- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will work with aid agencies in Scotland.
Answer
I met with the Networkof International Development Organisations in Scotland and the Scotland-Malawi Partnership on 23 August 2007 to invite them to contribute to the discussion on thefuture of our International Development Policy. As stated in the answer to questionS3W-3300 on 27 August 2007, my officials and I will continue to meetwith aid agencies to discuss international development as required.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the announcement by the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture of 23 August 2007 regarding the level of the overseas aid budget means that the fund will be increased to £9 million from 2008-09 and, if not, what the profile of the funding increase will be for each year up to and including 2011-12.
Answer
I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-3642 on 4 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it is making to the eight millennium development goals agreed by the United Nations.
Answer
The future directionof the Scottish Government’s International Development Policy - and the way in whichthe increased International Development Fund is distributed - will be informed bythe expert views of Scotland’s Aid Agencies. This will ensure it is focusedon ways in which we can contribute to achieving the millennium development goals.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will actively support the promotion and development of fair trade.
Answer
As stated in the answerto question S3W-2899 on 7 August 2007, this Scottish Government is committed toTrade Justice and will continue to support the drive to make Scotland a Fair Tradenation, based on meaningful and substantial measures. We will do this through continuedsupport for the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, who represent the key organisations andindividuals who can make this a reality.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of resources will be released by the closure of the Jeanie Deans Unit in Helensburgh and whether those resources will be wholly spent in Helensburgh and Lomond.
Answer
NHS Highland have informed me that resources of approximately £700,000 will be released by the closure of the Jeannie Deans Unit. The allocation of these resources is a matter for NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute Council.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 3 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that projected trends in population growth should be taken into account when determining the number of members of the European Parliament to represent Scotland.
Answer
Under current legislationperiodic reviews mean that MEP numbers are determined with reference to actual numbersof electors.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 31 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is implementing its whole-systems approach to mental health care.
Answer
Our approach tomental health has a wholepopulation focus to maintainthe mental wellbeing of the people of Scotland; andimprove the situation of those with mental ill-health. The approach focuses onpromoting attitudes and behaviour which leads to improved mental wellbeing; andensuring high quality, integrated mental health services are available foreveryone that needs them, at all levels of need.
Our whole systemsapproach to the delivery of mental health services is based on partnershipworking across NHS boards,CHPs; local authorities, the voluntary sector and others to deliver on a rangeof policies and initiatives. These include delivery of the 14 specific and timetabledcommitments and 3 HEAT targets set out in Delivering for Mental Health (Bib. number:41410).
Progress withdelivery by local agencies on this agenda is assisted and informed by a rangeof national support mechanisms. These include the Mental Health Collaborativewhich will help deliver targets around reducing readmissions and antidepressantprescribing; benchmarking and information gathering to support the improvementprocess and publication later this year of standards for Integrated CarePathways for the main mental health diagnosis. Development of betterperformance management systems, such as visits to every NHS board in Scotland to review implementation and offer support forchange, will also assist delivery by all agencies.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 31 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the increase in detention under mental health legislation for people with learning disabilities.
Answer
Therehas been a small overall rise in people with learning disabilities who aresubject to compulsory detention under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment)(Scotland) Act 2003 (the 2003 Act). The numbers have risen from 239 people in2004 to 252 people in 2006. Peoplewith learning disabilities have a higher incidence of mental health difficultiesthan the general population. There is also some evidence that they are subjectto orders for longer periods.
Peoplewith learning disabilities (with or without a co-morbid mental illness) havethe same rights and safeguards under the 2003 Act as other mental healthservice users. The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland visits all people on long term ordersand provides an important safeguard for people with learning disabilities whomay not be able to make representations to the Tribunal.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 31 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive why, in general terms, men are subject to proportionally longer detentions than women under the current system of mental health care.
Answer
The admissionrate for males under the Mental Health Act has been consistently higher thanfor females in the years 2000–05 (the latest years for which we have completedata). There is also a much greater tendency for men to be subject to mentalhealth orders following a criminal order. This is a complex area and it is notpossible to ascertain whether this reflects differential need between males andfemales or whether there is any systematic bias in the system.
Once admitted tothe psychiatric unit, there is no evidence of any significant difference inlength of hospitalisation between males and females.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 31 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how often it meets NHS boards and local authorities to discuss mental health issues; when the last such meeting took place, and what was discussed.
Answer
Regular meetingstake place with NHS boards and local authorities to discuss a wide range ofmental health issues. Most recently, meetings with NHS board chief executiveson 20 June, and NHS board chairs on 23 July included a progress report on themental health agenda.
Other meetingsinclude the NHS board annual reviews which take place over July to December,and the twice yearly implementation reviews with NHS boards, Local Authorities andother partners as part of the on-going monitoring process for the commitmentsand targets around Delivering for Mental Health (Bib. number 41410); the Mental Health of Children and Young PeopleFramework (Bib. number38415); and implementation ofRights, Relationships and Recovery, the national review of mental healthnursing (Bib. number: 43282).Following visits earlier inApril/May these will continue in October/November this year and beyond.
