locally through schools or the local community, curricular learning on positive relationships and support for a whole school approach to promoting positive relationships and behaviour.

Our current Higher Education (HE) student support package provides a maximum income of £7,750, through a combination of bursaries and loans, for both young (those under 25 before the start of the academic year) and independent students (those over 25 at the start of the academic year) in the lowest income group, who are not care-experienced.

The Scottish Government has committed to a range of student support improvements including to expand the maximum total support package available to students over the next three years to reach the equivalent of the living wage. As part of that, consideration will be given to the financial support made available to both young and independent students.

The Scottish Government currently regularly attend the below meetings alongside the UK Government:

• UKG COP26 Delivery Board
• Devolved Administration Directors Forum
• UKG led COP26 regular Devolved Administrations catch-up
• Devolved Administrations Ministerial group
• COP26 COVID Steering Group
• COP26 Test, Trace and Isolate Working Group
• COVID leads weekly meeting
• Transport Co-Ordination Group (Relevant sub groups below)

o Communications

o Rail and Subway

o Glasgow City

o Edinburgh City

o Aviation

o Bus and Coach

o Resilience

o Venue Transport

• Transport Steering Group
• Travel Steering Group
• COP26 Planners working Group
• COP26 SCS Risk Challenge Panels
• COP26 Security & Readiness Steering Group
• COP26 Venue Operations Steering Group
• COP26 VIP Logistics Planning Group
• COP26 Testing & Exercising Group
• COP26 Blue Zone Staffing Group
• COP26 Horizon Scanning Group
• COP26 Policing and Security Assurance Group (PSAG)

There are currently 40 officials working full-time, or scheduled to begin working full-time on the delivery of COP26. There are also 23 officials currently, or scheduled to dedicate a percentage of their time to working on the delivery of COP26.

"This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days” .

Information on the numbers of people employed by Social Security Scotland is published quarterly and can be accessed using the following link:

Social Security Scotland - Social Security Scotland Workforce Information to March 2021 .

The Programme Business Case which was published in February 2020 provides a full breakdown of implementation costs each year since Social Security Scotland was established. The link to the Executive Summary of the PBC can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-programme-business-case-executive-summary/ .

As a result of declining numbers of female high secure patients in Scotland, the decision was taken to close the female facility at The State Hospital in 2009. However, both the Independent Review into the Delivery of Forensic Mental Health Services and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment have called for a female high secure service in Scotland to be reinstated.

Our formal response to the Independent Review will be published soon and we continue to work with key stakeholders to ensure female high secure provision is available for Scotland and that women’s pathways in forensic mental health services are improved.