Plenary,

Meeting date: Thursday, May 1, 2008

Official Report 807KB pdf

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Question Time

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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE

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Health and Wellbeing

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Efficiency Savings

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made within the health and wellbeing portfolio on efficiency savings. (S3O-3133)

The health efficiency savings target for 2005-08 was £531.1 million. The current forecast of savings achieved to end March 2008 is £613.7 million—an overachievement of £82.6 million. Of course, all savings have been retained locally for reinvestment.

The first set of efficiency delivery plans for 2008 to 2011, setting out where we expect to make the required efficiency gains, were published on 15 April 2008. They include plans identifying efficiency savings of £225.94 million in health and wellbeing for 2008-09, against a target for the year of £215.2 million. The outturn report, setting out what has been achieved in 2008-09, will be published in October 2009.

The success of the efficiency savings programme has been given more prominence as a result of the announcement of the planned spend on the new Southern general hospital, which commits the Scottish Government to £550 million and Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board to £270 million. In which financial years will the spend occur? Will the cabinet secretary give a breakdown of the specific spend for the Government and the health board?

The spend will be over the next five financial years.

I am extremely proud that Scotland's biggest ever hospital project will be delivered entirely within the public sector by this Scottish National Party Government. Is that not an amazing achievement? It is undoubtedly the case that, had Labour and the Liberal Democrats still been in government, the hospital would have been delivered under the discredited and expensive private finance initiative model. That is just one more reason to be delighted that we now have an SNP Government in power in Scotland.

Will any of the efficiencies that the cabinet secretary referred to in her original answer apply to the Scottish Ambulance Service?

The cabinet secretary will be aware of the incident in my constituency in which a young man lay dying while a paramedic who was on the scene was prevented, to her great distress, from taking any action to help him, because she was out as a single-person crew. Because of the circumstances, and because of the great distress caused to the family, I have called for an inquiry into the incident. I hope that the cabinet secretary will agree to hold an inquiry, so that the family and the public can know exactly what happened.

That question is very far from being a supplementary to the question in the Business Bulletin. However, if the cabinet secretary wants to answer it, she may.

Given the seriousness of the issue, I am more than happy to respond.

I understand entirely the distress of the family concerned. The case was horrific, and I am sure that everybody in the chamber wants to send their thoughts and condolences to the family.

I have looked very carefully into the circumstances of the case. Although they were horrific, I hope that Margaret Curran will agree that any action taken by the Scottish Ambulance Service was taken to ensure that its personnel, as well as being able to respond to the case, were protected. I know, or I assume, that Margaret Curran would not advocate the sending of Scottish Ambulance Service personnel into situations that were deemed dangerous to their safety.

I will always look into individual cases to ensure that any lessons that can be learned are learned. I will also continue to work with the Scottish Ambulance Service to ensure that the service, as a whole, continues to improve its performance.

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National Health Service (Absence Rates)

To ask the Scottish Executive what its targets are for absence rates within the NHS and what efforts it is making to meet them. (S3O-3116)

The Scottish Government has set a challenging target of 4 per cent sickness absence for NHS boards in Scotland. For the Scottish Ambulance Service and for NHS 24, we have agreed slightly higher targets of 5 per cent and 6 per cent respectively. The date for achieving those targets is March 2009. All boards have agreed to that as part of their local delivery plans for 2008-09.

NHS Scotland has a range of progressive policies in place to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of its workforce, including an innovative occupational health project known as OHS extra and policies to support good work-life balance. There are numerous examples of NHS boards actively working in partnership with their staff to achieve sustained improvements in absence rates.

The cabinet secretary might be aware that, as of November 2007, NHS Fife had a rolling average absence rate of 5.8 per cent. That rate is above the national average, and above that of comparable NHS boards. Can she confirm whether NHS Fife is on track to meet the target of 4 per cent? If she cannot, can she outline the efforts that the Scottish Government will make to ensure that absence rates in NHS Fife at least meet the national average? Will she examine the reasons behind the absence rates of NHS staff in the region and those of the rest of Scotland's hard-working NHS staff?

