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: S2W-23300

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 6 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was available to overcome communication and language barriers for deaf and deafblind people with mental health problems in each year since 1999.

While specific funding is notprovided for these areas, NHS boards must consider with their planning partnershow best to respond to the guidance issued in June 2005 on Disability DiscriminationCompliance: Access to Mainstream and Specialist Services for those with SensoryLoss and a Mental Health Problems (www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/mels/HDL2005_27.pdf),and will be asked to complete a joint survey on progress in July 2006. It is foreach NHS board to meet the health care needs of its resident population from withinthe level of funding available, taking account of national and local priorities.

Question reference: S2W-23296

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 6 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide out-patient and in-patient services for deaf and deafblind people with mental health problems.

We have no plans forseparate provision. Guidance published in 2005 offered approaches for improvedaccess to mainstream services by those with a sensory loss and a mental healthproblem. A copy of which has been place in the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre (Bib. number 38922). That guidance will inform the approaches adopted bythe partner agencies in each area to meet assessed and forecast local needs.

The guidance includes acommitment to follow up, this July, on progress made by the agencies. Theresults will be published.

Question reference: S2W-23299

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 6 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many clinical misdiagnoses of deaf and deafblind patients with mental health problems there were in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S2W-23297

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 6 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has undertaken with NHS boards to ensure that they are meeting their obligations under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 and Disability Discrimination Act 2005 with specific regard to the treatment and care of deaf and deafblind people who have a mental health problem.

To support effective implementationof the new Mental Health Act we have required regular progress reports fromlocal area partnerships. These reports are published on the web. There is an on-goingprogramme of visits with the local partners to discuss progress. The next roundstarts this April and will centre on delivery of the new arrangements and theDelivering for Health commitments for mental health.

By December 2006 all NHS boardswill have to publish a disability equality scheme setting out their plans fortackling discrimination against disabled people and promoting equality.

Specifically on deaf anddeafblind mental health needs, we have published guidance for Agencies onapproaches to improved access to mainstream services for those with a sensoryloss and a mental health problem a copy of which has been place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38922). That guidance includes acommitment to follow up on progress made. A survey of local approaches will takeplace in July and the results will be published. Reminders have already issuedto the agencies in this regard.

Question reference: S2W-23298

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 6 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide training and recruitment opportunities for deaf and deafblind people to enable them to work with deaf and deafblind patients.

NHSScotland employersappoint on merit and are committed to providing equality of opportunity to all.Employers should make all necessary reasonable adjustments to ensure that staffare able to fulfil their potential.

In addition, NHSScotlandoffers a range of pre-employment training opportunities which are open to deafand deafblind people. Pre-employment training provides participants withexperience of working within the NHS and valuable life skills and interviewpreparation. Details regarding such courses can be obtained from NHSScotlandemployers and Jobcentre Plus.

Question reference: S2W-23294

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 6 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of consultant psychiatrists who are specially trained in working with deaf and deafblind people.

Guidance has been publishedon improving access to mainstream and specialist services for those withsensory loss and a mental health problem. A copy of which has been place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38922). It is for NHS boardsto consider this guidance and determine the ongoing training needs of all itsstaff in the context of local service planning and delivery.

By December 2006, all NHS boardswill have to publish a disability equality scheme setting out their plans fortackling discrimination against disabled people and promoting equality.

Question reference: S2W-23017

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 6 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged between six and nine were prescribed Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) for the first time in each year since 2000, broken down by NHS board area.

The informationrequested is not available centrally. Data collected centrally relate toprescribed items dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors anddo not include items dispensed through hospitals or hospital-based services. Inaddition, the available data are not patient-specific and cannot be used as aproxy for the number of patients receiving treatment with any particular drug.

The website of InformationServices Division of NHS National Services Scotland provides an InformedComment on drugs used in mental health including drugs used for attention deficithyperactivity disorder. A link is attached.

http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/info3.jsp?ContentID=3588&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&.

Question reference: S2W-23029

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Robert Brown on 3 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of early intervention strategies in schools in local authorities across Scotland.

The quality of early education in schools and pre-school settings is monitored and evaluated through regular inspections by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education (HMIE). Pre-school inspections are integrated, being carried out by HMIE and the Care Commission together. As well as undertaking evaluations of individual schools and pre-school settings, HMIE also report on wider aspects of education provision.

Specific programmes are monitored and evaluated on an individual basis. For example the Early Intervention Programme, aimed at raising literacy and numeracy standards, was evaluated by external consultants and the results are available on the Scottish Executive website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/ic71-00.asp.

The Executive takes a close interest in external published research into the effectiveness of early education programmes, such as the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) project.

Question reference: S2W-23025

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Robert Brown on 1 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many early intervention programmes it operates for children under three and whether it will list such programmes.

Question reference: S2W-23056

Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 1 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the Minister for Education and Young People met relevant officials to discuss proposals to remove history as a “time-tabled slot” in schools and on what dates such meetings occurred.