Chamber and committees

Good morning, cabinet secretary. Do you have any plans to increase the health protection resource in Scotland in areas where Scotland has been identified as the lead—for example, in review of disease notifications, analysis of four nations working groups and the evolving science of genomics?

My question is for Greig Chalmers. Some of the women will have taken out loans or used credit cards, or even remortgaged houses in some cases. Will they be eligible for reimbursement of costs that they have incurred through interest payments on the loans?

Good morning. How does the amount of time that children and young people spend on social media affect their health and wellbeing? Online bullying has an impact on young people’s mental health. Has that increased during the pandemic? What more can the Government and public services do to highlight the dangers of social media to young people?

Good afternoon, cabinet secretary. The national performance framework has nine indicators and targets for health. How does that fit with other performance frameworks, such as the local delivery plan standards and the national health and wellbeing outcomes? Which framework has the greatest prominence in setting budgets and spending decisions?

Given all the information that is gathered and evidenced in the national performance framework, has it ever led to definite and specific changes in the budget plans?

Thank you, convener. Good afternoon, panel members. We have heard about variations in local services, but “Delivering Effective Services” acknowledges the issue of timescales for perinatal mental health services. Are the current timescales adequate? That question is for Joanne Smith.

I have one more question and it is for Clea Harmer. What impact has the national bereavement care pathway Scotland project had so far on increasing bereavement care and reducing local and national inequalities?

The submissions from all the people involved—such as the Scottish Legal Complaints Committee—are not very supportive of the petition. However, I note that there will be a review of mental wellbeing and social care in 2023, I think—I might stand corrected on that. Nonetheless, if the petitioner is not happy with the outcome of that, they can bring a petition back. I am therefore happy to close the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders.

I do not know whether there is any appetite from any of the political parties or the Government to change the voting system, but I think that we should write to the key stakeholders—the Electoral Reform Society Scotland and the Electoral Commission—to seek their views on what the petitioner is asking for.

I agree with colleagues. We should keep the petition open and seek advice from stakeholders.