As I said in my original answer, the target that we have set for absence rates—4 per cent, to be achieved by March 2009—is, rightly, very challenging. All boards will be expected to achieve that challenging target by the due date, and they all have policies in place to achieve it.

When I chaired the annual review of Fife NHS Board last year, I was happy to discuss with it some of the work that it is doing to improve performance in that area, and I will continue to monitor that closely, as I will with all health boards.

I also said in my original answer that all health boards are expected, and have agreed, to outline in their local delivery plans for this year exactly how they intend to make the requisite progress towards the target. I hope that all members will support the actions that boards are taking to achieve the target because that will enable resources to be freed up and spent on front-line care, which I know all members support.

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Suboxone

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend the availability of Suboxone in the treatment of drug addicts. (S3O-3065)

The final decision on which substitute treatment to prescribe rests with the individual practitioner, in liaison with the client and based on the client's specific health needs.

Does the minister agree that treatment of opioid dependence with drugs such as Suboxone reduces cravings and the use of heroin? Does she agree that Suboxone appears from some trials to be less addictive than methadone, which often results, sadly, in patients swapping one addiction for another? Does she further agree that all alternatives must be carefully examined as part of the overall national drugs strategy?

On 12 March 2007, Suboxone was accepted for use as a substitute treatment for opioid drug dependence in NHS Scotland, within a framework of medical, social and psychological treatment. Around 500 patients throughout Scotland are currently being treated with Suboxone. Ultimately, of course, it is a matter for the clinician, because whether the treatment is appropriate is a clinical decision.

Within the drugs strategy that the member referred to, we are taking forward a strategy that is based on recovery from whatever drug is being used to help someone come off their opiate-based drug dependence.

I associate myself with Ted Brocklebank's comments about Suboxone. I know that he has, like me, visited the Drug and Alcohol Project Levenmouth, for which I have the greatest respect. It is clear that it believes that Suboxone is not being prescribed in the right quantities and to the people who need it. I ask the minister to reconsider the matter, and I invite her to join me in visiting the project to hear at first hand from an organisation that helps drug addicts and their families in the area.

We will, of course, continue to monitor the use of Suboxone and the statistics that will follow on. I have outlined the number of patients who are already being treated with Suboxone, and we will keep an eye on how the situation develops. I am aware that a new consultant has recently been appointed in Fife and is prescribing Suboxone as an alternative treatment for drug misuse. I am happy to take up Tricia Marwick's offer to visit the local drug project that she mentioned, and I will make arrangements to do so.

Question 4 was not lodged.

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NHS 24 (Remote and Rural Areas)

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the performance of NHS 24 in meeting the needs of patients in remote and rural areas. (S3O-3102)

Everyone in Scotland has the same access to the full range of NHS 24 services and resources. In 2007-08, 96 per cent of calls to NHS 24 were answered within 30 seconds, against a target of 90 per cent. NHS 24 is committed to on-going partnership working with local NHS boards to ensure the effective delivery of out-of-hours services in remote and rural areas.

Will the cabinet secretary accept that the experience of too many people in remote and rural areas such as my Orkney constituency is that when they contact NHS 24 they face not only the problem of having to deal with cumbersome questioning and requests for information that has already been given—which, no doubt, urban callers also experience—but the additional concern that NHS 24 staff will not understand the need to take the local geography into account in dealing with the call? Will she undertake to sit down with general practitioners and patients' representatives from remote and rural areas to review how we can best provide 24-hour care in those challenging parts of Scotland?

I recognise the important issues that Liam McArthur raises. There is already a very good working relationship between NHS Orkney and NHS 24. Liam McArthur may be aware that Dr Peter Baxter, the associate medical director for the north for NHS 24, is currently on secondment to NHS Orkney as medical director. That demonstrates the commitment of NHS 24 to working in partnership with the board and ensuring that there is the understanding of remote and rural communities that Liam McArthur rightly talks about.

