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We are working to publish the external report regarding the implementation of the 2021 NICE guideline on ME/CFS as soon as possible, and anticipate that it will be published by the beginning of July 2022.

As set out in the Transport Scotland Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan, it is planned to electrify between Dundee and Perth by 2035.

As decarbonisation of the line between Dundee and Perth forms a later phase of the rolling programme. Therefore it is at an early stage of development with a detailed implementation programme still to be developed.

The first step towards electrifying to Dundee (from Edinburgh) was taken in June 2022, with the commencement on site of electrification works on the Haymarket to Dalmeny section of route. Work on this estimated £55 million scheme is due for completion by December 2024.

Further development work on the business case for decarbonising the Fife Circle Line has been also been approved to progress to the next design phase for partial electrification of the route using battery electric multiple units.

Following the publication of the interim guidance in August 2021 by the Drug Deaths Taskforce, the Scottish Government published an evidence review on benzodiazepine use in March 2022 and convened an expert group to consider the interim guidance, the evidence review, and what further guidance would cover. Experts endorse the interim guidance and agree that the prescribing element is the area which requires further research before anything further is published.

The Scottish Government has provided funding for a cohort study by the University of Stirling on patient outcomes and through the National Mission we are funding a pilot benzodiazepine clinic in Fife. These projects will contribute to the evidence needed to inform further guidance, and guidance on benzodiazepine harm reduction will be updated in response to the developing evidence base.

Roles and responsibilities of the ScotRail Board Members and its subsidiaries are set out in the Grant Agreement between Scottish Ministers, Scottish Rail Holdings Limited and ScotRail Trains Limited and the Framework Agreement between Scottish Ministers and Scottish Rail Holdings Limited. The intention is for both agreements to be published by end June 2022.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many crimes were reported in connection with the use of e-scooters.

Police Scotland collect data on road traffic accidents that were a) reported to the police and b) involved someone being injured or killed. Figures for 2021 are provisional and final figures will be published in October 2022. Figures for 2022 are still being collected and verified and are therefore not currently available.

The following table shows the number and severity of casualties in 2021 who were injured in road accidents that involved an e-scooter and the location of the accident.

Mobile home owners that are eligible for inclusion in their energy supplier’s Priority Services Register can request their site owner to register with their energy supplier as having vulnerable people on the site, if the residents do not have their own account. The situation and process is likely to vary depending on the supplier. If the residents experience a difficulty with this or the site owner refuses, Advice Direct Scotland can offer advice on how to take further action.

We will shortly share further information about the process and timetable for which will enable one or more areas to be designated as a National Park. This designation will take place before the end of the current Parliament.

The Scottish Government has recently closed an initial consultation to start a national discussion about our National Parks. We will be working with NatureScot over the summer to engage further with the general public and stakeholders to help develop the evaluation framework that will be needed to determine which area or areas should be designated as National Parks. We will soon share further information about the process and timescales which will be followed to progress one or more areas to statutory designation.

The investment of around £40 million to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in 2021-22, through the Scottish Government’s Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund, was calculated and allocated to NHS Boards using the agreed National Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) formula. It is NHS Boards’ responsibility to ensure funding is used locally in a way that will best deliver required outcomes. Mental Health is a priority for operational planning and recovery, as such, CAMHS is a priority in the NHS Recovery Plan . Funding was split into two phases – Phase 1 was allocated as full-year effect to NHS Boards in May 2021, and Phase 2 was allocated as part-year effect to NHS Boards in September 2021. The funding was allocated as follows:

The date of March 2023 was chosen to drive progress with NHS Health Boards, reflecting the importance of reducing waiting times and meeting the standard that 90% of patients begin treatment within 18 weeks of referral, while also recognising the operational challenges that Boards have faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This date was chosen as a challenging target, based on regular engagements with Boards and evidence on performance, published on a regular basis by Public Health Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland .

We are working with Boards closely and will continue to monitor their performance against the waiting times standard.