Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

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 ��˿�� 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-09153

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is on track to meet the target to clear (a) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and (b) psychological therapies waiting lists by March 2023, as set out in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026.

The Scottish Government remain committed to meeting the standard that 90% of patients start treatment for CAMHS and Psychological Therapies within 18 weeks of referral by March 2023.

There have been obvious operational difficulties caused by Covid-19 and the restrictions necessarily put in place over the pandemic. However, latest statistics for both CAMHS and Psychological Therapies (PT) published on 7 June 2022, , for the latest quarter ending 31 March 2022 show that there has seen an all-time high number of children and young people beginning treatment for CAMHS. It is also the highest number of children beginning treatment within 18 weeks under this measure since quarter ending June 2016. It is also encouraging to see significant progress with Psychological Therapies waiting times with a significant decrease in long waits over one year and a decrease for those waiting over 18 weeks.

This reflects the effects of the Scottish Government’s improvement work with Health Boards and the additional investment – which is growing the workforce and reducing backlogs resulting in shorter waiting times and a better experience for individuals and families supported by our NHS.

We are working with Boards closely and will continue to monitor their performance against the waiting times standard.

Question reference: S6W-09148

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what interim targets it has set to clear (a) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and (b) psychological therapies waiting times by March 2023, as set out in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026.

Question reference: S6W-09151

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether clearing the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and psychological therapies waiting times by March 2023, as set out in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026, is referring to meeting the target for (a) 90% of people referred to CAMHS and psychological therapies to be seen within 18 weeks or (b) no person having to wait longer than 18 weeks to start treatment, or whether it is referring to another measure.

Question reference: S6O-01301

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the rural affairs secretary last met with Crown Estate Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-01248

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 20 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 June 2022

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

Question reference: S6W-08799

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07966 by Humza Yousaf on 17 May 2022, how much of £12 million made available in 2021-22 to support the mental health and wellbeing of the NHS workforce has been spent, broken down by where it has been allocated.

From the £12 million we made available to support the wellbeing of the health, social work and social care workforce in 2021-22, we:

Used £3.5 million to assist in the continuation of our national wellbeing resources
Allocated £2 million to Health and Social Care Partnerships to provide evidence-based support to meet the needs of those working in primary and social care
Allocated £2 million to Health and Social Care Partnerships to be used by Chief Officers of Integration Authorities (IA's) to support staff wellbeing during the winter pressures
Allocated £2 million to Health Boards to support NHS staff wellbeing during the winter pressures
Allocated £1.5 million to Health Boards to provide additional practical support that staff needed due to increased pressure from the Omicron variant
Made £1 million available to support wellbeing projects for staff working in Adult Social Work and Social Care

Question reference: S6O-01238

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has now published all the legal advice it has received in relation to a second independence referendum.

Question reference: S6W-08318

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the decision to review the option structure for the ScotWind leasing process, as announced by Crown Estate Scotland on 11 February 2021, which states that “the decision has been taken with the support of Scottish Government Ministers”, whether it will provide details of its role (a) in initiating the review and (b) during the review that followed.

Crown Estate Scotland (CES) and the Scottish Government were informed of The Crown Estate’s Round 4 results at the same time. These results indicated a significant change in the offshore wind market. As the ScotWind registration and application process had already opened, CES informed Scottish Ministers that it intended to pause the process in order to conduct a rapid review. The Scottish Government provided advice on process and implications for broader offshore wind policies in Scotland. During the review, Scottish Government were kept regularly informed of the review’s progress through to completion as delivery of the review as swiftly as possible was key to keeping the ScotWind process on track.

Question reference: S6W-08319

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all information that it (a) provided and (b) received in relation to the decision to set the maximum fee per km2 of seabed under the ScotWind leasing process at £100,000, as announced by Crown Estate Scotland on 24 March 2021.

Crown Estate Scotland (CES) is responsible for the ScotWind seabed leasing process and the management and collation of the information used to support its decision to review and, ultimately, change the option fee prices for seabed leasing. The Scottish Government has already released the advisory note procured from Strathclyde University ( ) and did not provide any further information to CES.

CES also procured additional advice that the Scottish Government do hold but these have not been released due to the ongoing nature of ScotWind clearing process and applications.

Question reference: S6W-08317

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it proposed that ScotWind’s option fee model should include annual fees, and, if so, whether it did so (a) prior to or (b) following the announcement of the results, in February 2021, of the Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4 auction by the Crown Estate.

Crown Estate Scotland (CES) is responsible for the ScotWind seabed leasing process and undertook the review following the Round 4 announcements. The Scottish Government was informed of options under consideration by CES and of the review’s conclusions, which it supports. Annual fees were considered by CES but ultimately not selected as a preferred option, before or after review.

Furthermore, once projects have secured seabed leases and wind farms are generating energy annual rental payments will be made.