Chamber and committees

There is a fundamental difference why Fair Start Scotland contracts apply for a longer period of time. This is because many of the people who participate in Fair Start Scotland require a much longer period of support. Fair Start Scotland offers 12 to 18 months of pre-employment support and up to a year of in work support, depending on an individual’s needs.

Whilst both Fair Start Scotland and the Employability Fund are designed to offer person centred support, tailored to the needs of the individual, the Employability Fund is designed to support people who require less intensive support, over a shorter, sharper period.

We have recently begun the journey to examine a more effective employability system, and whilst it is not envisaged that we will radically alter elements of the system that we have in place now, if it is felt to be an issue of significant concern, it is incumbent on us to listen to that.

As I explained in my answer to question S5W-19293, Scottish Water presented its consultation report to a multi-stakeholder group on
‎25 October 2018. It is currently awaiting feedback from these stakeholders. Scottish Water intends to publish the updated ‘Shaping the future of your water and waste water services’ document in 2019 alongside its Strategic Plan.

Separately, the Scottish Government will publish a summary of responses to the consultation ‘Investing in and paying for your water services from 2021’ by the end of the year.

Marine Scotland have a Harbour repair fund which can be used for urgent repairs to fisheries ports/harbours/piers/landing sites. This is a modest fund with a yearly budget of £400k, support can only be given to the owner/operator of the harbour.

If the pier is considered to be of significant architectural or historic importance, groups may be able to apply to Historic Environment Scotland for a Historic Environment Repair Grant. However, this grant is only available to the owner of the pier.

Marine Scotland have a Harbour repair fund which can be used for urgent repairs to fisheries ports/harbours/piers/landing sites. This is a modest fund with a yearly budget of £400k, and support can only be given to the owner/operator of the harbour.

There have been no community buyouts of piers in the last 10 years.

The information requested is currently being collated, classified and verified before publication and I will place a copy in the Parliaments Reference Centre bib number 60173.

Support for people coming off antidepressant medication is available from a range of sources. In the first instance, individuals should go to the prescriber, or their GP for help. Problematic medication withdrawals are best managed by routine, day time services that provide continuity of advice and contact. Emergency advice is unlikely to be necessary but is available from standard out of hours and NHS 24 services. Telephone support is also available from Breathing Space for people with anxiety and depression.

The Scottish Government has worked hard to reduce the stigma faced by people with mental health problems. As this stigma declines we would expect more patients to seek help from their GPs for problems such as depression. People with mental illness should expect the same standard of care as people with physical illness and should receive medication if they need it.

Any prescribing is a clinical decision for a patient’s doctor and there is good evidence that GPs assess and treat depression appropriately. We are also committed to improving access to alternatives, such as psychological therapies, that increase choice and best accommodate patient preference.

The answer to this PQ is available in SPICe (BIB No 60200)

In 2008, Scottish Government issued guidance for the development of local delivery plans, which included a target for NHS Boards to reduce the annual rate of increase of defined daily dose per capita of antidepressants to zero by 2009/10, and put in place the required support framework to achieve a 10% reduction in future years. It was set as a proxy measure to focus attention on improving the evidence based prescribing of antidepressants and to improve access to non-drug treatments for individuals with depression and anxiety. This target drove a range of improvement work across Scotland and helped us to develop our understanding of the reasons for the increase in antidepressant prescribing.

It became clear that we could not be sure that implementing evidence-based prescribing behaviour and improving access to non-drug treatments would lead to a reduction in antidepressant use. With this better understanding, it was considered inappropriate to continue with the target. In 2010 it was agreed that a target to deliver faster access to mental health services by delivering 18 weeks referral to treatment for psychological therapies should be included in HEAT from April 2011.

We are continuing to track antidepressant prescribing across Scotland to see what impact improving access to psychological therapies has on prescribing behaviour. The Medicines in Mental Report is published annually by Information Services Division Scotland and is available online. http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Prescribing-and-Medicines/Community-Dispensing/Mental-Health/ .