I am also pleased to note that the chairman of NHS Orkney will visit the NHS 24 centre in Aberdeen on 22 May. That will be useful in ensuring that the mutual understanding exists that is vital if people in parts of the country such as that which Liam McArthur represents are to be properly served by health services.

The Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that people in remote and rural areas get the same level of access and quality in their health services as people elsewhere in the country. That is why, in the next few weeks, I will launch the report of the remote and rural steering group, which will go an awful long way to securing the sustainability of remote and rural services.

I take Liam McArthur's points about the questions that people are asked when they phone NHS 24. However, he will understand that those questions are asked for good clinical reasons and that it is important, when anybody calls NHS 24, that the staff ask the right questions so that they can ensure that the person is passed to the appropriate part of the health service as quickly as possible.

I welcome the new NHS 24 service that offers psychological support, using cognitive behavioural therapy, to people with low moods and depression in Orkney. How will that initiative be audited? Does the cabinet secretary have any plans to roll it out to other rural and island areas, as I hope she will?

I thank Mary Scanlon for welcoming that important service development in NHS 24. It will be audited in the same way as any service that NHS 24 or any other health board delivers. She is aware that we have rigorous standards of audit and performance management in the national health service, and those will apply to new services as well.

Mary Scanlon has raised the issue on many previous occasions in the chamber and is right to have done so. I give her an assurance that we intend to up the game of the NHS in terms of cognitive and behavioural services. If we are to meet some of the other challenging targets that we have set—for example, in the health improvement, efficiency, access and treatment targets framework—it is vital that those services are in place.

Has any work been undertaken to evaluate the working practices of NHS 24 and the impact of the inappropriate call-out of ambulances? If not, is such work going to be undertaken? I recently met front-line ambulance crews in Livingston, and I believe that that may be an issue.

Angela Constance will appreciate that there may be some specific issues behind her question. If there are specific concerns that either Angela Constance or the ambulance service has around any NHS 24 practices, those should be brought to my attention. I assure her that I will examine them carefully. I know that the management of NHS 24 would also be pleased to discuss any specific concerns with the ambulance service.

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Smoking (Students)

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of recent United Kingdom-wide research by the University of the West of Scotland that indicates that, contrary to reality, most students believe that their peers are smokers, thus revealing the potential for social norms interventions to reduce health-damaging behaviours. (S3O-3096)

I am certainly aware of that research and await with interest the final report, which I understand will be published later this year.

I am aware of and welcome the potential inclusion of the social norms approach in the Fife-based multicomponent project to tackle alcohol abuse. However, will the minister consider establishing a purely social norms-based project in Renfrewshire to tackle alcohol abuse and smoking? Such a move would have the advantage of the proximity of the academic experts in the field, who are based at the University of the West of Scotland, and the information technology expertise of Youth Media, which is based in Glasgow. Without confounding approaches, it would also allow proper assessment of social norms methodologies.

I have discussed the issue with my officials and colleagues from the Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams, and we are developing a pilot study that we aim to carry out in at least one Scottish institution. We are very much interested in learning from the University of the West of Scotland's experiences and are grateful for its input and knowledge, which has helped us to develop some of the detail of the pilot. No decision has yet been made about its location, but I will certainly keep the member informed of progress.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (Statistics)

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve centrally available information on the number of patients diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. (S3O-3076)

Recently published Scottish Government guidance for commissioners of services for people with autism spectrum disorder aims to assist local identification, diagnosis and management and emphasises the importance of local authorities and health boards working in partnership to meet the local population's needs.

"The same as you? A review of services for people with learning disabilities", which was published by the Scottish Executive in 2000, concluded that we have no detailed information about the number of people in Scotland with learning disabilities. As the minister will be aware, eight years after the report's publication, there is still widespread frustration about the issue, and research indicates that more than half of all adults in Scotland with ASD do not receive enough support to meet their needs. Is she confident that the Government's steps will help to close the information gap locally and nationally and ensure that any future service delivery planning is well informed?

The Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability has carried out a considerable amount of work on developing national data standards for people with learning disabilities and autism spectrum conditions. Over the next year, the eSAY project will continue to work with health and social care partners to roll out the collection of information across Scotland. I hope that the member will be reassured to learn that improvements in information gathering should lead to more robust service planning to ensure that services meet the needs of people with autism spectrum conditions.

Question 8 has been withdrawn.

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Local Health Care Provision

To ask the Scottish Government what role local health care provision can play in building a healthier Scotland. (S3O-3075)

Our "Better Health, Better Care" action plan will ensure that health care is tailored as far as possible to local communities' specific health needs. By building healthier communities, we will build a healthier Scotland.

Will the cabinet secretary confirm that in contrast to the previous Executive, which presided over the closure and downgrading of local health facilities in Law and Stonehouse, this Government remains committed to supporting NHS Lanarkshire in implementing all the local health projects, including a new health centre in Carluke and a minor injuries unit in Lanark, that were identified in "A Picture of Health: A Framework for Health Service Improvement in Lanarkshire"? Will she further confirm that such projects are not under threat as a result of the decision to retain Monklands hospital's accident and emergency unit?

I am happy to give Aileen Campbell that assurance. As she will be aware, I have consistently stated that many of NHS Lanarkshire's original proposals in "A Picture of Health" had much to commend them, and I am very pleased that the board is moving towards delivering the necessary improvements in hospital and community services. I point out not only to Aileen Campbell but to the chamber that, at a time when we are experiencing the tightest ever financial allocation from Westminster, NHS Lanarkshire will over the next three years enjoy a 7 per cent increase in its capital allocation.

It is, of course, for the board to plan and deliver necessary service developments. I understand that at its meeting on 29 March the board approved £108 million-worth of new-build projects, including the Carluke resource centre and the Lanark community casualty unit, which forms part of the second phase of capital investment.

All of that demonstrates that, as a result of decisions by the SNP Government, the people of Lanarkshire will not only get the much-needed primary care and community facilities that they want but retain an excellent accident and emergency service at Monklands hospital.

What proportion of health budget spending goes to the voluntary sector? Does the cabinet secretary project that to grow over the coming period?

I am sure that I will be able to provide Margaret Curran with specific figures, but I do not have them to hand.

I assure Margaret Curran that I value very highly indeed the contribution that the voluntary sector makes to the delivery of health care services in Scotland, and I am sure that if she speaks to people in the voluntary sector, they will echo that that message has been given to them. It has been made clear to NHS boards in "Better Health, Better Care" and in my discussions with them that I want the health service's relationship with the voluntary sector to grow and become more constructive. Working together, health boards and the voluntary sector can provide the best and most innovative services to the public.

Does the cabinet secretary believe that the introduction among older men of a screening programme for abdominal aortic aneurysm would help us to achieve a healthier Scotland? An undiagnosed abdominal aortic aneurysm led to the death of my father and, earlier this week, to that of the broadcaster, Humphrey Lyttelton. Nicola Sturgeon's counterpart at Westminster is exploring the possibility of introducing such a scheme in England and Wales. As AAA is the third-biggest killer of older men in Scotland, the introduction here of a screening programme would be welcome.

As Jackson Carlaw knows, I have said previously that the Government follows expert advice on screening matters from the National Screening Committee, and I am sure that all members would agree that that is the appropriate way to proceed. I confirm that we are advancing plans to introduce screening for AAA. Further detail of our plans will be revealed later this year.

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Autism (Managed Clinical Network)

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop managed clinical networks for autism. (S3O-3105)

The Scottish Government will continue to support initiatives to develop managed clinical networks when there are tangible benefits for patients. It is for health boards and local authorities to identify the need for such networks on the basis of their pressures and priorities.

The fact that, coincidentally, two questions have been asked about autism today tells people how high up the priority list the condition is. What is likely to be the future of the national ASD reference group?

The national reference group is an important part of the structure of autism services in Scotland. We have provided funding for a number of organisations, including the Scottish autism service network, which provides a national overview of the services that are available.

