Chamber and committees

The information is not available centrally in the form requested. While some discharge data is available there are concerns over accuracy. Indications are that some admissions are recorded as for depression or other psychosis, rather than specifically for perinatal depression or psychosis. Work continues to improve the accuracy of data collection.Patients Discharged from Psychiatric Specialties¹ with a Diagnosis² of Postnatal Depression or Puerperal Psychosis

Years Ending 31 March	Postnatal Depression	Puerperal Psychosis
1998	35	16
1999	32	12
2000	14	13
2001	29	9
2002 Provisional	28	15

Source: ISD SMR04 Linked Database.Notes:1. The number of patients with a diagnosis of postnatal depression or puerperal psychosis (separately) discharged in each financial year. Individual patients may be counted separately in each year.2. Patients with a diagnosis of postnatal depression or puerperal psychosis in any one of six possible diagnoses on discharge.

The information requested is not available centrally.

Four key sets of guidance have issued concentrating on the earliest possible detection and best care responses for mother, child and wider family. All are available in the Parliament's reference Centre: The 1996 Working Group on Maternity Services guidance on detection and early intervention, (Bib. number 26494), the March 1999 guidance on pre- and post natal depression services, (Bib. number 24358), the October 2001 advice on the contribution to be made through psychological interventions (Bib. number 23704) and the management of Postnatal Depression and Puerperal Psychosis, (Bib. number 25439) published in June 2002 by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network offering advice based on a review of the latest evidence.

Deaths due to perinatal mental illness have not been recorded by the General Register Office for Scotland during the period.The most recent Report of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom 1997-1999, which records information on causes of maternal deaths occurring during pregnancy and immediately thereafter, reports 42 deaths as attributable to psychiatric causes. The report is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 18324).

Arrangements are currently being made to undertake a review of the functions and structure of Historic Scotland. The results of the review and minister's conclusions in the light of the review will be made available to the Parliament.

At present there are no mother and baby in-patient units carrying out treatment of perinatal mental illness in Scotland. However, a number of NHS boards are considering the development of mother and baby units in their areas. In this respect NHS Greater Glasgow's proposals to develop an interim six-bedded mother and baby in-patient unit adjacent to the Psychiatric Department at the Glasgow Southern General Hospital are the most advanced. Funding has been secured for this project, which will come on stream at the beginning of 2004. In the longer term, NHS Greater Glasgow has plans for a permanent six-bedded unit as part of the reconfiguration of in-patient sites across the city. In December 2002 I asked NHS Scotland's regional planning groups to consider the benefits of providing joint admission services for post-natal depression on a shared, regional, basis. This issue will be an agenda item for the regional partnership networks, which bring together the Chief Executives of the five NHS boards in each Scottish region. Progress will be assessed in April.

A number of local authorities have submitted applications for funding from the Strategic Waste Fund, and others have submitted draft bids for discussion with the Executive. Both categories include proposals for joint working, as follows. The authorities in the Forth Valley Area Waste Strategy Group (Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils) have been awarded long-term grant support. Their project involves the development of joint working in procurement of waste management services. Aberdeenshire Council's bid to the Strategic Waste Fund has been assessed and accepted in full. The bid commits the Council to joint working with neighbouring councils in the North East Area Waste Group.North and South Lanarkshire Councils intend to implement a joint waste awareness campaign called Waste Aware Lanarkshire. This will involve the sharing of resources between the two councils.Other local authorities currently considering joint working include the Midlothian, East Lothian, City of Edinburgh, West Lothian and Scottish Borders Councils.I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-33265 on 29 January 2003 and S1W-33419 on 3 February 2003, regarding details of funding already awarded. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

Argyll and Bute Council was awarded funding from the Strategic Waste Fund (SWF) of £1.1 million in 2001-02 and £1.65 million per annum for 2002-03 to 2026 to support the council's Public Private Partnership integrated waste management project. I have this week awarded funding totalling almost £110 million from the Strategic Waste Fund has been announced for eight councils to radically improve recycling and waste management.1. A total of £45 million is awarded jointly to the Forth Valley group over the next 17 years, £31.3 million to Stirling Council, £5.7 million to Clackmannanshire Council, £8 million to Falkirk Council. This will enable the councils to implement their joint integrated waste management system.2. A total of £62 million is awarded to Aberdeenshire Council over the next 17 years. This will enable the council to implement its plan to manage the municipal solid waste generated in Aberdeenshire.3. A total of £2,442,300 is awarded to four other councils in the present financial year to allow them to begin implementing integrated waste plans. Further assessments are being undertaken to consider longer term aspects of these councils' plans. The allocation of funds is as follows:Aberdeenshire Council - £700,000 to undertake improvements to current composting facilities, build additional municipal refuse collection banks and start an education and information programme.Stirling Council - £167,000 to start the staged implementation of its composting scheme.Clackmannanshire Council - £105,000 to upgrade its Civic Amenity Sites and to provide extra staffing as well as to undertake improvements in their composting facilities.Falkirk Council - £35,000 to undertake improvements in its composting facilities with an additional £70,000 being awarded to Falkirk Council, on behalf of the Forth Valley group, for a joint education and awareness programme.West Lothian Council - £1,286,650 to purchase new wheelie bins for separate household collection of materials for recycling and composting and to set up a telephone hotline to support the introduction of these new services. The council will also undertake work on improvements to civic amenity sites and an education and awareness programme.North Lanarkshire - £355,650 to start the staged implementation of a kerbside collection scheme for recycled materials.South Lanarkshire - £380,000 to develop land for a new Recycling Facility.East Renfrewshire - £420,000 to purchase two new recycling collection vehicles, new recycling bins and to upgrade a civic amenity site.I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33265 on 29 January 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The Accounts Commission recently evaluated a number of schools PPP projects and concluded that PPP has delivered real benefits in terms of project management, risk transfer and financial control. All specific projects are assessed to ensure value for money.

The planned reduction in the grant-in-aid for education provision at the Scottish Agricultural College reflects a continuing reduction in student numbers at the college. Numbers have now fallen by around 40% over the last six years. As a consequence, the college's level of education funding per student is substantially higher than other educational institutions.