Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-03876

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how many genders there are.

Question reference: S6W-30119

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what community-based mental health and wellbeing support and services, not including child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), are available to young people in the Scottish Borders.

In 2024-25, the following community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services are available to children and young people in the Scottish Borders Council area through its share of the £15 million per annum funding provided to local authorities by the Scottish Government:

Quarriers – Wellbeing Service

Togetherall

Kooth

Action for Children – BAME Support

Action for Children – Support for Young Carers

LGBT Youth Scotland

One Step Borders

Children 1st – Trauma Work

Seasons for Growth

Young people aged 16 and over can also access grassroots community-based projects to support their mental health and wellbeing provided through the Scottish Government’s Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults, which has distributed £51 million over three years through the Third Sector Interface Network. A list of the projects funded in the Scottish Borders in 2023-24 has not yet been published but can be found in the following table.

Allanbank Arts, Social Enterprise – Berwickshire Community Arts and Information Project

Borders Additional Needs Group – ASN Peer Hubs Parents

Borders Disability Sport – Physical Activity Intervention for Adults with Disability

Central Borders Citizens Advice Bureau – CAB Wellbeing Project

Clubsport Borders – Headstrong, Evolution

Duns Senior Citizens Club – Summer Trip to Eyemouth and Meal

Gavinton Village Hall Association – Hearing Loop and Caster

Greener Peebles – Greener Wellbeing

Innerleithen, Traquair & Walkerburn Parish Church of Scotland – 3 Communities Craft & Chat

Interest Link Borders – New Learning Disabilities Groups 2024

Leitholm, Eccles and Birgham Community Council

LGBT Youth Scotland – Scottish Borders

Nature Unlimited CIC – Thrive in Nature

Nature Unlimited CIC – Connect in Nature

Nomad Beat – Recollective

Outside the Box Development Support Ltd – Borders Queer Chosen Families (working title)

ParentSpace (SCIO) – Getting it Right for Every Parent

Peebles Old Parish Church of Scotland – Grand Hands, Hearts & Minds

PMH Borders – Funding for Counsellor

Quarriers – Breaking Down Barriers

Recovery Coaching Scotland CIC – Recovery Coaching, Self-Coaching, Additional Support for Learning Group

We do not hold information on other community-based mental health support that may be available in the Scottish Borders but not provided through the Scottish Government funding streams referenced above.

Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are funded and delivered separately.

Question reference: S6W-30117

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) rejected referral rate in the quarter ending June 2024 was reportedly much higher in NHS Borders than the national rejected referral rate.

Every child and young person should be able to access support for their mental health and wellbeing when and where they need it. Not all children and young people need specialist services like CAMHS, and many will find more suitable support in their local community.

We are aware that the rate of CAMHS referrals not accepted in NHS Borders in the quarter ending June 2024 was higher than other Health Boards. Scottish Government officials are meeting with NHS Borders to understand the reasons behind this, and to ensure that any referrals not accepted are receiving meaningful redirection.

Question reference: S6W-30121

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the further £15 million that it planned to provide to local authorities for the continuation of community-based mental health and wellbeing support and services in 2024-25 is still being provided.

Question reference: S6W-30122

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been provided to community-based mental health and wellbeing support and services in the Scottish Borders since 2020, broken down by (a) year and (b) project.

The Scottish Government has provided funding to community-based mental health and wellbeing support services for children, young people and their families in the Scottish Borders since 2020. This is broken down into:

2019-20	£62,500
2020-21	£82,250
2021-22	£329,000
2022-23	£334,000
2023-24	£335,000
2024-25	£338,000
Total	£1,480,750

A further breakdown of this funding by project is not available as this is a matter for Scottish Borders Council, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

In addition, residents of the Scottish Borders have also benefitted from the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults which was established in 2021. The funding is for grassroot community-based projects supporting mental health and wellbeing and is distributed through the Third Sector Interface Network.

In the first three years of the Fund, Scottish Borders (Borders Community Action) have received more than £1,778,000.00 of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults to distribute to grass root projects. The breakdown of the annual grants can be found below:

Year 1 (2021-22)	£1,133,848.47*
Year 2 (2022-23)	£321,858.00
Year 3 (2023-24)	£322,909.32

*Scottish Borders received £318,924.96 plus a further £814,918.51 from the additional £6 million funding made available nationally, totalling £1,133,848.47

A list of the projects funded in Year 1 and 2 can be found on the Scottish Government website at:

Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund Projects awarded funding in Year 1 2021/2022 (www.gov.scot)

Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults - Projects awarded funding in Year 2 - 2022/2023 (www.gov.scot)

A list of funded projects in the Scottish Borders in Year 3 has not yet been published but can be found in the following table.