We are interested in hearing from local partners who might wish to develop managed clinical networks for autism. It might be possible to make available pump-priming funding for such networks in their early stages, if local partners desire to develop them. I reiterate that decisions on the matter are based on the availability of clear evidence that adopting such an approach would have tangible benefits for people who would use those services. I am keen for such services to be developed, and we look forward to finding out whether suitable bids are made.

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Dentists' Waiting Lists (Highlands)

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to address the length of waiting lists to see dentists in the Highlands. (S3O-3112)

NHS Highland is planning or has in progress a number of developments to increase access to national health service dental services in nine areas across Highland. By establishing a new dental school in Aberdeen, we hope to retain a high number of dental graduates outwith the central belt.

Although I do not doubt the sincerity of the minister's intent or that of NHS Highland, the fact remains that, despite the best of intentions, the additional investment that she mentioned, and the Lochshell dental facility at Wick, we still have long waiting lists, which is rather baffling to my constituents. In the interests of working together, will she meet me and possibly my constituents to discuss what can be done to make the situation more understandable for people and to ensure that they can get to the top of the list more speedily?

I am always happy to meet members and their constituents if it will help to move matters forward. NHS Highland is working very hard to increase its salaried dental service, with additional surgeries planned for Thurso, Tain, Dingwall, Invergordon, Kyle, Portree, Inverness, Nairn and Grantown. There are 23 additional surgeries coming on stream and another eight or nine in the pipeline. I suggest to the member that they will go a long way towards tackling the waiting list that is of concern to his constituents and to the Government. That is why we support NHS Highland in its initiative.

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National Health Service (Absence Rates)

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address sickness absence rates in the NHS workforce. (S3O-3066)

I refer Margaret Mitchell to the answer that I gave to Claire Baker's question. However, I reiterate the point that all NHS boards, with the exception of the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS 24, which are working to higher targets, have been tasked with meeting a 4 per cent sickness absence target by March 2009. To achieve that target, all NHS boards have in place a range of progressive policies to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of their workforces. NHS boards are working in active partnership with their staff to achieve sustained improvements in absence rates.

Will the cabinet secretary confirm that there was a 4 per cent target last year and tell us whether that target was generally met, given that NHS Lanarkshire's absence rate in the year to March 2007 was 6.34 per cent? What measures does the Executive intend to put in place to ensure that this year's target of 4 per cent is achieved and maintained in Lanarkshire and elsewhere?

The previous Administration set a target sickness absence rate of 4 per cent but, as with so many of its targets, not only did it fail to meet that target, the figures were travelling in the wrong direction when the new Government took office. We therefore had to consider the target again and set a challenging but achievable target of 4 per cent by March 2009. Margaret Mitchell asked what the Government is doing to achieve that. I will of course be held to account on that target as I will be on any other, but I am sure that she appreciates that the work of NHS boards on the ground will determine whether the target is met.

Margaret Mitchell might be aware of some of the innovative schemes that are being used around the country. For example, a flexible annual leave system has been introduced in Lothian and a phased return-to-work policy that is proving to be very effective has been introduced in Forth Valley. Lothian also has a traffic-light system that provides a more structured approach to managing sickness absence and ensures that appropriate interventions are made when they are needed. In Grampian, which will be my final example, absence management is embedded in the objective-setting process for individual managers.

All that sounds very technical, but what I see in my travels around the country to chair annual reviews and speak to people on the ground leads me to be confident that all NHS boards will maintain progress towards the target, meet it and thereafter sustain it. The prize is a great one because it is estimated that, if the target is met, £62 million will be freed up to be reinvested in front-line patient care, and I know that all members will support that.

Question 13 has been withdrawn.

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Community Radio

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to health-based community radio stations. (S3O-3080)

The Scottish Executive does not provide direct support to local community-based projects. However, local voluntary organisations can apply to national health service boards in their area for grant funding under section 16(b) of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978. Funding is limited, so applications will be considered on their merits and against all the other applications that are received. Some hospital radio stations that are located on hospital property will also benefit from other kinds of support such as rent-free accommodation.

