Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-17827

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, whether a range of peer support models to improve perinatal mental healthcare are available, and, if so, what it has done to ensure that they are available across geographical areas throughout Scotland.

The Scottish Government is funding a range of peer support models to improve perinatal mental healthcare across Scotland. These include paid peer support workers, volunteer peer support workers, peer support in specialised mental health services, peer support in marginalised groups and informal peer support including online services.

The Scottish Government established an annual peer support event to bring together practitioners across Scotland to showcase good practice and highlight the work being undertaken across localities. This shares knowledge and creates an opportunity for learning and understanding on how to effectively implement peer support tools to reach everyone in Scotland who needs support.

Question reference: S6W-17838

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, how it is ensuring that peer workers or peer volunteers for perinatal mental health do not replace clinical staff or are asked to do their work.

We recognise the value of peer support as a key component of perinatal mental health support. However, we are clear that this does not replace the need for clinical services where that is required to help individuals and their families.

The Scottish Government is supporting clinical service provision by investing in the development and implementation of Community Mental Health Services, Mother and Baby Units, Infant Mental Health and Maternity Neonatal Phycological Interventions services. This is creating capacity within clinical services to ensure they are well placed to offer effective perinatal support in every health board across Scotland, with peer support services complementing clinical work.

NHS Boards have local governance for peer support roles which will include the scope of the role, confidentiality and supervision arrangements. Mother and Baby Units can access guidance on peer support worker roles and the support which should be provided for them from Perinatal Mental Health Network Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-17829

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, what it has done to ensure that specialised approaches to recruitment, robust and ongoing training, appropriate and timely clinical supervision and support for ongoing good practice in perinatal mental health exist.

Since 2019, the Scottish Government has invested over £26 million in improvements to perinatal services and support for parents, infants and families across Scotland. This investment has facilitated a substantial increase in services and workforce across Scotland.

The Scottish Government also supports the Perinatal Mental Health Scotland Network which provides support to health boards on all aspects of service development, training, supervision and good practice.

Our investment also supports NHS Education Scotland to undertake workforce development and training, including a suite of training accessible to all professionals across Scotland.

The Scottish Government will continue to invest in perinatal and infant mental health to enable boards to recruit the required staff; to further establish specialist community perinatal and infant mental health services and to deliver on Scottish Government commitments towards perinatal and infant mental health in the long term.

Question reference: S6W-17835

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, what it has done to support specific perinatal mental health peer support services for men.

Through the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund And Small Grants Fund, we provide funding for both father specific and whole family work. From 2021 to March 2023, we have provided over £1 million to groups including Home-Start Glasgow North and North Lanarkshire, Quarriers, CrossReach, Sure Start Midlothian, Dads Rock and Fathers Network Scotland. This includes funding for peer support groups for new fathers, which can provide a valuable source of support.

We have also committed to working with Fathers Network Scotland to better understand the evidence around mental health within the perinatal period for fathers and partners.

Question reference: S6W-17828

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation in its Peer Support in Perinatal Mental Health action plan, what it has done to create regional perinatal mental health networks with statutory and third sector services to share best practice and aid appropriate referrals.

The Scottish Government, in conjunction with the clinical support of the Perinatal Mental Health Network Scotland, has funded regional roles across the North, East and West of Scotland. Nurse Consultants in each region are responsible for coordinating regional support. Scottish Government continues to support boards to work across regions to improve equity of service provision and ensure that smaller and rural health boards are able to provide specialist perinatal services across their populations.

Question reference: S6O-02261

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what rules and incentives are central to a wellbeing economy.

Question reference: S6W-16125

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13799 by Kevin Stewart on 19 January 2023, whether it will provide an update on when further details will be available.

Question reference: S6W-16128

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13795 by Kevin Stewart on 19 January 2023, whether it will provide an update on when further details will be available.

Question reference: S6W-16126

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13797 by Kevin Stewart on 19 January 2023, whether it will provide an update on when further details will be available.

Question reference: S6W-16127

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13796 by Kevin Stewart on 19 January 2023, whether it will provide an update on when further details will be available.