Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-13403 on
9 January 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-13403 on
9 January 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

In line with the recommendations in the Stoma Appliance Service in the Community Quality and Cost Effectiveness Review (February 2016), the Scottish Government engages with the Scottish Stoma Forum and Reference Group - formerly the Scottish Stoma Forum - on a range of service and national policy issues.

The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland are represented on the Scottish Stoma Forum and Reference Group and attend its quarterly meetings. In addition, there is regular contact and meetings with key Forum members regarding the Stoma Appliance Service outwith the quarterly meetings.

Service issues or concerns identified with stoma services can be raised at Forum meetings where there are wider service and policy implications for the Scottish Government or NHS Scotland to act on. Where there are service issues relating to a specific locality then these should rightly be raised with the appropriate local authority, integrated authority or NHS board responsible for providing the service.

The equality assessment of the budget is presented in an Equality Budget Statement (EBS), published every year since 2009 alongside the Scottish Draft Budget. It is a systematic approach to assessing the impact on equality groups of policy proposals and budget decisions.

The Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland, however the statutory responsibility for delivering or commissioning services at a local level lies with local authorities, NHS boards and integrated health and social care partnerships. Operational decisions are therefore matters for these bodies.

Local Authorities have a duty to ensure that the resources available are used in the most effective way to meet the care needs of individuals within their area. This includes ensuring contingency plans are in place to minimise disruption to the service user; and that the contingency plans also respect the dignity and safety of the service user as is their basic human right.

The Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland, however the statutory responsibility for delivering or commissioning services at a local level lies with local authorities, NHS boards and integrated health and social care partnerships. Operational decisions, including whether each local authority should provide stoma care, and the frequency of any visits for stoma care, are therefore matters for these bodies.

Local Authorities have a duty to ensure that the resources available are used in the most effective way to meet the care needs of individuals within their area. This includes ensuring contingency plans are in place to minimise disruption to the service user; and that the contingency plans also respect the dignity and safety of the service user as is their basic human right.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-13403 on 9 January 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The Scottish Government supports breastfeeding mothers through a number of initiatives including: publication of the Improving Maternal and Infant Nutrition: A Framework for Action (2011) and funding NHS boards to implement a range of breastfeeding support activities and interventions; appointment of a National Maternal and Infant Nutrition Co-ordinator to coordinate breastfeeding improvement activity; funding a Lead Officer post from UNICEF to support the implementation of the UNICEF BFI Standards across Scotland; the launch of a replacement of the Feedgood factor website in June 2016 and providing funding to support the National Breastfeeding Helpline.

The Scottish Government produced a leaflet on the Breastfeeding etc. (Scotland) Act 2005 which was issued to all employers in Scotland in 2006. It explains the implications of the Act for employers and employees and encourages employers to offer assistance to breastfeeding mothers. The leaflet is available online.http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/135079/0033433.pdf.

The recently published 2017 Programme for Government contains a commitment to provide additional resource to support breastfeeding. This will be used to update existing approaches including engagement with employers.

This private development has only recently been announced and we have no indication of the scale of the development or of any additional childcare need that may arise.