Chamber and committees

Procedures in relation to theinvestigation of serious sexual offences are contained within individual forcepolicies. These local procedures are to be augmented by detailed guidance onsexual assault which the Justice Department is currently developing with the policeservice and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Local authorities are nowunder a statutory obligation to make arrangements to improve the outcome oftheir performance of their functions under the provisions of  the Local Governmentin Scotland Act 2003. From this year the Accounts Commission will be auditingthese arrangements and reporting publicly their assessment of the results.

Scottish Ministers havepowers under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 to issue directions tolocal authorities to take such action or accept such conditions that theMinisters specify if the Ministers are satisfied that the local authority is notcomplying with its duty to secure Best Value, which is continuous improvementin the exercise of its functions.

Such directions may be givenin the following circumstances:

• In order to protect the public interest from substantial harm
• On the recommendation of the Accounts Commission

A direction cannot be givenwithout serving a preliminary notice on the authority which offers theopportunity to put its case to Ministers.

There are also specificintervention powers relating to failures in specific statutory duties such asthe provision of education services.

The information requested is shown in Table 1 below. Information for the years ending 31 March 2002 and 2003 is not shown, as the data on hospital discharges from mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units is incomplete at present.

Table 1: Number of Patients In Mental Illness Hospitals or Psychiatric Units In Scotland Who Have Committed Suicide (Dead) Whilst

In-patients, By Hospital/Unit Of Treatment And Financial Year Of Discharge.

	Year ending 31 March
	1999	2000	2001
All locations	14	28	26
Ailsa Hospital	1	-	-
Argyll and Bute Hospital	1	-	1
Craig Dunain Hospital	1	-	1
Crichton Royal Hospital	-	1	-
Dingleton Hospital	2	-	-
Dr Gray's Hospital	-	-	-
Dudhope House	-	1	-
Dykebar Hospital	-	1	2
Gartnavel Royal Hospital	-	-	3
Hairmyres Hospital	1	-	1
Hartwoodhill Hospital	-	-	1
Herdmanflat Hospital	-	-	-
Huntlyburn House	-	1	-
Inverclyde Royal Hospital	-	1	-
Leverndale Hospital	-	2	2
Mental Health & Long Stay Geriatric Services, Falkirk Royal Infirmary	1	1	-
Murray Royal Hospital	-	-	-
Parkhead Hospital	-	1	1
Pluscarden Clinic	-	2	-
Queen Margaret Hospital	-	1	-
Rehabilitation Hospital, Aberdeen	-	-	1
Rosslynlee Hospital	-	-	3
Royal Alexandra Hospital	-	1	1
Royal Cornhill Hospital	1	3	-
Royal Dundee Liff Hospital	1	3	2
Royal Edinburgh Hospital	1	2	4
Royal Victoria Hospital	-	1	-
Spynie Hospital	-	1	-
St John's Hospital At Howden	-	1	-
Stirling Mental Health Unit	-	1	-
Stratheden Hospital	-	1	1
Strathmartine Hospital	-	-	-
The New Craigs	-	-	1
Wellgreen Cottages	-	-	1
Whytemans Brae Hospital	2	1	-
Woodilee Hospital	1	1	-

Source – ISD Linked Database, January 2004.

Notes

1. The figures represent patients discharged dead from mental illness hospitals or psychiatric units in Scotland, where the underlying cause of death recorded on the GRO death record was suicide. Patients discharged alive from a psychiatric unit or hospital (e.g. discharged home or transferred to an acute hospital) and who have subsequently committed suicide are not included in the figures presented.

2. Suicide includes both intentional self-harm and event of undetermined intent.

The Executive, throughCommunities Scotland, is providing financial support of £160,000 over 4 years toSocial Firms Scotland to help them set up new social firms across Scotland. Wehave also provided direct funding of £122,000 over 2 years to Social FirmsScotland for a project to assist the expansion of the social firm model formental health sufferers.

As you are aware, we are alsoin the process of reviewing our policiesto support and develop the wider social economy in Scotland,which includes social firms. Early last year we published A Review of the Scottish Executive’s Policies to Promote the Social Economy. We are developing an action plan to implement thereport’s recommendations and hope to make an announcement shortly.

In addition, we support individualprojects that contribute to the promotion of employment for disabled people. On26 February the Minister for Communities announced support of £200,000 over 3 years for theDARE Foundation’s project on Transition into Supported Employment and Education.This innovative project focuses on building partnerships with young disabledpeople, education providers, school staff and employers.

The definition of rape inScots law means it is a crime that can only be committed against a femalevictim. Offences of serious sexual assault against male victims are prosecutedat common law as indecent assault and/or sodomy. There is no data availableabout numbers of prosecutions for offences of indecent assault against malesand/or sodomy. Prosecutions for indecent assault are not recorded in a waywhich identifies the gender of the victim.

In Scots law the crime ofrape can only be committed against a female. Equivalent crimes of sexualviolence against male victims are charged at common law as offences of indecentassault and/or sodomy. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service reviewwill include examination of the prosecution of serious sexual offencescommitted against male victims.

The review is wide-rangingand will include consultation with a number of interest groups, with whom any recommendationswill be shared. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will produce a reportfor publication at the conclusion of the review.

The Scottish Executive’s ViolenceAgainst Women Branch, has provided Rape Crisis Scotland with core funding ofover £80,000 in each of the three years from 2002-03 to 2004-05. This fundingwas awarded to Rape Crisis Scotland for staffing and running costs of the nationaloffice.

However, five of the Rape Crisis groups that willreceive the funding announced by Margaret Curran on 23 January, provide supportand counselling to male victims of sexual abuse. These are Ayr, Central, Dumfries,Fife and Highland.

The Scottish Executive also providesfunding to a range of other organisations which provide counselling and familysupport services to male and female victims of sexual abuse. These include MenAgainst Sexual Abuse and the Moira Anderson Foundation. Moreover, all victimsof crime can access  information and support   through Victim Support Scotland.

The recommendations in SafetyFirst (published by the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide andHomicide by People with Mental Illness) include in “12 Points to a SaferService” a checklist on how best to support vulnerable patients in psychiatrichospitals, including those at risk of suicide. Safety First  was issuedto health boards in July 2001.

Engaging People –Observation of People With Acute Mental Health Problems. Published in June 2002 built on NursingObservation of Acutely ill Psychiatric Patients in Hospital. recommendationsin this were disseminated to trust chief executives, service users, nursing andother staff in 2002.

NHS boards are expected tocontinue to work within the framework provided by both of these publications,whilst also taking account of the provisions of Choose Life, the NationalStrategy and Action Plan to Prevent Suicide in Scotland.

In addition, risk management guidance published in October 2000 offeredadvice to NHSScotland and carers on the management and reduction of risk inmental health care and other settings. The guidance also provides advice onestablishing procedures to review critical incidents where they occur.

All existing base-loadstations are privately owned and operated, and their future lifespan is amatter for the generation asset owners. The UK Energy white paper, published inFebruary 2003, envisages that the energy system in 2020 will be much morediverse than it is today, with a greater mix of technologies and includingimports, particularly of gas. We are determined that renewable technologieswill play their full part in the future energy mix in Scotland.