Chamber and committees

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:All prisoners are medically assessed on entry to prison, including for drug and alcohol problems. All prisoners who are identified as having drug and/or alcohol problems are offered assessment and needs-based individualised care planning.

The purpose of a needs assessment is to determine the requirement for social care for an individual. This is linked to the provision of services by, or for, local authorities under social work legislation, not to services provided by the NHS. The extension of free personal and nursing care only applies to those who currently pay for, or towards, such care in community settings (e.g. in a care home or in their own home). All NHS care is provided free at the point of delivery already and is not affected by the introduction of free personal and nursing care which only applies outside an NHS setting. There is therefore no requirement for additional funding for the NHS as a consequence of the introduction of this policy.

As part of our Drugs Communications Strategy, national mass media campaigns are already under way, using the Know The Score logo, to raise awareness about drugs and where help and advice can be obtained.The Executive has allocated £20 million over three years, through the Changing Children's Services Fund, for drugs projects tailored towards children, including those whose parents misuse drugs. A further £2 million, also over a three-year period, has been allocated to the Lloyds TSB Foundation to support vulnerable children and young people affected by drug misuse. We also intend to produce a report later this year on effective practice for family support, and this work includes dialogue with the families of drug misusers.

Information about the number of patients for whom prescriptions are written is not collected.The cost of anti-depressants* dispensed to patients in the community from 1992-2001^# is set out in the following table. The amounts shown do not include dispensing fees paid to community pharmacists or medicines dispensed through the hospital service.Ingredient Cost of Anti-Depressant Drugs Dispensed in the Community:

1992-93(£ million)	1993-94(£ million)	1994-95(£ million)	1995-96(£ million)	1996-97(£ million)	1997-98(£ million)	1998-99(£ million)	1999-2000(£ million)	2000-01(£ million)
12.27	14.23	17.06	21.51	28.16	35.2	40.07	44.55	44.06

Notes:*Drugs listed in Section 4.3 of the British National Formulary for the treatment of major depression.^#Data before 1992 is not available.

The European Working Time Directive applies to all categories of NHS Scotland staff, with the exception of doctors in training. Application of the directive to this group of NHS staff will apply in full by 2009, with the option available to EC member states to extend the deadline by a further three years, if operational circumstances support a case for doing so.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24852.

Information on the number of people suffering from chronic alcohol dependency is not held centrally. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey of psychiatric morbidity among adults in private households in 2000 does provide information on the number of people estimated to have mild, moderate or severe dependence on alcohol. The following table gives figures from the survey:Prevalence of Alcohol Dependence in Private Households in Scotland in 2000

Rate per thousand population aged 16-74
Women
No dependence	961
Mild dependence	39
Moderate dependence	1
Severe dependence	2
Men
No dependence	868
Mild dependence	117
Moderate dependence	13
Severe dependence	1

Source: Psychiatric Morbidity in Private Households, 2000, ONS.

Around 1.85 million prescriptions for anti-depressants* were dispensed in 1996-97, rising to just under 2.77 million in 2000-01. Medical practitioners use their clinical judgement when prescribing for individual patients. They have access to comprehensive guidance on how to prescribe these drugs safely and effectively.Note:*Drugs listed in Section 4.3 of the British National Formulary for the treatment of major depression

There is a lack of good evidence to support substitute prescribing for cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis misuse. Prescription of tranquillisers, such as diazepam, can ease the symptoms of withdrawal from psychostimulants, including sleep disturbance and anxiety. Psychological interventions, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, and psychosocial interventions, such as relapse prevention, can also play an important role, either in conjunction with symptomatic relief, or as stand alone treatments. Psychosocial interventions and counselling are also used to help treat cannabis dependence.Drop-in facilities, peer support, family support and complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, can also be useful in helping psychostimulant misusers.A working group of the Scottish Advisory Committee on Drug Misuse is reviewing the available evidence on best practice in prevention of psychostimulant misuse, and service provision for misusers. Evidence based on the findings of the working group will be issued later this year to those who plan and deliver drugs services.

The information requested is not available centrally. Information on conducting clinical trials can be found on the Medicines Control Agency website at:www.mca.gov.uk.