Chamber and committees

A local authority is required to model projected impacts to local recycling rates of their project during the Recycling Improvement Fund application process.

Projected impacts are then reviewed by technical experts and contribute to an estimate of the total impact of all Recycling Improvement Fund projects on Scotland’s national household recycling rate.

The projected increase to the national household recycling rate from current projects is 2.5 percentage points, subsequent to the conclusion of the Fund in 2026.

Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including staffing requirements are in the first instance the responsibility of the relevant NHS board. Recruitment is a matter for health boards who will take into account turnover, retention, absence rates and budgets when making recruitment decisions. This can mean that vacancies fluctuate across boards and by specialism. It is for health boards to ensure safe and effective staffing levels, and recruit to these to provide services.

Work is continuing on this consultation. It covers a wide range of areas: the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership; extending simplified divorce and dissolution procedures; qualifying requirements for religious and belief bodies when they solemnise marriage or register civil partnership; a Scottish Law Commission report on cohabitant's rights following separation; and points arising on financial provision when one cohabitant dies.

We are also preparing impact assessments in relation to this consultation. We are planning to issue it within the next few months.

All local authorities are required to review the operation and effectiveness of any firework control zones designated within their area. Data gathered as a part of such reviews can be utilised for the Scottish Government's statutory obligation to report on the operation of the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 for the period through to 10 August 2027. Ministers also engage with relevant parties, such as Police Scotland, to understand the impact of firework control zones.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31114 on 15 November 2024. 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.

Community views are an essential part of informing future service options. The community feedback gathered at engagement events in Kilcreggan on the 1st of October, Dunoon on the 2nd of October, and Gourock on the 3rd of October, along with the online user survey outcomes, is currently being analysed as part of the appraisal of the possible options. No decisions on the future service design of the Gourock-Dunoon and Gourock-Kilcreggan routes have been made at this stage.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31145 on 19 November 2024. 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.

Latest available data published in February 2024 by Public Health Scotland in the Scottish Health Service Costs book confirmed that NHS expenditure on child and adolescent mental health rose from £97.9 million in 2021-22 to £114.8 million in 2022-23, an increase of £16.9 million or 17% - representing 0.75% of total NHS expenditure.

We continue to work with NHS Boards and Integration Joint Boards towards delivery of the commitment that at least 1% of their frontline health spending will be dedicated to child and adolescent mental health by the end of this parliamentary session.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31114 on 15 November 2024. 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 Scottish Government pathways report: Pathways into, through and out of Residential Rehabilitation in Scotland: Results from the Residential Rehabilitation Providers Survey (www.gov.scot), published in November 2021, serves as a baseline to help identify specific barriers and facilitators to accessing Residential Rehabilitation (RR). Public Health Scotland’s Evaluation of the Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation programme: Evaluation of the Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation programme 13 February 2024 - Evaluation of the Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation programme - Publications - Public Health Scotland, published on 13 February 2024, also provides details of some of the barriers individuals, including women, face when seeking access to RR, and the actions already taken to address these.

The main barriers women face while accessing RR is the awareness of rehab, including funding, and how to access services and the lack of provision for individuals with caring responsibilities.

The Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme (RRRCP) was established to provide funding to increase RR capacity, with a particular focus on improving provision for women and those with childcare responsibilities.

Through the RRRCP, funding has been awarded to support the establishment of two Aberlour mother and child recovery units, one in Dundee and the other in Falkirk. It has also supported the establishment of Phoenix Future’s Harper House, in Saltcoats, that offers a unique national family services which can support up to 20 families at one time.