Organisation Name	Name of Project	Funding Awarded
Allanbank Arts, Social Enterprise	Berwickshire community arts and information project	£5,630.00
Borders Additional Needs Group	ASN Peer Hubs Parents	£26,774.00
Borders Disability Sport	Physical Activity Intervention for Adults with Disability	£45,413.00
Central Borders Citizens Advice Bureau	CAB Wellbeing Project	£10,668.00
Clubsport Borders	Headstrong - Evolution	£15,500.00
Duns Senior Citizens Club	Summer Trip to Eyemouth + Meal	£600.00
Gavinton Village Hall Association	Gavinton Village Hall Hearing Loop & Caster	£4,388.00
Greener Peebles	Greener Wellbeing	£25,520.00
Innerleithen, Traquair & Walkerburn Parish Church of Scotland	3 Communities Craft & Chat	£5,600.00
Interest Link Borders	New Learning Disabilities Groups 2024	£8,965.00
Leitholm, Eccles and Birgham Community Council	Leitholm, Eccles and Birgham Community Council	£2,709.00
LGBT Youth Scotland	LGBT Youth Scotland - Scottish Borders	£31,300.00
Nature Unlimited CIC	Thrive in Nature	£20,088.00
Nature Unlimited CIC	Connect in Nature	£8,998.00
Nomad Beat	Recollective	£4,955.00
Outside the Box Development Support Ltd	Borders Queer Chosen Families (working title)	£17,049.00
ParentSpace (SCIO)	Getting it Right for Every Parent	£9,996.00
Peebles Old Parish Church of Scotland	Grand Hands, Hearts & Minds	£7,200.00
PMH Borders	Funding for Counsellor	£14,560.00
Quarriers	Quarriers - Breaking Down Barriers	£36,429.00
Recovery Coaching Scotland CIC	Recovery Coaching - Self Coaching - Additional Support for Learning Group	£17,339.00

Question reference: S6W-30123

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26430 by Maree Todd on 16 April 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the over £50 million that it has provided to local authorities since 2020 to "develop and deliver mental health and wellbeing supports and services".

Funding for Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services for children, young people and their families has been distributed to each local authority area as follows:

	2019-20 £	2020-21 £	2021-22 £	2022-23 £	2023-24 £	2024-25 £
Aberdeen City	62,500	144,000	576,000	585,000	577,000	571,000
Aberdeenshire	62,500	197,500	790,000	797,000	809,000	823,000
Angus	62,500	81,500	326,000	322,000	324,000	325,000
Argyll and Bute	62,500	61,250	245,000	246,000	247,000	247,000
City of Edinburgh	62,500	335,750	1,343,000	1,361,000	1,339,000	1,305,000
Clackmannanshire	62,500	34,750	139,000	135,000	136,000	138,000
Dumfries and Galloway	62,500	108,250	433,000	430,000	430,000	435,000
Dundee City	62,500	111,250	445,000	434,000	427,000	424,000
East Ayrshire	62,500	83,000	332,000	326,000	328,000	330,000
East Dunbartonshire	62,500	67,000	268,000	270,000	271,000	275,000
East Lothian	62,500	73,500	294,000	290,000	291,000	295,000
East Renfrewshire	62,500	65,250	261,000	268,000	271,000	277,000
Falkirk	62,500	104,750	419,000	419,000	419,000	424,000
Fife	62,500	261,750	1,047,000	1,040,000	1,036,000	1,036,000
Glasgow City	62,500	434,250	1,737,000	1,759,000	1,755,000	1,709,000
Highland	62,500	178,000	712,000	707,000	713,000	713,000
Inverclyde	62,500	50,500	202,000	192,000	191,000	192,000
Midlothian	62,500	62,000	248,000	249,000	254,000	261,000
Moray	62,500	68,750	275,000	274,000	276,000	278,000
Na h-Eileanan Siar	62,500	22,250	89,000	88,000	89,000	89,000
North Ayrshire	62,500	92,500	370,000	360,000	359,000	359,000
North Lanarkshire	62,500	234,500	938,000	935,000	940,000	943,000
Orkney Islands	62,500	17,500	70,000	71,000	71,000	71,000
Perth and Kinross	62,500	103,500	414,000	418,000	423,000	427,000
Renfrewshire	62,500	113,500	454,000	453,000	452,000	454,000
Scottish Borders	62,500	82,250	329,000	334,000	335,000	338,000
Shetland Islands	62,500	20,750	83,000	84,000	85,000	86,000
South Ayrshire	62,500	70,750	283,000	283,000	282,000	284,000
South Lanarkshire	62,500	210,250	841,000	835,000	840,000	849,000
Stirling	62,500	73,250	293,000	291,000	281,000	281,000
West Dunbartonshire	62,500	58,250	233,000	231,000	231,000	234,000
West Lothian	62,500	144,000	511,000	513,000	518,000	527,000
Total	2,000,000	3,750,000	15,000,000	15,000,000	15,000,000	15,0000
Total						£65,750,000

