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 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: S5W-33353

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the further funding to support additional COVID-19 spending across health and social care services, how much (a) has already been transferred and (b) will be made available in the current financial year to each NHS board; how many tranches of payments this will include; on what dates each tranche of payments will be delivered, and whether the additional funding is limited to COVID-19 spending activities, or can be used to cover additional costs where savings were unable to be made as a result of the pandemic’s impact.

The Scottish Government has confirmed additional funding of £1.1 billion to support the health and social care sector in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding announcement provides support for the additional costs reported by Boards in responding to COVID-19, including additional staffing and equipment costs included in Local Mobilisation Plans.

It is for individual Boards and Integration Authorities to determine how best to use these resources to recognise local pressures and priorities. Detail on funding for each NHS Board area is set out in response to question S5W-32107 on 29 September 2020.

Further funding will be made available in the coming months to ensure that our frontline services continue to have the funding that they require. This will include provision of support for additional costs where savings were unable to be made as a consequence of the pandemic.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Question reference: S5W-33216

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the construction of the proposed HMP Highland, which company was awarded the public contract published on 26 August 2020 to provide specialist professional advisory services relating to the development of the new prison facility; how much this cost; what actions were required to address specific planning conditions in the planning consents; what the budgeted cost was for these additional works; what the cost has been to date; what the current projected final cost is; whether the additional works required in the planning permission to open the site have been completed; if so, on what date they were completed; if not, (i) when they will be completed and (ii) on completion of these works, on what date funding will be made available to begin construction of HMP Highland, and what negotiations have taken place for additional public transport availability to and from the new site.

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

Baker Hicks Ltd. were awarded the public contract published on 26 August 2020 to provide specialist advisory services relating to the new HMP Highland. The total cost of the services to be provided by Baker Hicks is £50,904.

Planning Permission in Principle (PPIP) for the development of HMP Highland at Inverness Retail and Business park was obtained in December 2017. The permission was granted subject to various Matters Specified in Conditions (MSCs) which must be addressed by the applicant and discharged by the planning authority prior to development commencement Baker Hicks Ltd. were commissioned to carry out preparatory work in support of the discharge of the MSCs and submit the applications to the Highland Council.

The cost of the physical works which are covered by the MSCs, for example landscaping, lighting and drainage will be included in the design and build contract, which has still to reach the invitation to tender stage. None of the physical construction work has therefore commenced.

The total cost to date in progressing the HMP Highland project is £5,516,864, which includes costs associated with the purchase of the land. The current overall project budget estimate is £92m, subject to confirmation of requirements and any changes in inflation projections.

The additional works that are required by the planning permission before opening the site have not been completed. The MSCs require to be agreed through formal application prior to the commencement of the development of the site. This is the work that is currently being progressed by Baker Hicks Ltd. The original deadline for submission of the application(s) to discharge the MSCs was 20 December 2020. This has been extended to 30 September 2021 under the emergency provisions within the Coronavirus legislation. It is our intention to progress the application as soon as practicably possible.

We anticipate that HMP Highland will feature within the Scottish Government’s Infrastructure and Investment plan and funding may form part of budget considerations before the end of this financial year.

Condition 11 of the PPIP requires the Scottish Prison Service to provide a Travel Plan to ensure that there is management and monitoring of traffic generated by staff and visitors travelling to and from the new establishment once it is operational. Traffic impacts were originally modelled within the Transport Assessment which was submitted as part of the PPIP application. The PPIP consent did not include any requirement for the Scottish Prison Service to provide or negotiate any additional public transport services to the site. However, a section 75 agreement was concluded with Highland Council which required the payment of an infrastructure contribution for active travel and road improvements. The S75 agreement also included the transfer of land and the granting of rights over SPS land for road construction/improvement. The latter includes land which has been used for the formation of the new active travel link over the railway line between the University of the Highland and Islands and the Retail Park. This is now in operation and is being utilised by local bus services, pedestrians and cyclists.

Question reference: S5W-33215

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 26 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will launch its Consultation on Scottish Court Fees 2021-2024.

There is no statutory requirement for the Scottish Government to review court fees on a specific date. However, court fees have generally been reviewed every three years, with the last full round being implemented in 2018. The Scottish Government intended to complete a full review of court fees this year and as part of the review launch a full consultation. This position has now changed.

Ministers have reflected on the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 emergency upon volumes of court business and SCTS’ income. We have concluded that the review should be delayed until next year.

We would expect that the full 12 week public consultation will be run sometime in late spring/early summer 2021.

Running the consultation within that revised timeframe will allow for a more meaningful consultation for a number of reasons. It will benefit from the civil courts system having another few months of the recovery and renewal process. We will also have a greater sense of whether any longer term implications may arise and whether that requires a more fundamental look at how fees are charged and exemptions are applied.

Additionally, it will also allow issues raised by Petition PE1748: Review of the Sheriff Court Fees Order 2018 ( make self-litigation more accessible to disabled people) to be fully considered and included in the consultation.

Question reference: S5O-04790

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on funding level 2 of SVQ training for social care workers, given their role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-33107

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the length of time for children waiting to have a neurological assessment under the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, including those waiting to be added to, as well as those already on, the waiting list.

Scottish Government funds the National Autism Implementation Team, which was established in partnership with Queen Margaret University and continues to support NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to consider best practice and improve service through the redesigning of autism and wider neurodevelopmental diagnostic services.

NAIT supported development of the first national CAMHS Service Specification (published Feb 2020: https://www.gov.scot/publications/child-adolescent-mental-health-services
-camhs-nhs-scotland-national-service-specification/ ). The specification includes action to reduce both: the waiting time for a first assessment appointment and the waiting time for any subsequent treatment; and outlines the level of provision that children, young people and families can expect to receive when referred for help within the NHS.

NHS Boards will be expected to set out plans on how they will implement the CAMHS service specification to ensure consistent high standards are achieved across all NHS boards.

Scottish Government is developing a neurodevelopmental service specification for children and young people who require support for their neurodevelopmental profiles and needs, but who do not meet the mental health criteria for CAMHS. The neurodevelopmental service specification will complement the CAMHS service specification to set the standards of service that children and young people with neurodevelopmental profiles and support needs can expect to receive. This will address the need of those children and young people who require support for their neurodevelopmental profiles and needs, but who do not meet the mental health criteria for CAMHS.

Question reference: S5W-33105

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many children in (a) the NHS Highland region and (b) Scotland are currently waiting to be added onto the waiting list to have a neurological assessment under the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.

Question reference: S5W-33104

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the current waiting time is for children in (a) the NHS Highland region and (b) Scotland who are on the waiting list to have a neurological assessment under the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.

Question reference: S5W-33103

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many children in (a) the NHS Highland region and (b) Scotland are currently on the waiting list to have a neurological assessment under the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.

Question reference: S5W-33106

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the current waiting time is for children in (a) the NHS Highland region and (b) Scotland who are waiting to be added onto the waiting list to having a neurological assessment under the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.

Question reference: S5O-04734

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how the additional £700 million of funding from the UK Government for the current financial year will be spent.