- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what interim targets it has set to clear (a) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and (b) psychological therapies waiting times by March 2023, as set out in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to the No One Left Behind strategy in each year it has run.
Answer
Delivery under No One Left Behind commenced in April 2019. The annual allocations from this point are set out in the following table.
| | 2019-20 (£m) | 2020-21 (£m) | 2021-22 (£m) | 2022-23 (£m) |
No One Left Behind | 7.078 | 7.078 | 7.078 | 15.643 |
Parental Employability Support Fund (PESF) | 2.100 | 12.350 | 8.650 | 8.790 |
Long Term Unemployed support (LTU) | | | 20.000 | 20.000 |
Young Persons Guarantee (YPG) | | | | 15.300 |
Child Poverty (additional) | | | | 53.060 |
TOTAL | 9.178 | 19.428 | 35.728 | 112.793 |
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether clearing the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and psychological therapies waiting times by March 2023, as set out in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026, is referring to meeting the target for (a) 90% of people referred to CAMHS and psychological therapies to be seen within 18 weeks or (b) no person having to wait longer than 18 weeks to start treatment, or whether it is referring to another measure.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in (a) the Galloway and West Dumfries constituency and (b) other rural areas.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it uses data from 2020 to apportion Pupil Equity Funding allocations, and, if so, (a) for what reason and (b) what plans it has to use more up-to-date figures.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason, following registration not to be a donor on the Organ Donation Scotland website, confirmation correspondence indicates that the individual should let family and next of kin know of their decision not to donate.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08705 by Maree Todd on 7 June 2022, what the timetable is for its plans to work with the UK Government to explore areas of potential shared interest and learning, particularly in terms of research into ME/CFS, and how it is engaging with the UK Government to improve care and support for people with ME.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what independent accountability there is for bus service delivery in Scotland.
Answer
Bus service provision in Scotland operates in an open de-regulated market, as established by the Transport Act 1985. Individual bus operators use their own commercial judgement to decide on service routes, fare structure and frequency. Additionally local transport authorities can provide subsidy for services that are not provided on a commercial basis.
Under the Transport Act 1985 local bus services must be registered with the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. The registration of services is devolved and subject to the Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2001. The regulatory regime is designed to ensure that bus service operators are of good repute and that services are introduced, varied or cancelled in an orderly fashion and operated safely and reliably as registered. As part of the registration process, operators are required to notify local transport authorities in advance of registering, cancelling or varying a service.
If the Traffic Commissioner considers that an operator is failing to run a service in line with their registration she has the power to take action against them. This could include issuing a fine, imposing conditions on their PSV license, or rejecting a future service application from the same operator.
- Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it uses data from 2014 to estimate the number of pupils claiming free school meals in P1 to P3, and, if so, (a) for what reason and (b) what plans it has to use more up-to-date figures.
Answer
Data from the 2014 Healthy Living Survey was one of the components used to determine 2022-23 Pupil Equity Fund allocations for Primary 1 to 3 pupils.
In 2015 the Scottish Government introduced free school meals for all Primary 1 to 3 pupils. The 2014 Healthy Living Survey therefore represents the last dataset fully capturing how many pupils were registered for FSM on income-based criteria before universal entitlement.
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 £1225 from £1200.
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.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Highland bus operators regarding providing extra bus services at times when ScotRail is no longer operating a train service.
Answer
Transport Scotland has not held any discussions with Highland bus operators regarding providing extra bus services at times when ScotRail is operating a temporary timetable. The temporary timetable currently in place is an operational matter for which ScotRail is responsible for. The temporary timetable aims to provide the best possible service to as many passengers as possible with the available resources.
The Scottish Government allocated £93.5 million in funding to support bus services in 2022-23. This includes temporary additional recovery funding to bus operators, including those in the Highlands, through the Network Support Grant Plus. And I am pleased to confirm that the Scottish Government is making a further £25.7 million in recovery funding available to support bus services across Scotland.