Question reference: S6W-30118

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what alternatives are offered to young people rejected from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

Every child and young person should be able to access support for their mental health and wellbeing when and where they need it. Not all children and young people need specialist services like CAMHS, and many will find more suitable support in their local community.

Since 2020, we have provided local authorities with over £50 million to develop and deliver community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services for children, young people and their families, with a further £15 million being made available in 2024-25. The services are focused on prevention and early intervention and, where appropriate, offer an alternative to CAMHS by providing support in a community setting.

Supports and services are available in every local authority area, with more than 300 now in place across the country. This includes mentoring services, art-based therapies, digital services, whole-family supports, counselling services and supports involving sport or physical activity.

Local authorities have reported that over 58,000 people used the supports and services in the first half of 2023. We have also ensured access to counselling services in all secondary schools, and continue to give local authorities £16 million per year to fund this.

Question reference: S6W-30120

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many young people are currently using community-based mental health and wellbeing support and services, not including child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), in the Scottish Borders.

Information on how many children and young people have accessed community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services is provided retrospectively to the Scottish Government by local authorities. Reporting provided by Scottish Borders Council for the period 1 July 2023 to 31 March 2024 indicates that 3,967 children and young people used the community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services delivered by Scottish Borders Council through its share of the £15 million per annum funding provided to local authorities by the Scottish Government. Data is not collected on whether those accessing these supports and services are also accessing, or have accessed, CAMHS.

In addition, young people aged 16 and over residing in the Scottish Borders have benefitted from grassroots community-based projects supporting mental health and wellbeing provided through the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults. However, the Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of young people using these projects or those accessing other community-based mental health support that may be available in the Scottish Borders but not provided through the Scottish Government funding streams referenced above.

Question reference: S6W-30034

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make menstrual wellbeing education, including awareness of endometriosis, part of the school curriculum.

Menstrual health and wellbeing education is a key part of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education. RSHP education is an integral part of the health and wellbeing area of the Scottish curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence. Learning about RSHP education begins early on in primary school and continues right up to S4-S6. RSHP education is delivered in an age and stage appropriate manner and is intended to enable children and young people to build positive relationships as they grow older. Schools will equip young people with information on a wide range of issues, including menstrual health and wellbeing, depending on their age and stage of learning. Learning should present facts in an objective, balanced and sensitive manner within a framework of sound values and an awareness of the law.

An online RSHP teaching resource, (www.rshp.scot) was published in 2019 and provides age and stage appropriate learning activities on RSHP education for use in all education settings and is aligned to Curriculum for Excellence. This resource includes learning activities on menstruation from second level (P5 to P7), with endometriosis introduced at third/fourth level (S1 to S3).

The RSH teaching resource was subject to a significant review and refresh in 2023 to ensure it remained up-to-date and fit for purpose. Teachers continue to access the resource regularly.

Question reference: S6W-30037

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 1 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the position is of NatureScot regarding the policy intention to establish deer management nature restoration orders under the proposed Natural Environment Bill, and whether it will publish all of the correspondence and advice, including the minutes of any meetings, that it has received from NatureScot regarding these orders.

As set out in the 2024-25 Programme for Government, the Natural Environment Bill will include provisions to modernise the way in which deer are managed in Scotland.

In January the Scottish Government consulted on a range of potential reforms to deer management, including the introduction of new powers designed to secure effective deer management that supports Scottish Government nature and climate objectives (Deer Management Nature Restoration Orders). The 'Managing Deer for Climate and Nature: consultation' closed on 29 March 2024. We received around 1600 responses and the full analysis report of the responses was published on 9 September 2024.

The Scottish Government is currently giving careful consideration to all of the consultation responses, which will inform the development of the provisions to be included in the future Natural Environment Bill.

We have no plans to publish all correspondence and advice on the development of planned legislation. The minutes of the Strategic Deer Board relevant to the legislation are published on the Scottish Government website.

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