Chamber and committees

The previous UK Government had committed £8m of Union Connectivity funding for the Scottish Government to take forward design development and assessment of options for the realignment of the A75 around the settlements of Springholm and Crocketford. This funding was over the period of 2024/25 to 2026/27 of which £1,480,500 was received for 2024-25.

However, the UK Chancellor in her recent statement announcing £22 billion of cuts, also included a number of investment projects that will now no longer proceed as planned but will need to wait for the conclusion of forthcoming spending review process.. The earliest point at which we will know whether or not the UK Government is able to commit to this funding over the relevant future financial years, allowing the design development and options appraisal for these by-passes to be concluded is Spring 2025. We have therefore been offered no guarantee that such funding will be available.

The Scottish Government is disappointed that this lack of commitment by the UK Government is impacting on our ability to make meaningful and demonstrable progress for the people and businesses of the South-West of Scotland who rely on this vital route.

Transport Scotland officials have progressed a robust procurement process to appoint a technical advisor to take forward the design development and assessment work, however, re-confirmation of the UK Government’s funding position is awaited prior to awarding the contract.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving safety, resilience and reliability on the A75 for all users traveling on this important route to benefit not just the people of Scotland but those from the wider UK too. As such, the Scottish Government will continue to engage positively and collaboratively with the UK Government on our shared priorities for transport.

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing digital participation and ensuring that all of Scotland is able to enjoy the social, cultural and economic benefits of the internet. Connecting Scotland is a Scottish Government programme, delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO). It has provided internet-enabled devices, connectivity and digital skills support to people who are digitally excluded.

From April 2023 the Young Person’s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30089 on 7 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government, its partners and agencies, have undertaken a range of measures to address the reported decline in capercaillie populations. This includes providing funding through schemes to support capercaillie conservation directly.

Funding has also been awarded to projects that would indirectly benefit capercaillie conservation. This could include supporting new pine wood planting in capercaillie areas, the management and improvement of existing habitat as well as its extension through actions such as controlling deer numbers, fence marking or removal, and thinning to improve light levels. Funding has been awarded to estates as well as eNGOs and individuals and we expect this to continue.

NatureScot is working closely with the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) to support capercaillie conservation in Scotland. Last year NatureScot’s Scientific Advisory Committee provided advice on possible measures that could be taken to save capercaillie.(Measures to save capercaillie)

In June 2023, the Scottish Government requested that the CNPA and NatureScot work with stakeholders to look at ways to improve capercaillie populations. The publication of this work, known as the Capercaillie Emergency Plan 2025-2030, was published on 30 September 2024 and can be found on the CNPA website here .

The plan identifies priority actions that public, private and third sector organisations will take to promote capercaillie numbers within the Cairngorms National Park. These actions include looking at expanding and improving habitat; reducing the impact of predation; removing and marking; reducing disturbance; capercaillie monitoring; and reinforcement feasibility. We will work with NatureScot and the CNPA, as well as other partners, to monitor progress as our efforts to support capercaillie in Scotland continue.

This data is not centrally available; whilst Public Health Scotland publish the total number of patients waiting for specialist mental health services, detail of the individual types of assessment or diagnosis is not held. The publications for both CAMHS and Psychological Therapies waiting times for each quarter can be found at Publications - Public Health Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to implementing the National Neurodevelopmental Specification: Principles and Standards of Care for Children and Young People, published in September 2021, which specifies service standards that all children’s services should follow, to ensure access to support is effective and consistent across Scotland.

The Scottish Government have also established the National Autism Implementation Team, in partnership with Queen Margaret University, to support Health and Social Care Partnerships to consider best practice and support improvement through the redesign of autism diagnostic services.

The National Implementation Team is supporting NHS Boards to examine diagnostic pathways for autism and establish regional experts to assist with improving tiered autism specialisms across health boards.

The Scottish Government has spent approximately £6.4 million on the necessary design and assessment work for the A720 Sheriffhall Roundabout scheme since Transport Scotland appointed its technical advisor, AECOM, in July 2013.

This figure is inclusive of VAT where applicable and covers costs associated with design and assessment work. This includes costs associated with options assessment, engineering design and preparation work, environmental assessment (including environmental survey work), traffic and economic assessment, stakeholder engagement, statutory process including public local inquiry, and supervision of ground investigation works.

The Scottish Government is continuing to look into this matter and awards to TN Trawlers or associated companies over the periods of time covered in the BBC’s recent reporting.

The Scottish Government is continuing to look into this matter and awards to TN Trawlers or associated companies over the periods of time covered in the BBC’s recent reporting.

From April 2023 the Young Person’s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities. We do not hold data on the number of young people with additional support needs supported through the Young Person’s Guarantee.

CMAL are the procurement authority and administer the tendering process through their staff. This would be a normal BAU cost by way of paying the salaries of the staff involved.