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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: S6W-23579

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 19 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of children in the NHS Tayside area who were referred for mental health treatment in (i) 2021, (ii) 2022 and (iii) 2023 started treatment within the 18-week target.

Table 1 shows total referrals, accepted referrals, total started treatment, total started treatment within 18 weeks of referral and percentage started treatment within 18 weeks of referral at NHS Tayside for 2021, 2022 and 2023 (January to September which is the latest published data).

The Scottish Government national standard is that 90% of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral.

Table 1: Number of total referrals, accepted referrals, total started treatment, started treatment within 18 weeks of referral, and percentage stared treatment within 18 weeks from referral to treatment, for calendar years 2021, 2022 and 2023 (January – September), NHS Tayside

	2021	2022	2023 (Jan-Sep)
Total Referrals	2,076	2,404	1,719
Accepted Referrals	1,534	1,561	889
Total Started treatment	1,328	1,196	934
Started treatment within 18 Weeks	1,134	873	553
% Started treatment within 18 Weeks	85.4	73.0	59.2

Source: PHS CAMHS database

Question reference: S6W-23613

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently imprisoned in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-23512

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what direct action it will take to encourage local authorities to collect more accurate recording of inappropriate, abusive or violent behaviour in schools.

I was clear in my statement to Parliament on 29 November that I encourage, in the strongest possible terms, more accurate recording of all incidents of inappropriate, abusive or violent behaviour in our schools. Recording and monitoring plays an essential role in helping schools identify recurring patterns of behaviour and ensuring early intervention and appropriate support.

Our national guidance on monitoring and recording incidents of bullying in schools makes clear that all schools and local authorities are expected to record all incidents of abusive or violent behaviour. The Scottish Government is currently considering this guidance as part of the review into the national anti-bullying guidance, ‘Respect for All’. In particular, updates to this guidance will be informed by the forthcoming second phase of Education Scotland’s thematic inspection looking at good practice in responding to bullying. Updated Respect for All Guidance will be published in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-23509

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the £900,000 for local authorities to offer support training for staff to tackle post-COVID-19 pandemic challenges in schools, as announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 29 November 2023, whether it will instruct local authorities that this support should be ringfenced for training for education staff.

Question reference: S6W-23508

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to distribute the £900,000 for local authorities to offer support training for staff to tackle post-COVID-19 pandemic challenges in schools, as announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 29 November 2023.

Question reference: S6W-23491

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish its national action plan to tackle violence in schools.

Question reference: S6W-22984

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider reviewing the current relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education resources to ensure that sufficient education on abortion is included.

It is up to schools and teachers to decide what resources to use when delivering relevant and engaging learning. A summary of resources that may be used to support delivery of RSHP education is available on Education Scotland's National Improvement Hub at https://education.gov.scot/resources/a-summary-of-rshp-resources/. One of these resources is the RSHP National learning and teaching resource which contains a learning activity at third/fourth level (Secondary 1 to Secondary 3) on abortion. This activity lets young people know that abortion or termination services are available and that sexual health services are confidential. The partnerships of health boards and local authorities who supported development of this resource conducted a review of all learning activities this year.

Officials have also been working with key stakeholders to review and revise the statutory teaching guidance on RSHP education. The public consultation on the revised guidance closed on 23 November 2023 with over 3,800 responses received. Officials are now analysing the contributions to the public consultation with a view to finalising and publishing the statutory guidance for the start of the next academic year.

Question reference: S6T-01709

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out and use of tasers within Police Scotland, in light of reports that they have been used 131 times, and discharged nine times, against children since 2018.

Question reference: S6T-01702

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Police Scotland is considering closing more than 40 police buildings.

Question reference: S6F-02675

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that Creative Scotland's National Lottery Extended Programme Fund has received applications equating to double the available budget, leaving some organisations and charities without funding.