Chamber and committees

High quality, relationship based antenatal care with a strong focus on prevention, promotion of health, early intervention and support as early as possible in pregnancy is vitally important. In this respect, GPs, midwives, health visitors and obstetricians are trained in perinatal mental health education and deliver services and support to individuals according to their assessed needs and in line with clinical guidelines such as SIGN guideline 127 on the Management of Perinatal Mood Disorders.

For example, at booking appointments, midwives will ask women if they have any concerns regarding their mental health, or any previous history and this is documented in the Scottish Women-Held Maternity Record. Where any concerns are raised, we expect NHS boards to have the appropriate pathways in place to be able to support women and refer them onwards to the appropriate mental health service or specialist.

In September, NHS Education for Scotland launched a national resource – an on-line module in relation to perinatal mental health which will have open access for staff in any sector. This is in addition to any local education for staff that is offered.

The Scottish Government has also developed an antenatal access target that at least 80% of pregnant women in each Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile will have booked for antenatal care by the twelfth week of gestation by March 2015, which has been in place since April 2012.

Since 2009 one tenant, but no landowners, has failed to comply with a notice issued using the powers set out in the Weeds Act 1959.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-27708 on 8 October 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-27708 on 8 October 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-27708 on 8 October 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Use of emergency detention is appropriate where it is necessary as a matter of urgency to detain the patient in hospital in order to determine what medical treatment should be provided to the patient for the suspected mental disorder, there would be a significant risk to the health, safety or welfare of the patient or to the safety of another person if the patient were not detained in hospital, and making arrangements with a view to granting a short-term detention certificate would involve undesirable delay.

The statutory guidance in the Code of Practice for the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 makes clear that a short-term detention certificate should be granted in preference to an emergency detention certificate where this is practicable and the relevant criteria met.

The use of orders or certificates for compulsory treatment is regulated by strict criteria as set out in legislation. A number of safeguards are available such as a named person to represent the patient’s interests, the right to support from an independent advocate, and in the case of certificates and orders lasting more than 72 hours, an efficient appeals system to the Mental Health Tribunal.

The Mental Welfare Commission notes that the reason for the rise in compulsory treatment is unclear but could reflect greater awareness of human rights and of unlawful deprivation of liberty.

We will continue to work with the commission and stakeholders to promote patients’ rights, including through implementation of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 2015, which contained provisions to strengthen the use of advocacy and advance statements to promote patients’ involvement in their care and treatment.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (amended most recently by the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011) is the principal piece of legislation that deals with the issue of non-native species. It prohibits the planting or causing to grow of non-native plants in the wild. There have been no prosecutions over the last ten years for these offences or for the release and planting offences that pre-dated them.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has an objective in its 2015-18 corporate plan, agreed with ministers, to “continue to pursue a business model that would enable SQA to achieve self-financed status, and invest in and improve the Education and Skills system”, although this is not related to a specific date.

The SQA’s income is largely derived from charges levied on customers, the majority of whom are publicly funded organisations (local authorities and colleges). Because of the nature of its work, SQA is also able to generate other income through the provision of services outside Scotland. Currently, SQA’s total income does not fully cover its costs and the remaining funding requirement is met through Scottish Government grant.

While it is important for the SQA to minimise the funding requirement it places on the public purse, ministers recognise that the SQA must primarily ensure the safe and stable delivery of its statutory functions. These include the successful development and implementation of new national qualifications and the continued provision of qualifications to support learners in colleges and training providers. Progress towards self-financing will therefore be achieved at a pace consistent with this approach.

Information on offences relating to the planting and growing of weeds, giant hogweed or Japanese knotweed is not held centrally at this level of detail.

Information on the number of people subject to an emergency detention certificate in 2014-15 which did not have the consent of a mental health officer is contained in Table 2 of the Appendix MHA Monitoring Report 2014-15. This is available on the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland website: http://www.mwcscot.org.uk/media/240686/appendix_mha_monitoring_2014-15_tables.pdf