- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 9 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 21 November 2023 from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to the Finance and Public Administration Committee, whether the in-year budget changes set out in the letter will impact the delivery of its commitment to spend 10% of frontline NHS spend on mental health services.
Answer
The majority of spending on mental health is delivered through NHS board budgets, and this is not directly affected by the in-year budget changes impacting on the direct mental health programme budget. Between the Scottish Government and NHS boards we expect spending on Mental Health to be well in excess of £1.3 billion in financial year 2023-24.
We are working with partners towards delivery of the commitment to increase spending on mental health services to 10% of the total frontline NHS budget by the end of this Parliamentary session in 2026. We will continue to work with NHS Boards to monitor delivery through the Scottish Health Service Costs Book and the process of setting and monitoring priorities in Annual Delivery Plans.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 9 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the finding in the publication, NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 Annual Progress Update 2023, that the percentage of frontline NHS spend allocated to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) is currently 0.66%, whether it is still on track to meet its commitment to allocate 1% of NHS spend to CAMHS by the end of the current parliamentary session.
Answer
We continue to work towards delivery of the commitment that at least 1% of frontline health spending will be dedicated to mental health services for children and young people by the end of this parliamentary session.
The NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 Annual Progress Update published in December 2023 confirmed that NHS expenditure on Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services rose from £88m in 2020-21 to £97.6m in 2021-22, an increase of £9.3m or 10.6% - representing 0.66% of total NHS expenditure.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will revise the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) model for future rail infrastructure investment, in light of patronage projections for the reopening of Stow, Galashiels and Tweedbank stations on the Borders Railway reportedly having been underestimated for the first year of opening by, respectively, 313%, 330% and 681%.
Answer
Transport Scotland keeps forecasting methodology under review to ensure best practice. The Borders Railway business case demand forecasts were based on modelling that was informed by surveys of residents regarding their potential use of the line. This resulted in forecasts that underestimated demand from Borders stations and overestimated demand from Midlothian stations.
Rail demand forecasting has developed considerably since the demand forecasts for the Borders Railway business case were first developed in 2008. A post-opening hindcast from the South East Scotland Transport Partnership (SESTran) Regional model for those Borders stations gave forecasts within 30% of actual demand. Where available, Transport Scotland recommends to promotors the use of Regional models for new station demand forecasts .
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 9 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Public Health Scotland data confirming that the percentage of frontline NHS spend allocated to mental health services was 8.78% in 2021-22, whether it is still on track to meet its commitment to allocate 10% of NHS spend to mental health services by the end of the current parliamentary session.
Answer
We continue to work towards delivery of the commitment that at least 10% of frontline health spending will be dedicated to mental health by the end of this parliamentary session.
The NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 Annual Progress Update published in December 2023 confirmed that NHS expenditure on mental health rose from £1.25bn in 2020-21 to £1.3bn in 2021-22, an increase of £51.5m or 4.1% - representing 8.8% of total NHS expenditure.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 January 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2024
To ask the First Minister what urgent steps are being taken to address reports of a mental health crisis with an increase in calls to the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2024
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 8 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23424 by Maree Todd on 11 December 2023, what planned new programmes cannot proceed as anticipated as a result of the in-year budget changes set out by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance on 21 November 2023.
Answer
Difficult decisions have had to be made to allow us to balance the Scottish Government budget while still progressing implementation of our mental health and wellbeing and other strategies from a revised direct budget of £260.3 million.
The in-year budget changes impacted on a number of planned new programmes which could not proceed as anticipated. Planned increased funding to existing programmes were also not able to be progressed. This included programmes related to Mental Health and Primary Care; regional CAMHS developments; full implementation of Coming Home; full implementation of the new Mental Welfare Commission Patient Records System; and improving prisoner mental health.
Despite the savings made, we have continued to focus on delivery of our mental health and wellbeing strategy and recently published delivery plan, which includes commitments around mental health services and specific programmes of work around learning disability and autism, and cross-cutting trauma work.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 8 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23424 by Maree Todd on 11 December 2023, what programmes were expected to receive increased funding which now cannot be progressed as a result of the in-year budget changes set out by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance on 21 November 2023.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23811 on 8 January 2024. 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
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 5 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the recommendation in the Carers Scotland report, State of Caring 2023, to fast track unpaid carers to support by introducing vouchers or payments to access non-NHS assessments, counselling and other services.
Answer
We recognise the significant contribution that Scotland’s unpaid carers make to our communities. It is very important that people who are caring for others know how to access carer support, and that professionals know how to direct people to support.
Under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, Local Authorities and Integration Authorities are responsible for supporting carers, according to their individual needs, and commission Third Sector organisations to provide much of that support on their behalf. This includes providing or signposting to counselling and other services that are available to them locally. Much of this vital support is delivered through local carer centres.
We are investing £88.4m per year in local carer support through local authority Carers Act funding.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 5 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in delivering the National Carers Strategy.
Answer
We are approaching the end of the first year of implementing the National Carers Strategy (published in December 2022). The implementation of the strategy is monitored by the Carers Rights and Support Steering Group (CRSSG), made up of representatives from national and local carer organisations, statutory sector representatives and unpaid carers - so that carers are directly involved in measuring and monitoring the impact of the strategy during its lifespan.
The CRSSG agreed 43 actions to be prioritised for Year 1. The actions cover a broad range of topics including COVID-19 and cost of living as well as outlining employment, financial and mental health support. Examples of actions that have been progressed this year include:
- We distributed £560,000 to carer centres in 2022-2023 to improve local capacity for carer support.
- We funded the Carers Parliament and the Young Carers Festival in 2023, with record numbers attending the Young Carers Festival this year. We will continue to fund events which enable carers to engage directly with decisionmakers.
- We have engaged with carers in 2023 to produce the National Dementia Strategy, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Action Plan, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and we have involved carers in the review of the National Outcomes and the National Care Service co-design. We will continue to engage with carers to ensure their voices are heard and reflected in policy across the Scottish Government.
- We are continuing to fund and promote increased uptake of the Carer Positive employer accreditation scheme, with 264 employers now signed up who are responsible for 493,000 employees (as of November 2023).
- Social Security Scotland successfully launched the initial pilot for Carer Support Payment in November 2023, with the benefit to be available nationally by autumn 2024. The benefit is a key milestone in improving support for unpaid carers and will be available to many carers in full-time education who cannot currently get Carer’s Allowance.
- Through the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, we invested £15 million in 2022-23 in community-based initiatives to promote good health and wellbeing and tackle the mental health issues for people, including unpaid carers.
The Strategy is kept under review so that we are able to respond to changing circumstances and ensure progress towards meeting the actions contained within it.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 5 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that unpaid carers have access to tailored mental health support, including support for anticipatory grief, bereavement counselling and support for young carers.
Answer
Under the Carers (Scotland) Act, all adult and young carers have the right to a personalised plan to identify what is important to them, which may include counselling and emotional support, according to their individual circumstances. Future needs for bereavement support can be considered as part of the process and any eligible needs for support must be met.
Local authorities must also have a carer information and advice service, usually delivered via local carer centres, to help all adult and young carers access support in their area. This must include information and advice on counselling and bereavement support available to carers, not necessarily carer-specific services. In addition to information and advice services, many local carer centres provide their own counselling and support services which can include group/peer support and bereavement support.
The Scottish Government is investing £88.4m per year in local carer support through local authority Carers Act funding.
