Chamber and committees

The information requested is not held centrally. Aggregate CAMHS waiting times statistics are published by Public Health Scotland every quarter and report on waiting times from referral to first treatment appointment. Health Boards have just been allocated £4.25 million for 2021-22 from the £120m Recovery and Renewal Fund to clear CAMHS backlogs. Those Boards with the longest waits are also receiving enhanced improvement support to deliver local recovery plans by mid- June.

The Scottish Government remains committed to implementing the licensing of driven grouse shooting and is currently developing proposals for a full public and stakeholder consultation with the aim of bringing forward legislation during this parliamentary term.

The timing of the consultation will depend on the legislative programme for the Parliament, which will be set out in due course.

We recognise the importance to sustainable aquaculture of high fish health and welfare standards. We will therefore consider the EU’s Strategic Guidelines on Sustainable Aquaculture alongside other sources of advice such as the UK Animal Welfare Committee, the British Veterinary Association and the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission.

The information requested is not held centrally. All Boards are currently offering a mix of online and face to face appointments in CAMHS. It is a matter for individual Health Boards and clinicians to determine how autism assessments are administered.

Face to face appointments for CAMHS autism assessments can take place under all levels of COVID-19 protection, subject to clinical need and adherence to Covid-safe practices.

The Scottish Government is currently considering the recommendations of the farmer-led groups set up in the last parliament concerning future financial support for farmers. These included recommendations to improve animal health and welfare. The Scottish government is committed to working with farmers, crofters and others as we take this work forward.

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of all animals very seriously; and provision is made for the keepers of all animals to provide for their welfare under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

The Scottish Government is aware of calls for the phasing out of enriched cages for laying hens and farrowing crates for sows across Europe and will consider these carefully.

The Scottish Government will consider the nature of any duty on UK Government Ministers that may arise as a result of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill and recommendations of the Scottish Animal Welfare Committee before making any plans in this area.

The Scottish Government follows the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) Guidance in the planning of vaccine delivery. This evidence-based guidance advises that the single greatest risk of mortality from COVID-19 is increasing age, and that the risk increases exponentially with age.

The Scottish Government greatly values the work of Scotland’s police officers and staff in keeping communities safe throughout this pandemic. They have been at the frontline of this public health response, and we are so grateful for the work they have undertaken.

Decisions to prioritise one population group over another are not taken lightly, nor are they straightforward. That is why our prioritisation decisions are guided by the independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

We are adhering to the priority list devised by the JCVI which has been designed to target those at greatest risk from COVID-19 and is estimated to address over 90 per cent of preventable mortality from the virus in Scotland. This is the priority rollout all nations of the UK are working towards and it is important that we adhere to these lists in order to avoid more lives being lost.

Marine Scotland has not granted any EPS licences for the use of ADDs or ASDs at fish farms. Marine Scotland does not hold information on whether or how many ADDs or ASDs are currently operating at fish farms. Marine Scotland will be undertaking an assurance process to verify that fish farms are complying with the requirements of the Habitats Regulations. This process is not necessarily governed by where farms are in the production cycle or the type of nets used.

The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation announced on 1 March that the sector is no longer using ADDs that "may be considered to cause disturbance to cetaceans". We welcome the steps taken by the aquaculture industry to remove ADDs and have reminded them of their obligations in relation to European Protected Species.