Friday 5 August 2016 SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT Communities Pauline McNeill () (): To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been (a) placed in (i) foster and (ii) kinship care and (b) classified as homeless as a result of parental imprisonment in each of the last five years. (S5W-1641) McDonald: The Scottish Government does not collect data on the sub-reasons for children becoming looked after, so it is not possible to provide specific data on the numbers of children being placed in kinship and foster care due to parental imprisonment. The annual totals of children becoming looked after in foster care and kinship care (some of whom may have entered the care system due to parental imprisonment) are presented here: 2010- 2011- 2012- 2013- 2014- 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Starting to be looked after in kinship 842 967 960 884 890 care Starting to be looked after in foster 1,097 1,404 1,421 1,443 1,237 care All children starting to be looked after 4,746 4,811 4,470 4,295 4,198 The most relevant figures to homelessness available are in the following table, which details the number of children in households applying as homeless, where the main applicant had previously been in prison: 2008- 2009- 2010- 2011- 2012- 2013- 2014- 2015- 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Male 69 75 88 94 64 46 30 32 Children Female 69 81 72 85 73 39 30 30 Children All Children 138 156 160 179 137 85 60 62 It should be noted that the applicant’s earlier imprisonment may only be one of a number of factors leading to a homelessness application. Learning and Justice Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to recruit more additional support needs teachers across Scotland. (S5W-1384) John Swinney: The recruitment of teachers is a matter for local authorities. Additional Support Needs teaching is a supplementary qualification which is studied by a teacher who has been teaching for a number of years.

Monica Lennon (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce guidance to ensure that the needs of children in mainstream schools requiring toilet assistance are satisfactorily supported, as recommended by the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland. (S5W-1441) Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government is in the final stages of developing guidance on the provision of healthcare in schools. This guidance provides advice to NHS Boards and education authorities on a range of issues including intimate care. The guidance has been developed with a range of key stakeholders including representatives from the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland. It will be published shortly for full public consultation. Finalised guidance will be published following the consultation.

Monica Lennon (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support children and young people affected by bereavement. (S5W-1444) Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government recognises the impact bereavement can have on people’s lives, whether young or older, and where children and young people in particular are concerned it is supporting a broad programme of action to improve services including: Work across NHS Scotland to improve training and education for staff, patients, families and carers. Led by NHS Education Scotland, new education resources and a bespoke “Support Around Death” website for professionals are in place; The provision of funding to support third sector organisations who play a vital role in informing, supporting and counselling, including: Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland and their work to assist with the re-integration of children and young people into society after a bereavement; and Richmond’s Hope, to extend their successful Edinburgh based model of child bereavement services to the west of Scotland with a new Glasgow centre due to open next month; Through the Named Person provisions of Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC), providing a clear point of contact for children, young people and parents making it more straightforward to get help and advice; The establishment of more efficient and receptive support services around mental health services for bereaved children and young people as part of the additional £150m investment in mental health services over the next 5 years; Specific action is planned as part of the new Mental Health Strategy, which will be published later this year, aimed at ensuring that young people have good mental health and that agencies act early enough when issues such as grief and bereavement emerge and impact young lives.

Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending positive behaviour support as an alternative to restraint and seclusion measures to all schools working with children and young people with learning disabilities. (S5W-1671) Mark McDonald: We have made clear that the Scottish Government is committed to incorporating further guidance on physical restraint and seclusion within the refreshed ‘Included, Engaged and Involved Part 2: A Positive Approach to Preventing and Managing Schools Exclusions’ (IEI2). This guidance is for all children, including children with complex additional support needs, including those arising from learning disabilities. This is in line with the petition responses stating that restraint and seclusion should be seen within the context of early intervention, positive relationships and behaviour. The purpose of the guidance is to support local authorities, mainstream and special schools and other learning establishments and their partners to keep all children and young people fully included, engaged and involved in their education wherever this takes place; and to improve outcomes for those most at risk of exclusion. The guidance focuses on prevention, early intervention and responses to individual need, incorporating staged interventions and additional support to prevent problems escalating. The draft guidance is clear that ‘it is only acceptable to physically intervene or to restrain a child or young person where the member of staff reasonably believes in all the circumstances that if he/she does not physically intervene or restrain the child or young person, the child or young person’s actions are likely to cause physical damage or harm to that pupil or to another person.’ It also highlights that ‘The use of physical intervention, physical restraint and seclusion should all be included in an agreed plan and be used as a last resort. Where seclusion is used it should be used under supervision and should take into account the additional support needs of the child or young person.’ Transport Scotland Pauline McNeill (Glasgow ) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the reasons for the delay of the electrification of the Glasgow to Edinburgh rail line. Holding answer issued: 4 August 2016 (S5W-1293) : At my instruction, Transport Scotland are undertaking an intensive review of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme. This work is expected to conclude in September 2016. In my statement of 5 July 2016, I made clear my intention to bring the review findings and senior Network Rail officials before the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee to answer any questions and to set out clearly when they will deliver the promised improvements and how much they will cost.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow ) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether the current improvements to Glasgow Queen Street rail station will be completed to allow the station to reopen to the public in early August 2016. Holding answer issued: 4 August 2016 (S5W-1294) Humza Yousaf: Network Rail advises us that the work in Queen Street Tunnel is making good progress. The tunnel remains on schedule to re-open as planned on 8 August 2016.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow ) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether the delays to electrification of the Glasgow to Edinburgh rail line are a result of financial considerations. Holding answer issued: 4 August 2016 (S5W-1295) Humza Yousaf: Financial considerations are not the reason for the delays to the electrification of the Edinburgh Glasgow line now being reported by Network Rail. The reasons will be set out in full following the conclusion of the Transport Scotland led review.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how long after the notice of low emission zones has been given to relevant parties will the zones be fully operational. (S5W-1319) Humza Yousaf: Our approach to supporting the delivery of Low Emission Zones in Scotland is described in the National Low Emission Framework (NLEF) within the Cleaner Air for Scotland (CAFS) strategy. NLEF will allow local authorities and partners to appraise, justify the business case for, and implement, a range of air quality improvement options related to transport and associated land use, including Low Emission Zones, based on clear evidence. The current National Low Emission Framework (NLEF) programme, is as follows. Data collection and evidence gathering to be complete by mid-2017. Appraisal of sites from mid-2017, with the first NLEF scheme decisions, including any Low Emission Zones, to be confirmed, and notice given to the relevant parties, by the end of 2018.Implementation and operation of first schemes, such as Low Emission Zones, by 2020. This timeline for delivering the NLEF is ambitious and we will ensure continuous engagement with all stakeholders at each stage, on evidence gathering, analysis, and the detail of the NLEF options, including Low Emission Zones, as we progress. Our approach is aimed at maximising partner and public buy-in and ensuring that those who have to adjust their actions and activities are allowed to do so. This pragmatic approach is essential to deliver air quality improvements, whilst recognising the legitimate needs and expectations of local communities. Richard Lochhead (Moray) (): To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has or (b) has had plans to introduce a loan fund for communities seeking to upgrade roads to a standard that would allow them to be adopted by local authorities and, if so, whether it will provide details. (S5W-1324) Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has not introduced a loan fund specifically for communities seeking to upgrade roads to an adoptable standard and has no current plans to establish one for this purpose. The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 ("the 1984 Act") places the statutory responsibility for local roads, including private roads, with local road authorities. While local road authorities are responsible for the improvement, maintenance and repair of public roads on its list of roads, section 14 of the 1984 Act - Power to contribute to, or carry out, work on private roads, enables them to contribute to the maintenance of private roads. Whether there are funds available to assist in any particular case is a matter for the relevant local roads authority. The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2016-17 is over £10.3 billion. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities. You may find the Communities Channel Scotland Website (www.communityscot.org.uk/resources/grow-your-community) helpful, funded by the Scottish Government and hosted by the Scottish Community Development Centre, it has useful information for community groups, including information on funding and support. You will also find links to other Community Funds on the Scottish Government website here: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built- Environment/regeneration/communityfunds.

Michael Russell (Argyll and Bute) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct Transport Scotland to collect data from 1 August 2016 for a period of 12 months on (a) unsuccessful attempts to book vehicles on CalMac Ferries to Islay, Coll, Tiree, Colonsay and Mull and the reasons; (b) cancellations of sailings on these routes and the reasons for such cancellations, (c) space on each sailing on these routes pre-booked by hauliers or other regular major users and not taken up and (d) utilisation of such space by unbooked or weight-listed vehicles and any such space left unfilled at the time of sailing. (S5W-1335) Humza Yousaf: CalMac Ferries Limited, as the current operator of the Clyde & Hebrides Ferry Services collect a range of data to forecast and evaluate demand on all the services they provide. Much of this data is, however, commercially confidential. Evaluation reports of the impact of the Road Equivalent Tariff pilots have been published on the Transport Scotland website. Transport Scotland will continue to monitor the impact of the network-wide roll out of Road Equivalent Tariff in October 2015 and discuss this with the operator.