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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-33215

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 26 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will launch its Consultation on Scottish Court Fees 2021-2024.

There is no statutory requirement for the Scottish Government to review court fees on a specific date. However, court fees have generally been reviewed every three years, with the last full round being implemented in 2018. The Scottish Government intended to complete a full review of court fees this year and as part of the review launch a full consultation. This position has now changed.

Ministers have reflected on the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 emergency upon volumes of court business and SCTS’ income. We have concluded that the review should be delayed until next year.

We would expect that the full 12 week public consultation will be run sometime in late spring/early summer 2021.

Running the consultation within that revised timeframe will allow for a more meaningful consultation for a number of reasons. It will benefit from the civil courts system having another few months of the recovery and renewal process. We will also have a greater sense of whether any longer term implications may arise and whether that requires a more fundamental look at how fees are charged and exemptions are applied.

Additionally, it will also allow issues raised by Petition PE1748: Review of the Sheriff Court Fees Order 2018 ( make self-litigation more accessible to disabled people) to be fully considered and included in the consultation.

Question reference: S5O-04790

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on funding level 2 of SVQ training for social care workers, given their role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-33103

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many children in (a) the NHS Highland region and (b) Scotland are currently on the waiting list to have a neurological assessment under the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.

Question reference: S5W-33106

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the current waiting time is for children in (a) the NHS Highland region and (b) Scotland who are waiting to be added onto the waiting list to having a neurological assessment under the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.

Question reference: S5W-33105

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many children in (a) the NHS Highland region and (b) Scotland are currently waiting to be added onto the waiting list to have a neurological assessment under the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.

Question reference: S5W-33107

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the length of time for children waiting to have a neurological assessment under the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, including those waiting to be added to, as well as those already on, the waiting list.

Scottish Government funds the National Autism Implementation Team, which was established in partnership with Queen Margaret University and continues to support NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to consider best practice and improve service through the redesigning of autism and wider neurodevelopmental diagnostic services.

NAIT supported development of the first national CAMHS Service Specification (published Feb 2020: https://www.gov.scot/publications/child-adolescent-mental-health-services
-camhs-nhs-scotland-national-service-specification/ ). The specification includes action to reduce both: the waiting time for a first assessment appointment and the waiting time for any subsequent treatment; and outlines the level of provision that children, young people and families can expect to receive when referred for help within the NHS.

NHS Boards will be expected to set out plans on how they will implement the CAMHS service specification to ensure consistent high standards are achieved across all NHS boards.

Scottish Government is developing a neurodevelopmental service specification for children and young people who require support for their neurodevelopmental profiles and needs, but who do not meet the mental health criteria for CAMHS. The neurodevelopmental service specification will complement the CAMHS service specification to set the standards of service that children and young people with neurodevelopmental profiles and support needs can expect to receive. This will address the need of those children and young people who require support for their neurodevelopmental profiles and needs, but who do not meet the mental health criteria for CAMHS.

Question reference: S5W-33104

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the current waiting time is for children in (a) the NHS Highland region and (b) Scotland who are on the waiting list to have a neurological assessment under the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.

Question reference: S5O-04734

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how the additional £700 million of funding from the UK Government for the current financial year will be spent.

Question reference: S5W-32350

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31963 by Fergus Ewing on 6 October 2020, by what date the report of the Scottish Tourism Recovery Task Force will be published.

Question reference: S5W-31963

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 6 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Tourism Recovery Task Force will publish its report on the recovery of the industry.