Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-21043

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 19 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the most recent CAMHS waiting time statistics, for the quarter ending in June 2023, which reportedly demonstrate a decrease in the number of children and young people being seen within the 18-week waiting time target.

The most recent CAMHS statistics show that the number of patients starting treatment within 18 weeks of referral did in fact increase in quarter ending June 2023, and in comparison with the same quarter the previous year.

3,760 children and young people (CYP) started treatment within 18 weeks of referral during the quarter ending June 2023, a 3.0% increase from the previous quarter (3,652) and a 5.7% increase from the same quarter in the previous year (3,557).

This is the second highest number of patients starting treatment within 18 weeks of referral for any quarter since 2019 . While the number of patients being seen is increasing, this is not yet reflected in performance against the standard as Boards also continue to work to treat those who have had longer waits.

Question reference: S6W-21042

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 19 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to increase the number of people starting psychological therapies within the 18-week target, following a reported decrease in the number of people being seen within that target window over the previous two quarters to March 2023.

The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting all Boards to meet the standard that 90% of patients start treatment within 18 weeks of referral. We continue to provide targeted, tailored support towards those Boards with the longest waits and poorest performance.

We have allocated £48.6 million of supplementary funding to Boards this year via the Mental Health Outcomes Framework to improve the quality and delivery of mental health services for all. This is in addition to £36.7 million allocated to Health Boards via the Outcomes Framework in 2022-23; and to the total package of core funding that Health Boards receive.

Within the Outcomes Framework funding for this year, Boards are expected to: build capacity within psychological therapy services to deliver the standard and reduce backlogs; improve quality and access in response to local need; and implement the forthcoming national specification for psychological therapies.

Question reference: S6W-20730

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many community link worker posts were funded by the Primary Care Improvement Fund in financial years (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-20729

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will continue any discretionary funding awards made to Health and Social Care Partnerships for community link worker programmes for 2023-24 in the next financial year.

Question reference: S6W-20728

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government to which Health and Social Care Partnerships it has awarded discretionary funding in 2023-24 for community link worker provision, and how many posts were covered by any such discretionary funding awards.

Question reference: S6W-21137

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported marketing for sale of the Clydebridge Steelworks by Liberty Steel, what it is doing to safeguard Clydebridge's future as a green steelmaking facility of strategic importance to the Scottish economy.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17708 on 16 May 2023 The Clydebridge Steelworks site in Cambuslang is not currently operational and no staff are currently employed at the site. The future of the site is an operational matter for Liberty Steel and I understand that a number of options for the future of the site are being considered including a possible sale.

Scottish Government maintain an open dialogue with Liberty Steel and have regular meetings with them.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6O-02524

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to support Glasgow’s museums and galleries.

Question reference: S6W-20684

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any corrosive or erosive effect of rock salt used for the treatment of roads and pedestrian areas in cold weather on the built environment, compared with alternative grit products.

As members of PIARC (World Road Association) and the National Winter Service Research Group (NWSRG), Transport Scotland routinely participates and contributes to research programmes to enable the production of industry best practice.

In 2020, Transport Scotland commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to undertake an introductory review into the effects of the use of rock salt on the major structures and bridges on the Scottish trunk road network.

Transport Scotland are currently reviewing the outcomes of this research including the next phases of research and potential use of alternative de-icing products as advised by the findings.

As an increase in the standard applied to the treatment of footpaths in the recently awarded Scottish Ministers Network Management Contracts (NMCs), precautionary footpath treatments are now undertaken using liquid treatment applications.

Question reference: S6W-20661

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 11 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a target to operate a minimum 15-minute headway on all suburban railway lines in the Glasgow region.

Question reference: S6W-20926

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 7 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland will align with the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which cover colour, nationality, ethnic and national origin.

We are currently developing detailed proposals for the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland (AROS). A formal remit will be drawn up (and published) in due course.

The work of the Observatory will align closely with our obligations under the Equality Act (2010) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and will inform and support implementation of the Convention in Scotland.

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