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No date has been set for the electrification of the Maryhill railway line. However in line with the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan this route will be considered by Transport Scotland, who will, in turn, provide advice to Scottish Ministers for decision.

The Decarbonisation Action Plan commits to all passenger diesel trains being replaced; the order and programme in which that is done will depend on business cases and available budgets.

It is the responsibility of NHS Scotland to track mental health expenditure and ensure local budget decisions and use of the overall resources made available by the Scottish Government are used efficiently; effectively and deliver fit for purpose services in line with national and local priorities and the requirements of the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

Mental Health Directorate engages regularly with NHS Boards to discuss performance on key priorities.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

Our records indicate that there are currently less than five female individuals in our care who have identified themselves as having served in the armed forces.

Net mental health expenditure is published on the Public Health Scotland website under data files This information is available for financial years 2011-12 to 2021-22 for each NHS Board in Scotland, split by various types of expenditure including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), adult mental health services, and older adult mental health services. Please note that expenditure data is collected by broad specialties and therefore categories may include multiple ‘services’.

The Scottish Government’s mental health budget is delegated to the Directorate for Mental Health within DG Health and Social Care. The Directorate manages the budget in line with the scheme of delegation as set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM).

In line with the SPFM, the Directorate monitor the propriety, regularity and accuracy of financial transactions to ensure they are effective and efficient on a monthly basis via the DG Health and Social Care budget monitoring process. Progress is assessed on a regular basis and there is regular engagement with stakeholders in receipt of funding.

The funding allocated to the National Wellbeing Hub was £141,759 in financial year 2020-21 and £203,362 in financial year 2021-22.

We are fully supportive of the need to properly maintain and invest in our existing estate. This is why we are committed to doubling our annual funding for maintenance over the capital spending review period. This means that we will invest around £1 billion in enhancing or refurbishing existing health facilities, and updating and modernising medical equipment that is essential for delivering high quality medical services. However, it is for NHS Boards locally, to determine how that resource will be invested and it is for them to decide how they will manage property on the Buildings at Risk Register.

The Scottish Government delivers support for the historic environment through sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland. This support allows Historic Environment Scotland to publish advice and guidance on its website which enables the owners of traditional and historic properties in Scotland to make informed choices about the options available to them.

The following table sets out how many training places were advertised per year from 2018-2022, the number of posts which filled successfully, the fill rate (%) and the number of unfilled posts.

We want all children and young people, including those with dyslexia, to receive the support they need to reach their full potential. The Additional Support for Learning Act places duties on education authorities to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils. We are committed to supporting teachers and school staff to meet these needs.

We have provided a range of free professional learning opportunities for teachers aimed at supporting practitioners to further develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in supporting learners with dyslexia, and reduce barriers to learning. This includes the Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit and identification pathway, launched in 2017, and the Dyslexia and Inclusive Practice online professional learning modules, which enable staff to gain professional recognition in this area.

We are committed to ensuring that every child has access to a device by the end of this Parliament, in 2026. We are working with COSLA and local authorities to plan and deliver this programme, ensuring it meets the needs of all learners.

Scotland is home to several vibrant, growing and dynamic technology sectors, and the Scottish Government recognises their importance to our current and future economy. Our 10-year National Strategy for Economic Transformation seeks to strengthen Scotland’s position in new market opportunities, and specifically cites enabling technologies, like photonics and quantum, that have close links to the semiconductor industry. Our Technology Sector Export Plan will also develop the export capacity and capability of our enabling technologies sectors.

Scotland has considerable photonics expertise, being home to approximately 60 companies, and the only Fraunhofer Research Centre in the UK - the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics. In December 2021, I announced £6.5m of funding to support the next phase of its applied photonics research and innovation activities. The development of our quantum sector is supported through institutions such as the University of Glasgow’s Quantum Technology Hub, while Technology Scotland have also established a Quantum Special Interest Group. The Group is currently drafting a paper, due to be published this year, setting out quantum technology ambitions for Scotland over the next decade.