As the cabinet secretary will be aware, in my constituency Three Towns FM in Saltcoats recently began broadcasting under a new five-year community licence and Garnock Valley FM in Kilbirnie recently completed its first, highly successful, 28-day broadcast. Does she agree that health-based community radio stations are an excellent and highly cost-effective way of involving local volunteers in putting over simple, straightforward health messages? Will she therefore agree to consider further how health boards and community planning partnerships can provide increased assistance to community radio for health?

I agree whole-heartedly with Kenny Gibson about the important role of community radio. Indeed, I was delighted to have a starring role in Southern general hospital radio's "Desert Island Discs" programme just a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, members will not have been able to listen to that programme, but I am told that the patients appreciated my choosing "Wake me up before you go-go". Not all my choices were that bad, but I am, after all, a child of the 1980s—which probably means that I am younger than any other member in the chamber.

On more serious matters, the issue that Kenny Gibson has raised is a matter for NHS Ayrshire and Arran. However, I understand that it is proposed that future projects of that kind will be steered towards community health partnerships to ensure that such matters are built into their formal work plans and link with local health care services. It is important that all local partners are fully involved in the process. I assure Kenny Gibson that we take the issue very seriously indeed.

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Commonwealth Games 2014<br />(Royal Commonwealth Pool)

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will fully fund the upgrading of diving facilities at the royal Commonwealth pool in Edinburgh for the 2014 Commonwealth games, as indicated in "People, Place, Passion—Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Candidate City File". (S3O-3097)

The Scottish Government does not intend to fund the refurbishment of the royal Commonwealth pool in full. However, I was pleased to announce recently that the project will be one of the first recipients of Commonwealth games legacy funding, as it will be allocated a further £1 million in addition to the £4 million that it has already been allocated under the national and regional sports facilities strategy. When Scotland submitted its bid document for the 2014 Commonwealth games, it was necessary for the Scottish Government to give a guarantee that the diving competition facility would comply with the regulations that are set out by the Commonwealth Games Federation. At no point did the previous Scottish Executive or the current Scottish Government commit to fully funding the upgrading of the royal Commonwealth pool.

I thank the minister for his answer, but there appears to be a considerable gap between the sums to which he has referred and the sum that is specifically mentioned on page 39 of volume 2, theme 8, of the candidate city file. The sport and venues section on that page states clearly that the royal Commonwealth pool will be used for the sport of diving and that the commitment for the £28.8 million cost is "100% Scottish Executive". Can the minister explain the disparity between what he has just said and what appears in the bid document?

Yes, I can. The situation arose as a result of the conflicting timetables for submitting the bid and for sportscotland's consideration of the funding application for the works at the royal Commonwealth pool. The Scottish Government undertook to guarantee the cost of those works for the purposes of the bid, but it was always clear that such a guarantee was required only because of the timing of the submission of the bid as against the timing of sportscotland's consideration of City of Edinburgh Council's application for funding. It was equally clear that it was not intended that the City of Edinburgh Council would exercise the Scottish Government's guarantee instead of finding the funding itself. That was fully understood by City of Edinburgh Council officials at that time.

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Drug and Alcohol Misuse (North-east Scotland)

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will support drug and alcohol misuse services in the north-east. (S3O-3115)

The Scottish Government has provided £2,014,386 to NHS Grampian and £1,816,885 to NHS Tayside specifically for the provision of alcohol treatment and support services and for the delivery of brief interventions. It is for health boards, local drug and alcohol action teams and other partners to commission services in line with local need. Some £94 million has also been made available over the next three years within the justice portfolio for tackling drug misuse throughout Scotland. The majority of those resources will be allocated to health boards to provide drug treatment and rehabilitation services.

I am sure that the minister will be aware of the excellent services that are provided for people with alcohol misuse problems at Albyn house in Aberdeen. Due to the withdrawal of funding by Aberdeen City Council, those services remain under threat. Will she confirm that, although the intervention of NHS Grampian is welcome in ensuring that the unit remains open in the short term, it is essential that a long-term solution is found as soon as possible, to ensure that Albyn house can continue to provide its excellent and invaluable services in the future?

