Chamber and committees

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

The Scottish Government does not collect this data. Individual NHS boards may hold this data locally and are best placed to advise.

We do know that eating disorders can co-occur with neurodevelopmental conditions including autism and ADHD. The draft National Specification for Treatment and Care of Eating Disorders outlines that we would expect services to work jointly with other services to care for anyone with co-occurring considerations.

The Scottish Government also partners with and provides funding to a number of organisations that can support neurodivergent people who are living with an eating disorder. These include the National Autistic Society Scotland, which has published useful guidance and information that can help autistic people who struggle with eating in different ways.

We are committed to supporting people to access the right care at the right time and having support in place to respond to the whole person needs of those who suffer from an eating disorder. That is why in 2023-24 we allocated £55.5 million to Health Boards to improve the quality and delivery of mental health and psychological services for all, including eating disorder services.

The Scottish Government has recently developed a draft National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland which will be finalised later this year. It clearly outlines that we would expect services to have specialist pathways and work jointly with other services to care for anyone with co-occurring considerations such as neurodiversity, pregnancy, diabetes etc.

The vast majority of people with eating disorders will be treated in the community, with support provided by primary care or community mental health teams, and with support links to specialist hospital or voluntary sector care where appropriate.

We have also provided Beat, the UK’s largest Eating Disorder charity, with over £600,000 to provide a range of support services for those impacted by an eating disorder.

The Scottish Government is supporting the NHS to offer the best evidence-based care and treatment to anyone who needs it. Decisions on what the best, and most appropriate, treatment options are for patients are informed by official guidelines, and clinical and professional involvement in someone’s care.

In 2022, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), produced for the first time Scottish specific eating disorder treatment guidelines. These guidelines cover referrals, management of medical and mental health risks, choice of treatments and management of transitions. In addition NHS Education Scotland have recently published the updated evidence summary for the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa.

We recognise that anyone who might be suffering with an eating disorder needs to get the help they need, when they need it. We therefore expect mental health services across Scotland to respond rapidly and decisively to the needs of our vulnerable people, particularly those with eating disorders.

It is vital that everyone has the opportunity to engage in decisions about future development. We are clear that this engagement must begin as early as possible by developers, at the pre-application stage. It should be effective, collaborative and meaningful, in order to truly influence the final application.

Once a section 36 or 37 application has been submitted to the Energy Consents Unit, members of the general public or groups may make direct representations and comment to the Scottish Ministers.

Scottish Ministers take these views into account, alongside all other application documentation in making their decision.

The Electricity Act 1989 preserves the requirement for local planning authorities to be consulted and for a public inquiry to be required in particular circumstances. The Scottish Government is clear that the views of local planning authorities are an important consideration in the decision making process.

The SCTS is committed to exploring new technologies, including the potential for Artificial Intelligence, to help improve its services. During the 2024-25 financial year the SCTS will assess the potential to use AI-supported natural language processing in support of transcription services.

The Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) record solemn criminal proceedings using a Digital Audio Recording System. While the record of proceedings will be retained by SCTS, they are not routinely transcribed.

Transcription is done by an external agency and the details of the procurement contract are entirely a matter for SCTS. I can advise that SCTS has utilised a Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Framework RM1557 contract, available to all Government organisations. The benefits of this contract are, scalable services enabling pay for what you use, and the ability to increase or reduce what you need easily alongside a quick and easy route to market.

This information is not held centrally. Public Health Scotland published a Gastrointestinal and Zoonoses report on 7 February 2023 which provides figures and trends of Lyme Disease. The report can be found at Gastrointestinal and Zoonoses - Biennial report 2020 to 2021 - Gastrointestinal and Zoonoses - Publications - Public Health Scotland .

If you have an enquiry relating to this publication, please email [email protected].

The Scottish Government is committed to continuing its work on preventing, raising awareness and improving our understanding of Lyme disease and ticks.

The Scottish Government-led Lyme Disease Awareness Raising Group will run the Lyme Disease Awareness Raising Campaign in May 2024 to coincide with National Lyme Disease Awareness Month. During which patients, activists, educators and Government will share information through social media and other platforms to raise awareness of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

In May 2023, the group ran the Lyme Disease Awareness Raising Campaign which saw posters in community pharmacies across Scotland. The campaign was supported by PR activity, organic social media and stakeholder engagement for wider messaging dissemination. In addition to the posters, pharmacies were provided with information cards for customers to take away which included a QR code to link to further information on NHS Inform

A follow up campaign was carried out in summer 2023, with posters provided for display in local libraries, GP surgeries, community and leisure centres to highlight signs and symptoms to people holidaying in Scotland and may have missed the May campaign.

The campaign assets were shared with a variety of stakeholders including Visit Scotland, the Lyme Resource Centre, and Ramblers Scotland. A small-scale evaluation was undertaken in July in relation to engagement and impact of the May campaign.

The Scottish Health Protection Network (SHPN), comprising Public Health Scotland (PHS) and NHS Health Boards, as well as Local Authorities and other agencies with a responsibility for public health, formed a Lyme disease group as a subgroup of the Gastrointestinal Infections and Zoonoses (GIZ) group at the beginning of 2016.

The Scottish Government continue to work closely with PHS and the as well as the SHPN Tick Borne Diseases subgroup which has developed content for an e-learning module to be made accessible through Turas for all health care workers in Scotland which is hoped to be ready this spring. The module covers an overview of ticks and tick borne diseases and focusses on the common presentations of Lyme disease which will allow care workers to diagnosis and treatment for the diseases early.

In addition, the Scottish Government will continue to use its own platforms to highlight the need to be tick aware and to set out the signs and symptoms of possible infection.