This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital importance of tourism to Scotland’s economy. Whilst, several funds were created as part of our covid recovery plan in the previous parliamentary session, no specific funds have been created during this session.

The Scottish Government has continued to provide funding support to the sector through the enterprise agencies and VisitScotland, as well as support to Creative Scotland which also provides benefits to wider tourism through support for cultural events.

For example: In its first five years South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) has invested around £28m in supporting projects connected to Tourism and the Visitor Economy in the South of Scotland, supporting over 200 projects with enterprises and community groups.

In addition we have allocated £4 million in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget to the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) for projects which enhance transport links and infrastructure in areas that experience high visitor numbers. This will help communities to reap the rewards of their tourism offer, driving growth and sustaining vital jobs.

A further £2 million, will be provided to VisitScotland in 2025/26, to support activity to spread visitor numbers more equally across Scotland, including by promoting some of the country’s lesser-known beauty spots and attractions. It will also support activity to grow direct international connectivity.

Growth Deal Funding is also helping to support the tourism sector. For example the Destination Tweed project received £10 million from the Scottish Government to create a trail allowing options for both cycling and walking along the River Tweed. The 113 mile route will connect Berwick upon Tweed to Moffat and will showcase some of the South of Scotland’s most scenic areas.

Spend on digital connectivity infrastructure for the current parliamentary session and projected spend for the remainder of the session is set out in the table below by financial year. The Scottish Government has also secured UK Government funding for investment in digital infrastructure through the Project Gigabit programme which will further increase planned digital spend in 2025-26.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling digital exclusion. We recognise that some groups, including older people and low-income households, often face additional barriers to digital participation and we are addressing those through a range of initiatives.

The Connecting Scotland programme, delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, has provided over 61,000 internet-enabled devices, connectivity, and digital skills support to those in need, including targeted support for older people and low-income households.

Building on this, since August 2023 Connecting Scotland has funded 39 local digital inclusion projects. This includes device-lending libraries, social housing initiatives, and place-based schemes. The most recent data shows that the majority of these projects have supported older people and low-income households to gain digital access and develop digital skills and confidence.

The £2 million Digital Inclusion Programme has supported 20 projects, focusing on digital inclusion in mental health and housing. Delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, the Programme has benefited over 3,500 people, helping them to access services and support online, develop essential digital skills, and improve their wellbeing. It has also supported over 600 staff and volunteers, and trained over 300 digital champions.

In addition, the Scottish Government continues to deliver the £3.2 million Digital Lifelines Programme, which has supported over 5,000 people at risk of drug-related death to access digital devices, skills and affordable connectivity, and has trained over 500 people as digital inclusion champions.

The Scottish Government’s work to tackle digital exclusion is underpinned by programmes that are delivering resilient digital connectivity infrastructure. Our £600+ million Reaching 100% (R100) programme is connecting homes and businesses across Scotland and throughout 2025 we will continue to award Project Gigabit in Scotland contracts, building on R100’s transformational impact. Overall, more than one million faster broadband connections have been delivered in Scotland in the last ten years, deploying over £1 billion of publicly driven investment.

We will continue working to make services as accessible and inclusive as possible, so that no-one is left behind. However, we also recognise that engaging with digital services is a choice and non-digital options for accessing public services will remain available for those whose needs are best served in this way.

In August, we published our action plan on relationships and behaviour in schools, jointly with COSLA. This includes a specific action on empowering staff through provision of relevant professional learning to support relationships and behaviour approaches and practice and to respond to emerging trends in behaviour.

Education Scotland offers a wide range of professional learning to support the prevention of distressed and distressing behaviour. This includes professional learning on relationships, emotional regulation, de-escalation, expectations and consequences, restorative approaches and trauma.

As set out in the Relationships and Behaviour in Schools Action Plan 2024-27 Progress Report, published in March 2025, Education Scotland has delivered in-person professional learning to probation teachers on Being Restorative and on Expectations and Consequences.

Local authorities have responsibly for the delivery of education, which includes ensuring all employees receive adequate training.

The Public Health Scotland CAMHS statistics capture children and young people who meet the CAMHS criteria. Children and Young People and their families who have requested support for their neurodevelopmental needs but do not meet the CAMHS criteria are not reported in these statistics.

However, the statistics do capture those children and young people who are on the waiting list and have mental health concerns comorbid with neurodevelopmental issues.

Data relating to the number of children waiting for a neurodevelopmental diagnosis is not currently nationally reported or published. However Health Boards should hold their own data on who is waiting for a neurodevelopmental diagnosis.

It is also important to recognise that not all children seeking a diagnosis will meet diagnostic criteria but may still have support needs. That is why our National Neurodevelopmental Specification makes clear that support should be put in place to meet the child or young person’s requirements when they need it and should not be dependent on a formal diagnosis.

We acknowledge that work is needed to improve the quality of data that we have on neurodevelopmental support and services, including a better understanding of current levels of need and the level of support children and young people currently receive.

We are working with Health Boards and local authorities to improve our understanding of what data is available, and how this could be used to support improvements for children and families.

Standard 1.2 of the National Neurodevelopmental Specification relates to the offer of a first appointment. As set out in the Specification, Neurodevelopmental Services that are delivered locally are the responsibility of Children Services providers. A first appointment could be provided by a number of professionals within a range of agencies, including education, health and voluntary organisations.

The Scottish Government does not collect data on length of waits for neurodevelopmental services centrally. Our focus is on improving support. Our Neurodevelopmental Specification places an expectation on NHS and Children's Services to work together to implement standards, in line with GIRFEC. Crucially, local authorities have a statutory duty to identify and provide support for pupils with additional support needs, regardless of diagnosis.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally as this is the responsibility of NHS Boards. However, the Scottish Governments expects NHS Boards to follow the National Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) specification, which includes a clear expectation that children and young people whose referral is not accepted for CAMHS are sensitively and appropriately signposted to a more suitable service, such as our community-based supports.

We have provided local authorities with over £65 million since 2020 to fund community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services for children, young people and their families. This £15 million per year funding will continue through the local government finance settlement from 2025-26. Examples include mentoring services, art-based therapies, digital services, whole-family supports, counselling services and supports involving sport or physical activity.

Individual local authorities decide which supports and services to put in place in their area based on the needs of their communities.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-34345 on 28 February 2025. 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