Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07664 on 19 April 2022. 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

Court operational matters, including the system for jury service, fall within the remit of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).

I understand SCTS is setting up a working group to consider the remaining recommendations from the 2018 Enabling Jury Service report, available at https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/about-the-scottish-court-service/reports-data/enabling-jury-service . This matter will be included and the Scottish Government will work with SCTS and justice partners to consider any legislative requirements flowing from that consideration.

This is a matter for individual NHS Boards. The information requested is not held centrally.

We know that the recent increases in energy prices we have seen will be concerning to many consumers including those using mobility scooters. Whilst the Scottish Government does not have powers over the setting of energy prices, we have looked to provide assistance where we can.

As part of our wider £290m package of funding announcements made to tackle the cost of living crisis, we have committed a further £10m to continue our Fuel Insecurity Fund from April to help households at risk of self-disconnection, or self-rationing their energy use, due to unaffordable fuel costs.

We are also making financial support for disabled people and people with long term health conditions more straightforward to access. Through the introduction of Adult Disability Payment, we are providing a new, simplified, compassionate system that will treat people with dignity, fairness and respect. The application process has been designed with disabled people to make sure it is as clear as possible. People can apply in the way that’s best for them, either online, by post, over the phone or face-to-face.

The Scottish Government acknowledges the importance of the Growing Up in Scotland Study (GUS) longitudinal study which allows us to track the health and wellbeing of Scotland’s children and young people over an extended period of time. We also note with concern the initial findings from the most recent GUS ‘Life at Age 14’ report published on 15 February 2022.

The report, which is based on data collected in 2019/20, aligns with our understanding of the need to ensure that all children and young people are able to access the right support for their mental health and wellbeing as early as possible, without stigma.

That is why we continue to prioritise building and improving mental health and wellbeing support services for children and young people and continue to invest significantly in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our children and young people. In the 2021-22 financial year this included: Investing £40 million in improving Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, £16 million on our commitment for all secondary schools in Scotland to have access to a mental health counsellor, £15 million on provided to local authorities to fund over 230 new and enhanced community supports and services for children and young people and over £160 thousand to provide enhanced digital resources on mental health and wellbeing available via the Young Scot 'Aye Feel’ website, Scottish Youth Parliament ‘Mind Yer Time’ websites.

In addition we have invested in a range of resources to support parents, cares and adults working with children and young people to ensure they are fully equipped with the tools and knowledge needed to make a difference to children and young peoples lives. This includes investing in a suite of resources for all school staff , developed by our Mental Health in Schools National Working Group, and providing a range of advice and resources for parents and carers, available through ParentClub.scot , including specific resources for parents of teenage children .

We are aware that the percentage of eligible young people holding cards providing free bus travel under the new Young Persons’ Scheme varies between local authorities. There will be a variety of reasons for this, including different levels of local awareness and interest in the scheme and also variations in how different local authorities handle applications which come to them rather than through the national online portal, getyournec.scot, and Transport Scotland’s Pass Collect app (for people between 16 and 21 who already possess an active NEC or Young Scot NEC card). We estimate that the number of cards produced and dispatched for South Lanarkshire as of 19 April 2022 represented 14% of the eligible population.

We are working with our delivery partners, including the Improvement Service and local authorities, to identify and support improvements to both online and offline processes to maximise the uptake of scheme and get cards issued faster. One such measure, which we are encouraging, is to coordinate applications through schools on behalf of pupils. Some authorities are already doing this, including – we understand – South Lanarkshire for pupils moving up to secondary school.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07156 on 28 March 2022. 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

We published our Test and Protect Transition Plan on 15 March 2022. This states that from mid-April in place of a population wide approach, we will use asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 on a targeted basis. This includes testing to support patient care and protect higher risk settings.

Regular asymptomatic testing will continue for parts of the health and care workforce primarily in settings which are still considered high risk and/or where those using services are deemed to be at a higher risk of hospitalisation from COVID-19.

In social care, the priority will continue to be testing in long stay settings and services for elderly people such as residential care homes, care at home and adult day care. There will also be a continuing priority to support testing for hospital based staff to reduce the risk of infection spread in our hospitals.

LFD tests will continue to be made available for eligible unpaid carers, personal assistants and anyone visiting a care home or hospital, this will be kept under regular clinical review.

For any purpose for which COVID-19 testing (PCR or LFD) continues to be advised we will ensure that these tests remain available free of charge.

Data from the Renewable Energy Planning Database shows that there are 322 operational wind onshore projects and 7 operational wind offshore projects over 150kW in Scotland. Projects under this threshold are not captured.

There is currently no requirement to monitor drinking water for Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, such monitoring will become mandatory once new Regulations take effect in early 2023 to align with the requirements of the EU’s recast Drinking Water Directive.