Chamber and committees

Information about the prescription of antidepressant medication can be found in the Medicines for Mental Health publication from September 2013: http://www.isdscotland.org/Publications/index.asp. In Scotland a total of 747,158 patients received treatment with an antidepressant in 2012-13.

Data on the total number of patients dispensed an antidepressant should be interpreted with great caution, it does not equate to people being treated for depression. This is because many drugs classified as antidepressants can also be used for conditions other than depression; including neuropathic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders.

Information on numbers experiencing withdrawal symptoms and being treated for withdrawal symptoms from antidepressant medication is not held centrally.

There is no delay in allocating EU funding for 2014-20.

The regulations governing how these funds can be allocated and spent were laid in December 2013, and the Scottish Government expects to start structural funds programmes in early summer of 2014, with the rural development programme following in early 2015. This is in line with the other EU and UK nations, and the expectations of the commission.

The Scottish Government expects the 2014-20 structural funds programmes to launch in early summer 2014. The Scottish Government has extended a number of projects into 2014, in particular employability projects where the third sector has a significant delivery role, to minimise any potential funding gaps. The Scottish Government will continue to monitor the situation and timescales closely to ensure that projects which will be expected to continue into the next programmes can continue to operate until the new programmes launch.

The Scottish Government has been working with partners for more than two years to develop strategic projects, schemes or programmes which could be supported from EU structural funds in 2014-20. The formal allocation of funding to these strategic interventions can begin when the programmes launch in summer 2014.

Funding for different interventions will start at different times, depending on the availability of match funding, the complexity of the proposal and the demand for a particular type of activity.

The programmes will have a mid-term review to determine whether the strategic interventions remain the best way to allocate the funding, and changes or further allocations may be made at this stage to ensure maximum uptake and impact of the funds.

The £20 million allocated to local authorities in 2013-14 will be paid as general revenue grant funding. Councils have been advised that this funding is for the purpose of adding to their Discretionary Housing Payment budgets. However, the Scottish Government does not have the powers to direct councils to make payments in respect of Discretionary Housing Payments.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable contribution made by Care and Repair Services in helping older and disabled people to live safely and independently at home and by reducing delays to hospital discharge.

We have not commissioned research in this area but a Social Return on Investment report in respect of Care and Repair West Lothian published in June 2013 showed a social return of £4.53 for every £1 invested.

There is no statutory requirement on health boards to contribute to the cost of local Care and Repair services. However Orkney Care and Repair and Midlothian Care and Repair, for example, received additional funding from the Older People's Change Fund to, respectively, extend their information and advice service and support piloting a small repairs service.

On 2 October 2013, I informed local authorities that the Scottish Government was making £20 million available for the purpose of adding to Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) budgets. In recognition of the fact that some local authorities may already have already topped up their DHP allocation to the maximum permitted, I stated that the funding is aimed not only at enabling topping up of DHPs, but also in recognition of the financial pressures that have been placed upon authorities by the UK Government’s welfare reforms.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12726 on 25 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The following table sets out the numbers of applications for public appointments received by the Scottish Government:

Source: Commission of Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland Annual Report 2011-12:

http://www.ethicalstandards.org.uk/publications/publication/695/cespls-annual-report-201112

As at 31 March 2013, the Scottish Government had made good progress but not yet met its previous diversity targets. Figures achieved were: (a) women applicants - 32%, (b) disabled applicants - 13% and (c) ethnic minority applicants - 4.1%.

Source: Public Appointments in Scotland 2012-13 Regulated Ministerial Appointment Statistics.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19435 on 20 February 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.