Chamber and committees

This information is not collected.

The Scottish Government works with a range of delivery partners in the commercial and voluntary sector on initiatives outlined in Healthy Eating, Active Living: An action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity. We will publish guidance for NHS boards on locally delivered healthy weight strategies by the end of 2008. This will cover treatment in primary, secondary and tertiary care, addressing coordination of services through local regional and national pathways. The guidance will encourage NHS boards to work with partners in these sectors wherever possible.

As set out in Healthy Eating, Active Living, the Scottish Government funds a range of initiatives to encourage physical activity, healthy eating and healthy weight aimed at children and their families. Of the £56 million available for initiatives dedicated to tackling obesity, and promoting healthy eating and physical activity, £6 million will be made available to NHS boards to support delivery of family-focused childhood healthy weight intervention programmes and £19 million will be made available to improve nutrition of women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children under five in disadvantaged communities.

The information requested on fire fatalities where alcohol has been a contributing factor is not available at NHS board area. The national figure is given in Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire Services for Scotland annual reports published by the Scottish Executive in January 2004; December 2004; October 2005; December 2006 and November 2007, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 30472; 34686; 38132; 41202 and 44156).

NHS boards are responsible for organising maternity care at a local level in line with national guidelines. The Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland supports the principle that good health before and during early pregnancy benefits both mother and baby. Care is tailored to the needs of the individual woman, including careful monitoring of the mother and her baby’s development. Women are encouraged to eat as healthily as possible and the government is making available funding of £19 million between 2008-11 to improve nutrition of women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children under five in disadvantaged communities. By the end of 2008 the government will publish guidance for NHS boards on locally delivered healthy weight strategies. This will highlight the needs of key groups such as pregnant women.

The information requested is not available centrally.

I recognise the importance of mental health services as a national priority. We have established four national performance targets for mental health services which between them will deliver significant change across Scotland between now and 2011. As you will be aware, I have also asked my officials to look at the extent to which mental health services could, for the first time be brought into the 18 week waiting times target. This work is due to be completed by the end of the summer.

The arrangements which are put in place for out-of-hours emergency services are a matter for each NHS board, and information on where these services are available is not held centrally.

This information is not held centrally.

Following their proposal to operate single crewing for night missions of the air ambulance helicopters, the Scottish Ambulance Service were asked to review this from both a health and safety and clinical risk perspective.

The service will continue to audit clinical aspects of air ambulance activity to ensure appropriate and safe crewing arrangements, and this will be the subject of further discussion at the annual review of the Scottish Ambulance Service which I will chair later in the year.

Following their proposal to operate single crewing for night missions of the air ambulance helicopters, the Scottish Ambulance Service were asked to review this from both a health and safety and clinical risk perspective.

The service will continue to audit clinical aspects of air ambulance activity to ensure appropriate and safe crewing arrangements, and this will be the subject of further discussion at the annual review of the Scottish Ambulance Service which I will chair later in the year.