Chamber and committees

The independent review of Moray Maternity Services has reported to Ministers and has been published today at https://www.gov.scot/publications/report-moray-maternity-services-review/ . I would like to thank Ralph Roberts and the review team for a comprehensive and well written report, and for undertaking the extensive programme of engagement to hear the voices of local people and staff in Moray. I would also like to thank local service users, MSPs, staff and leaders in NHS Grampian and NHS Highland for contributing their time, their views and their experiences that underpin the report. I intend as soon as possible, and when Parliamentary Business allows, to make a statement to Parliament on this issue, and to visit Moray to discuss the findings of the report with NHS Grampian staff, local people and local MSPs.

The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund has not been administered by local authorities so I have assumed that you are referring to the £10m Tenant Grant Fund announced in June and have responded to your question on that basis.

Local authorities were issued with non-statutory guidance to support them in their administration of the Tenant Grant Fund on 17 September 2021. A copy of this guidance can be found at: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tenant Grant Fund: guidance for local authorities - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government is committed to improving Mental Health services and the Programme for Government commits to ensuring that in future, at least 10% of frontline NHS spend goes towards mental health, with 1% going towards child and adolescent mental health services.

NHS Boards draw funding for mental health services from the overall funds allocated to them by the Scottish Government in the Scottish budget. Local budget decisions should reflect the national mental health priority and NHS Boards are expected to work with Integration Authorities and other partners to plan and deliver person centred, safe and effective mental health services which meet the needs of their populations.

NHS Scotland expenditure on mental health, including children and adolescents, is reported in the Scottish Health Service Costs , published annually by ISD Scotland.

Expenditure in each year since 2016 to 2020, the latest available, in NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Greater Glasgow identified as relating to mental health services delivered in hospitals or in the community aimed specifically at children and adolescents is shown in the table below. Funding towards reducing waiting times is not separately identified.

Scottish Government a) will increase the annual native woodland creation target from 3000 to 4000 hectares and commit to setting evidence-based targets for both native woodlands and natural regeneration as part of the 2022 Biodiversity Strategy.

Scottish Government are supporting this action through provision of SRDP grant for both planting of new woodland, and management of herbivores to encourage natural woodland expansion.

The Scottish Government continues to be deeply concerned by reports of serious, widespread and systemic human rights abuses committed against members of the Uyghur and other minority ethnic communities in Xinjiang, as well as by China’s overall record of human rights violations, including in Tibet and in Hong Kong.

Neither Scottish Ministers nor Scottish Government officials have any plans to attend the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The Scottish Government publishes as part of annual housing statistics publications information on the number of local authority housing tenancy changes made each year due to succession. The available Scotland level published information on this, covering the period 2001-02 to 2018-19 is available at Housing statistics: Management of local authority housing - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) , with a local authority level table available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 62926).

I will be continuing to engage with people who have direct experience of this practice.

Listening to the voices of those affected will help us to understand and inform what support and action is needed.

As I have previously said, this issue deserves to be looked at properly. That is why I am very keen to hear from those with lived experience. I have already held several meetings with some of those affected and I hope to learn more through further engagement opportunities with people who are able to share their experiences.

Over the past decade the Scottish Government has invested over £50 million in ChargePlace Scotland, investing ahead of need to create a publicly available network of EV charging infrastructure, which now consists of over 2000 charge points across Scotland.

It is for Local Authorities to determine local priorities and demand for charging infrastructure. Encompassing decisions such as required locations of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and the most appropriate charger type, when requesting funding support.

Through Transport Scotland funding initiatives, we have supported the following list of EV chargers for Falkirk Council.

• Bo’ness Academy     (x1, commissioned)
• Denny High School     (x1, commissioned)
• Falkirk High School     (x1, commissioned)
• Grangemouth High School   (x1, commissioned)
• Braes High School     (x1, commissioned)
• Carron Grange High School   (x2, commissioned)
• St Mungo’s High School   (x1, commissioned)

Whilst Local Authorities have access to request funding from the Scottish Government to support the development of charging infrastructure; this is not a sole source of charge point provision, therefore other charge point installations could exist, which would be outside of our records.

To date North and South Lanarkshire have not requested funding from Transport Scotland for charging infrastructure to be installed at schools in their respective areas’.

The Scottish Government wants to improve opportunities, outcomes and support for people with learning disabilities including Down’s Syndrome. To this end, we have committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill as part of the Programme for Government. This Bill will ensure that the rights of people with Down’s Syndrome, among others, are respected and protected.

To help make sure that the new legislation is championed when it is implemented, we will create a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodiversity Commissioner through the new law.