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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.

Transport Scotland currently has a planned investment in routine maintenance of £7.2m for the A75 for 2022-23.

The Scottish Government has set out our commitment to people with a learning disability and their families through the Keys to Life Learning Disability strategy and the Learning/Intellectual Disabilities and Autism: Towards Transformation Plan . Both strategies focus on outcomes intended to ensure people with a learning disability live healthier lives, enjoy choice and control over the services they use, and are supported to be independent and active citizens.

In healthcare settings, all incidents of restraint should be recorded and monitored at NHS Board level in line with their individual clinical governance procedures. The Mental Welfare Commission also have a role in publishing guidance in this area and in addressing individual cases following contact from patients, or as a result of their visits and themed reviews.

The Care Inspectorate gathers information on all incidents of restraint and reviews selected cases to ensure staff carrying out the restraint are fully trained and best practice is followed. They also inspect residential and secure care homes at least once each year, and restraint procedures are part of that inspection process.

In education settings, under existing 2017 guidance any use of physical intervention in schools, including restraint, must be recorded and monitored by local authorities. As part of their scrutiny and improvement roles in schools, Education Scotland inspectors consider the impact of practice in relation to the use of physical intervention, including restraint, for children and young people.

On 21 June, the Scottish Government launched a public consultation on new draft human rights-based guidance on the use of physical intervention in schools. The draft guidance makes clear the recording, reporting and monitoring expectations that apply to all schools. This includes recording of a child or young person’s additional support needs and any protected characteristics.

Furthermore, this year Restraint Reduction Scotland was launched. Restraint Reduction Scotland is led by a core group of stakeholders, including professionals and family carers, who have lived experience, expertise and a shared, cross-sector, commitment to working towards the reduction of restrictive practices.

The Scottish Government has not set interim targets towards meeting the standard that 90% of patients start treatment for CAMHS and Psychological Therapies within 18 weeks of referral by March 2023.

Delivery under No One Left Behind commenced in April 2019. The annual allocations from this point are set out in the following table.

We are committed to meeting the standard that 90% of patients start treatment for CAMHS and Psychological Therapies within 18 weeks of referral by March 2023.

Scotland has the most comprehensive public charging network in the UK outside of London, with close to 3,000 public charge points. The Scottish Government has invested over £50 million to develop the ChargePlace Scotland network, with over a third of charge points installed in rural areas. Dumfries and Galloway Council has received £1.65 million to develop public electric vehicle charging.

In January we launched our vision for the future of Scotland’s electric vehicle charging network, and announced a new fund to enable £60 million of public and private investment in this network. We have also provided £2 million to local authorities to develop their charging strategies and expansion plans, with Dumfries and Galloway Council receiving £60,000.

Data from the 2020 Healthy Living Survey was one of the components used to determine 2022-23 Pupil Equity Fund allocations.

Due to COVID-19 disruption, the full Healthy Living Survey could not take place in 2021. The previous year’s data was therefore used to prepare funding allocations which aligned with pre-existing PEF allocations to ensure there was no major, disruptive fluctuation between years.

We have listened to headteachers and provided certainty to support long term planning to build on the excellent work we know headteachers are doing by setting PEF allocations for the next four years. In response to fluctuating demand brought on by the pandemic, we have increased allocations to £1,225 from £1,200.

Officials continue to review possible alternatives to Free School Meal data, and a decision on which datasets will be used will be made at the end of that four-year cycle.

Family and friends will always be involved in discussions about organ or tissue donation. If a person is in hospital and dies in circumstances where donation may be possible, a Specialist Nurse would check if the person has registered a decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR). The Specialist Nurse would then discuss any registered decision, or lack of one, with family and friends in order to ascertain the potential donor’s most recent views, which may have changed since the recording of any decision.

These discussions help to ensure that people don’t become donors if that would be against their wishes. This is why, as well as recording any decision on the ODR, individuals are encouraged to let family and friends know about their decision and latest views.

The Scottish Government is a member of the UK Government ME/CFS Delivery Plan Task and Finish Group, which is scheduled to convene in June and to meet monthly thereafter. Officials are maintaining close and regular contact with the UK Department of Health and Social Care regarding this work, with the UK Government planning to publish its draft Delivery Plan later this year.