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: S3W-25088

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what effect overcrowded prisons have on patients with severe and enduring mental health problems.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The impact overcrowded prisons have on patients with severe and enduring mental health problems are many, examples include:

A direct effect on mental health as a consequence of, for example, noise, people, or lack of personal space;

It is more difficult to identify prisoners requiring additional support as a consequence of increased demands on staff to carry out other activities;

Access to constructive activity is limited as a consequence of pressure on resources;

Increased time spent isolated in cells, or enforced sharing of accommodation, or the risk of being placed in inappropriate accommodation;

A greater risk of behaviour, such as bullying, that impact on a person''s mental health,

Rapid transfer to another prison without fully adequate preparation because of pressure on an already overcrowded prison.

More documentary evidence is available in HM Chief Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland''s Thematic Review: Out of Site, Severe and Enduring Mental Health Problems in Scotland''s Prisons. A copy can be located at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/244161/0068214.pdf.

Question reference: S3W-25090

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all prisoners with severe and enduring mental health problems are made aware of their right to access advocacy support under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

Since the implementation of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, the Scottish Prison Service, at both local and national levels, has sought to work with partner agencies and voluntary providers to put in place independent advocacy services for those who require it. SPS continues to work with such providers to develop service across the prison estate. Where services are available, these are advertised and information provided by healthcare staff.

Question reference: S3W-24963

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 15 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration is being given to a pilot road equivalent tariff for the ferry service from Caithness to Orkney.

Question reference: S3W-25099

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to transfer health care and treatment in prisons to the NHS.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

The National Programme Board for Prisoners'' Healthcare will oversees and steers the preparatory work, and the eventual operational transfer of the responsibility of the primary healthcare services from the SPS to NHS boards.

Mr John Ross CBE has been appointed as Chair of the National Programme Board for Prisoners'' Healthcare.

The membership of the board is made up of NHS and SPS senior staff, NHS and SPS staff organisations, Scottish Government staff and representatives of service users.

Currently, individual prisoners requiring specialist care transfer to the NHS for health care and treatment, returning to prison care when clinically appropriate.

Question reference: S3W-25089

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the effect is of segregation on prisoners with severe and enduring mental health problems.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

In the event of segregation, there is a high risk that the experience may damage mental health. According to the World Health Organization, prisoners held in isolation or segregation may experience increased anxiety, visual hallucinations and psychotic-type symptoms, as well as loss of memory and impaired concentration and an increased risk of suicide; and that such symptoms and behaviours can develop unbeknown to staff. Additionally people who have suffered severe and repeated traumas in childhood and their youth may be especially prone to stress response syndromes.

Scottish prisons take all reasonable measures to avoid the segregation of prisoners with severe and enduring mental health problems.

Question reference: S3W-25091

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how prisoners with severe and enduring mental health conditions are treated in the (a) prison estate and (b) NHS.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

The SPS responds to the social and mental health needs of all prisoners within Scottish penal establishments, including providing access to specialist healthcare provision when an assessed need is identified; and to ensure that we provide prison environments and means of support that encourage positive mental wellbeing to all the people the organisation is responsible for.

Multi-disciplinary mental health teams (MDMHT) oversee the care and individualised clinical management of the majority of prisoners with mental health difficulties including those with severe and enduring mental health problems. A range of options are available for treatment, which commonly follows the advice of visiting specialists in psychiatry.

The SPS are unable to provide a response to part (b) of the question.

Question reference: S3W-25107

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Council Directive 89/391/EEC, whether there is a legal requirement on employers in Scotland to provide access to occupational health services.

European Council Directive 89/391/EEC is given effect in Scotland through health and safety regulations which are reserved to the UK Government.

There is a duty on employers to provide access to health surveillance to employees but only appropriate surveillance considering the risks identified by any risk assessment. In addition, there is an implied duty on employers to take reasonable care for the health and safety of their employees at work.

Question reference: S3W-25101

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what aspects are being examined in its review of the Healthy Working Lives strategy.

The Scottish Government''s review of the Healthy Working Lives Strategy includes updating the original plan for action and will take account of the current economic and employment conditions. The review is taking into account robust evidence on the benefits of work for health, as well as effective interventions recommended in Dame Carol Black''s 2008 review of working age health.

It is intended that the updated Healthy Working Lives Strategy will be published by the end of 2009.

Question reference: S3W-24962

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to identify, diagnose and treat older people with depression (a) at home and (b) in care homes.

The Scottish Government is committed to providing appropriate care and treatment to all of those who experience depression, including ensuring early identification and diagnosis.

We recognise that a large proportion of people in all age ranges with depression remain undiagnosed, so we continue to work with partners on campaigns to end stigma around mental ill-health and to encourage those in need of help to seek it.

Activity on clinical identification, diagnosis and treatment across age ranges includes ensuring care pathways standards; increasing access to psychological therapies and reducing the reliance on antidepressants; and improving screening for depression for those with diabetes and coronary heart disease.

The GP contract has been enhanced in recent years to improve detection and treatment of depression, and follow-up care. Some health boards in Scotland have locally enhanced services in place to deliver health care services to people in care homes, tailored to specific needs such as monitoring of medication. We are working with NHS Education for Scotland specifically on the issue of delivering psychological therapies for older people, including a particular focus on delivery to those housebound and in care homes.

On mental health promotion and prevention of common mental health problems such as depression, we have funded NHS Health Scotland to work with partners, such as Age Concern Scotland and the Mental Health Foundation, to address mental health in later life. Work focuses on research to underpin health promoting activities with older people and to disseminate the learning from research; building older people''s capacity to engage in mental health-promoting activity at local, regional and national level; and developing information resources.

Question reference: S3W-25105

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the NHS is doing to promote good health in the workplace.

The Scottish Government provides funding for the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives to promote and develop good workplace practices and procedures that promote health and wellbeing.

The centre offers advice to all employers and employees through a website and confidential phone lines, and a network of NHS based advisors provide site visits to small to medium enterprises.

The centre runs the Healthy Working Lives (HWL) Award programme, recognising and rewarding good workplace practice. Currently almost 500 organisations hold the award, with another 1000 working towards an award.

In 2009 the Scottish Government launched a new £1.5 million Working Well Challenge Fund for NHS Scotland. This is in response to growing recognition that to maintain a world-class workforce, NHSScotland must focus proactively on promoting the health and wellbeing of its staff.

In addition, support for NHS employees is available through Occupational Health and Safety Extra (OHSxtra), an NHS service designed to help health service employees who are experiencing ongoing health and welfare problems to get support and treatment that will help them to return to work or avoid taking sick leave. The service is intended to complement rather than replace the existing NHS occupational health services. Details can be found online on the staff governance website at:

http://www.staffgovernance.scot.nhs.uk/improving-employee-experience/working-well/occupational-health-and-safety-extra-ohsxtra/.