Chamber and committees

The CAMHS National Service Specification, published by the Scottish Government in 2020, sets the framework for CAMHS across Scotland, requiring NHS Boards to use clear, needs-based referral criteria to ensure consistent and equitable service delivery. Annex 1 of the Specification outlines the nationally agreed criteria for determining eligibility for specialist mental health support through CAMHS.

In addition, the CAMHS Waiting Times Standard Definitions and Scenarios document provides Boards with guidance on the application of the waiting times standard, including when the waiting time clock should start and stop, and which referrals fall within the scope of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Local Delivery Plan (LDP) Standard.

The NHS Scotland Waiting Times Guidance (2023) further supports Boards in the management of waiting lists and patient pathways, setting out expectations in relation to access, scheduling and the Treatment Time Guarantee.

Whilst these documents provide a robust national framework for consistent decision-making and service delivery, it is important to stress that decisions on referral acceptance, prioritisation and triage should be informed by clinical judgement, reflecting the individual needs, circumstances and risks of each child or young person.

The £2 bus fare cap which is now operational in the Highlands and Islands and Strathclyde areas is available to all, not just residents, and is supporting everyday and leisure journeys in these areas, while encouraging greater use of public transport and contributing to our climate objectives. While there are no plans to limit passenger eligibility for the bus fare cap scheme, monitoring of a number of factors including passenger uptake and operational costs will help to inform the development of a national scheme.

In order to be eligible for the National Concessionary Travel Schemes, individuals must be resident in Scotland. These Scotland-wide free bus travel schemes provide access to free travel on registered local and long- distance bus services for everyone under 22, 60 and over and with an eligible disability. With over 3 million journeys every week, these schemes are helping people across Scotland cut costs for essential, every day and leisure travel, making sustainable travel a more attractive option and supporting people with the cost of living.

While no specific assessment has been undertaken, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) recognise that prolonged closures can affect visitor experiences and continues to prioritise restoration and investment where resources and operational circumstances allow.

Trails are closed to protect public safety. Safety reasons include tree harvesting, trail failures, windblown or unsafe trees.

Where possible, diversions are provided to minimise disruption to visitors, although recovery from major storm events can take several years.

Trail maintenance priorities continue to be informed by safety, visitor demand, impacts of storm recovery and tree health interventions. In South Scotland, currently, 96% of FLS formal trails (walking and cycling) are open, with only 3% closed for forest operations and 1% for other safety reasons.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the 7stanes network to local communities, recreation and the rural economy. The long-term approach is to maintain the area as a nationally significant mountain biking destination while targeting investment towards sustainable infrastructure, visitor facilities and partnership-based delivery models.

FLS continues to plan for the future of the 7stanes through Frameworks for Recreation Investment developed with local communities, local authorities and other partners. Frameworks have been completed for Dalbeattie, Newcastleton, Glentrool and Kirroughtree, with work planned for Ae and Mabie.

This is supported by wider investment and development activity, including the £6.0 million Glentress Masterplan, exploration of long-term management options for Glentress and Innerleithen, and development of a Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal business case that could support up to £5.0 million of investment in Dalbeattie and Newcastleton. FLS also remain a key partner in delivering the Mountain Bike Strategy for Scotland and the South of Scotland Cycling Strategy.

The Scottish Government has been monitoring settlement agreement proposals since 2014-15, which is the first reporting year for which NHSS settlement records are available. The last year for which this data is available is 2025-26. The cost to NHS Scotland each year during this period is given in the following table.

The information requested requires further collation and verification. I will write to the member as soon as this work is complete, and a copy of that correspondence will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 66908).

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-03073 on 23 September 2026, which provides both the number of NHS Scotland compensation claims managed through the Clinical Negligence and Other Risks Indemnity Scheme (CNORIS), and the amount reimbursed in relation to those claims.

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.

The sale, import and product standards of off-road vehicles, and their registration, are largely reserved to the UK Government. Scottish Ministers have previously asked the UK Government to introduce compulsory registration of off-road vehicles. We will continue to press it on these matters as a shared challenge across the UK.

Within devolved competence, we are considering how the response to the antisocial use of vehicles can be strengthened. This includes exploring removal of the requirement for police to give a warning before seizing a vehicle used antisocially under section 126 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. We are also reviewing the secondary legislation governing the retention and disposal of seized vehicles.

The police already have a range of powers. Riding a motorbike off-road without lawful authority is an offence, and a vehicle used in that way can be seized and, following prosecution, forfeited. Police can also seize vehicles used antisocially, or driven on a road without a licence or insurance. The use of these powers in Fife is an operational matter for Police Scotland.

The 13,500 figure referred to is not a recent proposal. While UK Government Ministers have indicated that they continue to pursue a policy of widening dispersal across the UK they have not provided an updated plan to set out any current targets.

The Scottish Government is clear that Scotland is committed to playing our part in supporting people seeking asylum. That includes participating in asylum dispersal by taking a proportionate population share, and this needs to be managed effectively by the UK Government through engagement with local authorities and devolved public services. The UK Government also needs to provide necessary funding to ensure that people and communities can be supported at all stages of the asylum process.

The information requested requires further collation and verification. I will write to the member as soon as this work is complete, and a copy of that correspondence will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 66908).

We remain committed to exploring any evidence-based harm reduction measure which will help us to reduce drug-related harms and save lives. If a local area identified an automated vending machine as a measure which would benefit their area, Scottish Government officials would be happy to work with them on the feasibility and logistics of implementing it. Needle exchange vending machines have already been used in Scotland by Hillcrest Futures in four of their Edinburgh and Glasgow services.