(a) Scotland has budgeted £429 million in total for Discretionary Housing Payments since DHPs were devolved in 2017 to the 2022-23 financial year. This is broken down into £349 million for mitigation of the bedroom tax and £80.4 million for mitigating the impact of other welfare reforms.

SG funding for DHPs 2017-18 to 2022-23

Public Health Scotland (PHS) uses the national waiting times warehouse to collect electronic patient records covering the waits that patients experience waiting for a new outpatient appointment. This data source can be used routinely to identify the specialty of treatment, such as whether the patient was waiting for an appointment in ophthalmology or orthopaedics. However, it is not possible to ascertain whether the appointment involved an assessment of whether the patient is suitable for a particular procedure. This level of information may be held locally by NHS Boards.

Statistics relating to the waits patients experience for new outpatient appointments, at specialty and NHS Board level, are published up to 31 December 2021 and can be found using the following link:

https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/media/11694/newop_feb22.xlsx .

Before we made the decision to lift remaining legal measures and close the Highest Risk list, we and our clinical advisers carefully considered the impact on people who are immunosuppressed or immunocompromised. There is strong evidence to show that the vaccine is offering significant protection and preventing the majority of people whose immune systems are suppressed or compromised from becoming severely ill if they are infected with COVID-19.

We know that the degree of protection offered by the vaccines wanes over time, which is why booster vaccinations are needed to maintain the best protection against COVID-19 for those at highest risk of the severe effects of the virus. Second booster appointments for people with suppressed immune systems have already started.

However, we are also aware that for some of this group, it is not possible to mount a full immune response due to their medication, treatment or health condition.

Many immunosuppressed or immunocompromised individuals lived with and managed the risk posed by other diseases and infections before the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue to be advised by their GP and specialist clinical team, who best know their individual circumstances, on how to reduce their risk of infection from both COVID-19 and other viruses. We’ve also made new treatments available to those who are eligible for them who will benefit the most – including some people who are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed .

The Scottish Government is focussed on delivering the commitments set out in our NHS Recovery Plan, published in August 2021.

With regard to cataracts, the Scottish Government is working with Health Boards to undertake additional pre-assessment clinics to assess those patients referred for consideration of surgery. In tandem, Boards are implementing new and more efficient ways of working, including virtual appointments and via telephone to prevent unnecessary visits and travel to hospitals.

The independent sector is also supporting additional cataract surgeries across a number of Health Board areas. In particular, over 3,500 additional surgeries were undertaken by the Independent Sector at NHS Golden Jubilee (NHSGJ) in 21-22, and will continue to deliver an additional 1,000 surgeries in 22-23. Plans are also in place to enable a number of Boards to utilise available capacity at NHSGJ using their own surgeons, who will undertake cataract surgery at the facility. This will allow patients access to treatment more quickly, as well as offering opportunities for training junior surgeons.

The Centre of Sustainable Delivery has been commissioned to support surgical teams across NHSScotland to implement the guidance issued by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. This will increase efficiency and productivity across cataract-only surgical sessions, and high-volume surgery in cataract treatment centres.

We are working closely with Boards to finalise planned care activity plans, including for orthopaedics, for 2022-23 which will be critical to stabilising and improving our health and social care system in the medium term.

The National Treatment Centre (NTC) Programme will deliver the single biggest increase in protected planned care capacity ever created in NHS Scotland. The network of 10 NTCs, will deliver capacity for over 40,000 additional planned procedures and diagnostic care across 12 specialities. Within the next 18 months, NTCs will open in NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Highland and at NHS Golden Jubilee specialising in orthopaedic surgery. On 13 April, we also announced £1.8m of funding to purchase a private hospital in Ayrshire (Carrick Glen) to be developed into a new National Treatment Centre specialising in orthopaedics.

As well as significant investment in new infrastructure, the new NHSScotland Centre for Sustainable Delivery is also leading work to explore new and innovative ideas to reduce In Patient / Day Case and Outpatient waiting times. Examples include:

• The rollout of Active Clinical Referral Triage, to provide patients with information about non-surgical interventions and self-management options;
• Patient Initiated Reviews, enabling patients to be escalated if their condition deteriorates and reduces routine appointments while supporting patients in a safe and clinically appropriate manner; and
• Enhanced Recovery after Surgery pathways, designed to support patients achieve faster recovery after surgery.

In determining an application for a marine licence (under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009) the Scottish Ministers must have regard to protection of the environment and human health, prevention of interference with legitimate uses of the sea and such other matters as the Scottish Ministers consider relevant. Marine licences do not include conditions in relation to Fair Work First criteria and commitments to supporting domestic supply chains. Such conditions cannot be applied to s.36 consents issued under the Electricity Act 1989 for the construction, operation or extension of generating stations either.

ScotWind applicants were required to submit a Supply Chain Development Statement (SCDS) setting out the anticipated level and location of supply chain impact for their projects. We have now seen these statements yield commitments by developers to invest an average projection of £1.5bn in Scotland across each of the 17 ScotWind offshore wind projects. Developers can update their Statements throughout the development phase. Failure to deliver the commitments laid out in the final SCDS can trigger remedies ranging from financial penalties to an inability to progress to seabed lease.

(a) Available Mental Health Professionals to help Ukrainian refugee;

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the Mental Health Professionals currently available to provide support to Ukrainian refugees.

