Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government engages regularly with all health boards regarding their provision of support for neurodivergent people, including those with ADHD.

We are working closely with Health Boards and local authorities towards implementing the National Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People in full. The Scottish Government is also working with the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) to develop national Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways.

We acknowledge that work is needed to improve the quality of data that we have on neurodevelopmental support and services, including for ADHD. We are continuing to work with Health Boards and local authorities to improve our understanding of what data is available, and how this could be used to support improvements.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39413 on 6 August 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39413 on 6 August 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.

The Scottish Government regularly reviews the latest scientific evidence to inform our policy approach to protecting the marine environment, including natural carbon stores, from potentially harmful activities.

We are currently preparing a Blue Carbon Action Plan (BCAP), which will set out what we are doing to address key evidence gaps and how we are integrating consideration of natural carbon stores into the marine policy landscape. As part of the development of the BCAP, we have carefully considered the impact of human activities, including fishing, on natural carbon stores. Understanding the impact of bottom trawling on blue carbon is one of our priority evidence gaps and, in collaboration with the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum, we have been progressing research to better understand its impact on seabed carbon.

The Scottish Government takes a comprehensive approach to assessing the impact of the fishing industry on marine biodiversity. Consideration of marine biodiversity is embedded across a range of statutory and non statutory assessments that inform the development and implementation of new marine and fisheries policies.

Recent assessments include those conducted as part of the updated evaluation of Good Environmental Status under the UK Marine Strategy (UKMS), as well as Scotland’s Marine Assessment 2020, which provides an evidence-based overview of the health of Scotland’s seas.

Further information on the UKMS assessments can be accessed at MOAT - Marine online assessment tool.

The Scottish Government recognises that long waits can have an impact on health and wellbeing. Waiting well | NHS inform on NHS Inform provides patients with information to support their health and wellbeing while waiting for health and social care services. This includes information on physical and mental health, as well as advice about practical issues like money worries.

We know many people are still waiting too long and this is not good enough. We are determined do more and our Budget will provide a record £21.7 billion for health and social care, with more than £110 million allocated to health boards to help tackle the longest waits for procedures and operations.

The funding has been assigned to specialty areas for the year ahead where it can have the greatest impact against the longest waits. This includes more than £12 million for ophthalmology.

I recognise that there has been a significant increase in children and adults seeking ADHD assessments across Scotland, and that this is creating challenges for a range of services.

The Scottish Government is working with the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) to develop national Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways, building on the pilots we funded in four NHS Board areas and the subsequent learning and recommendations.

We are also continuing to work with NHS Health Boards, including NHS Ayrshire and Arran, and local authorities to support implementation of the National Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People. We have recently undertaken a review of the implementation of the Specification and established a new Neurodevelopment Taskforce to drive forward identified recommendations.

In addition to investment through Health Boards, we will also be providing £500,000 additional funding in 2025-26 to improve access to neurodevelopmental support for children and young people, including for ADHD assessments. This is in addition to £250,000 provided in 2024-25, which funded a range of individual projects to improve neurodevelopmental assessment and support for children and young people, including projects that support ADHD diagnosis.

The National Neurodevelopmental Specification: Principles and Standards of Care for Children and Young People sets out the seven standards for all services to support children and young people with neurodevelopmental support needs, including ADHD. The Scottish Government does not currently have any plans to publish specific minimum standards for ADHD post-diagnostic support.

The Scottish Government supports all work being done in primary care, in acute care, in mental health settings, in specialist settings and in residential care, as well as by social care services, public protection chief officers and by social workers to ensure the best opportunities for recovery are available to anyone diagnosed with alcohol-related brain damage.

We are engaging widely on the creation of a new approach to care and support for people impacted by alcohol. That new approach will include plans for a national specification setting out the interventions required to reduce harm. This will include recommendations for the recovery support required for alcohol-related brain damage.

The fostering a positive, inclusive and safe school environment guidance was developed with a range of key stakeholders, including headteachers and teaching unions.

Support staff views were captured through the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research, which informed the development of the guidance. The guidance responds to a direct ask from school staff, including support staff, for clarity and support in responding to behaviour and reflects a range of evidence from teaching unions on this issue.

In addition, UNISON is represented on the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools, which oversaw the development of the guidance. The Advisory Group also contains representation from a range of perspectives including EIS, NASUWT, Education and Parents organisations.