As the member noted, NHS Grampian has agree to fund the shortfall to keep the centre open for four months while an existing review of the facility is completed. That is part of a general examination of the facilities and arrangements that are in place for dealing with drunk and incapable individuals throughout Scotland, to establish what works effectively and offers value for money. The Scottish Government will commission an evaluation and identify a range of solutions to address the challenges that are presented by different locations and events. Members should be under no illusion about the Government's determination to tackle the problem of alcohol in our society and to ensure that appropriate services are in place to help people who require them.

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Social Rented Housing

To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent it is meeting its target for building social rented housing. (S3O-3114)

The Scottish Government has established an ambitious target of 35,000 new-build houses by the middle of the next decade. We will work with the private sector, housing associations and local councils so that all can contribute to reaching that goal.

I want to press the minister on two points. First, how many of the new affordable houses are for social rent? Secondly, one month after the start of the financial year, housing associations are still awaiting news of their grant funding. This morning, the minister said that they would receive that news soon. I invite him to say exactly when they will receive it.

This morning, I said that they would receive the news very soon. The grant allocation will be announced in May.

It is May.

Exactly—it will be announced this month, so it is very soon.

Within the overall target, we have a range of affordable housing investment programme opportunities, not just for social rent but for low-cost home ownership. The split between those opportunities will be announced soon. In addition, we are negotiating with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on our wonderful announcement of £25 million over the next three years to kick-start the council house building programme. I know that that upsets the Labour Party, because it managed to build only six council houses in the past four years. We will negotiate with COSLA, local authorities and housing associations to ensure that the plans that we have set out in "Firm Foundations: The Future of Housing in Scotland" come to fruition. We will build many more houses, because more supply is required in all tenures to meet the demand for housing in Scotland.

First, will the minister confirm that, when the grant allocation statements are made, they will come with an estimate of the number of units that are proposed, including in the social rented sector? Secondly, will he confirm that the £25 million that has been announced will be available to registered social landlords, including those in the Borders, which does not have council housing because of stock transfer? If so, how much will be added to RSLs in the Borders, on top of the grant allocation?

The member has misunderstood the announcement. The £25 million is to kick-start a new programme of house building by councils, not by RSLs. The announcement of funding for RSLs will comprise the vast bulk of the affordable housing investment programme over the next three years. I remind him that in excess of £1.5 billion will be invested in total—a 19 per cent increase on the like-for-like plans of the previous Executive.

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Mental Health (Children and Young People)

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing the commitments outlined in the framework for promotion, prevention and care. (S3O-3138)

Improving mental health and wellbeing for children and young people is a priority for the Scottish Government. We continue our work with NHS boards and other partners to deliver the specific objectives and commitments that we have set for children's and young people's mental health. There has been progress in our attention to training and workforce planning, better early intervention, supported transitions, improved primary care and improved planning and delivery of specialist care, including age-appropriate in-patient care. NHS Lanarkshire is investing an additional £650,000 in specialist services this year.

In the meeting on mental health and wellbeing that took place in the Parliament earlier this afternoon, a range of professionals came together to discuss dynamic psychotherapy, primarily for children but also for adults. The themes that emerged from the professionals' comments were the fragility of the service and the lack of succession planning. It was acknowledged that central Government has good intentions, but it also came across strongly that those intentions are not being transmitted to local health boards. There was concern about health boards' hugely inconsistent application of funding for child psychotherapy. Will the cabinet secretary take action to ensure that good intentions at central level are put into practice locally?

As I said, we are working with NHS boards and other partners to deliver the objectives that are set out in the framework on the mental health of children and young people and in other policy documents. Through on-going visits and meetings with local partners, attention is being paid to and progress is being made on the published child and adolescent mental health commitments. A steering group and a wider reference group of experts in CAMH care have been set up to offer advice and input on all aspects of the agenda and to act as local, regional and national champions.

I take seriously the general comments that Tom McCabe made. If he has specific examples that back them up, I will be more than happy to discuss those examples in detail. I hope that we can all agree that the issue should not divide us politically and should be given our utmost attention and priority.