We recognise the importance of providing a warm welcome to displaced Ukrainians coming to Scotland and recognise that they will have their own unique emotional needs. To support this, the Scottish Government has produced three psychological wellbeing information packs, one for those arriving from Ukraine, one for host families and one for services and staff providing care.

These resources explain the principles of Psychological first aid and provide links to further information sources which can be used to support psychological wellbeing and direct people to appropriate services and support including for example the Scottish Refugee Council. We are ensuring accessibility of this resource by creating an easy read version, along with Ukrainian and Russian translations of the pack.

We expect Ukrainians needing to engage mental health services to do so through the existing, established routes. Health Boards will ensure that people have access to a level of primary and secondary health care services designed to ensure that their health needs are identified and addressed appropriately and effectively. Health Boards have established protocols, working with Health & Social Partnerships and Local Authorities, to provide services to patients who are asylum seekers or refugees, as well as specific learning from both the Syrian Refugee Resettlement Programme and Afghan Relocation & Assistance Policy.

We are already increasing the funding and workforce delivering Psychological Therapies. Equipping those arriving, their hosts and Scottish services to care for the physical and mental wellbeing of those fleeing the war remains a priority.

( b) Recruitment in the next 12 months; The future recruitment plans for mental health professionals are an issue for Health Boards to address as employers. While the Scottish Government provides the policies, frameworks and resources for high quality healthcare, it is for each NHS Board to decide best how to utilise funding, facilities and staff while taking account of national and local priorities to meet local health needs. We expect NHS Boards to plan their facilities and workforce to deliver these services, ensuring the provision of safe, effective and high quality patient care, delivered by the right professional at the right time.

Since 2006-7, NHS mental health expenditure has seen an increase of 65% and these unprecedented levels of direct investment in mental health services are enabling a significant expansion of the mental health workforce, as we continue to create new posts.

Over recent years, in line with our Mental Health Strategy, our Transition and Recovery Plan and the Health and Social Care Workforce Strategy, we have worked with Health Boards and Integration Joint Boards to increase the workforce. Through Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy, we have been working to recruit 800 additional Mental Health Workers. We have also committed to creating a network of 1,000 additional dedicated staff in Primary Care Mental Health and Wellbeing Services by 2026. We are also providing funding for around 320 additional staff in CAMHS over the next 5 years; increasing student intake for Psychology Master’s and Doctorate training programmes; creating new roles, such as Psychology Wellbeing Practitioners in NHS24 and Enhanced Psychology Practitioners in primary care, community, early years, and schools; and increasing nursing student places.

We are currently working with the NHS to consider a national occupational health improvement strategy for Scotland.

While this work is carried out, we continue to complement the wellbeing support available at a local level through our national wellbeing resources. These include the National Wellbeing Hub, a 24/7 National Wellbeing Helpline, confidential mental health treatment through the Workforce Specialist Service and funding for additional local psychological support.

We are also providing further support for practical measures to aid rest and recuperation alongside additional resources such as Coaching for Wellbeing and grief and bereavement support.

I can confirm that the development and assessment of the route corridor options for the A82 Tarbet to Inverarnan scheme, including the option passing above the West Highland line, was undertaken by Transport Scotland in alignment with the principles of the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB).

The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) has carried out extensive consultation on the draft National Park Partnership Plan (NPPP), which was supported by extensive evidence papers and a Strategic Environmental Assessment. The consultation process generated 1400 responses (the largest ever response to a Park Plan consultation). Fifty percent of the responses came from people in the Park, with over 10% of responses from land managers. The CNPA board is currently reviewing the consultation responses and considering what changes need to be made to the draft plan in response to this consultation.

The Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan sets out a bold vision to restore nature in the Park, tackle the climate emergency and build a wellbeing economy that works for all the people of the Cairngorms. The Plan will create significant opportunities for those working in the land management sector, as well as additional jobs in environmental restoration and management, including, for example, peatland restoration, river restoration, species management, and habitat enhancement.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a moratorium on windfarm development.

To achieve a net zero, nature-positive Scotland, our planning system must be rebalanced so that climate change and nature recovery are the primary guiding principles for all our plans and all our decisions. Draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out new Universal Policies that should apply to all planning decisions to help us tackle the climate and nature crises and ensure Scotland adapts to thrive within the planet’s sustainable limits. It also includes green energy policies which support renewable energy development other than in National Parks and National Scenic Areas, subject to an assessment of their impacts on a case by case basis.

Our draft NPF4 was laid in the Scottish Parliament on 10 November, and at the same time published for consultation which closed on 31 March 2022. We are pleased with the very wide interest shown in NPF4 from across society, befitting a document of its importance to our future. The Scottish Government is now taking some time to carefully consider the broad range of views shared with us before finalising NPF4 for Scottish Parliament approval.

Additionally, the Onshore Wind Policy Statement consultation was launched on 28 October 2021, which includes our ambition that an additional 8-12 GW of onshore wind be installed by 2030, in line with the Climate Change Committees' recommendations. The consultation considered other key themes such as barriers to deployment, positive environmental impacts, community benefits and shared ownership, circular economy and supply chain opportunities. The consultation closed on 31 January 2022, and a full policy statement is expected to be published during later this year with consultation analysis also to be published in due course.

However, the Scottish Government recognises the need to strike a balance between maximising deployment to reach net-zero targets, while considering concerns over factors such as peatland, landscape impacts, local economy and tourism, and ‘capacity saturation’. Support for maximising onshore wind deployment does not come at any cost, and the planning system exists to ensure that development sites are optimised and offer net benefit wherever possible.