Chamber and committees

The board has undertaken a wide range of initiatives relating to mental health since 1999. These include:

• Support to Scottish Mental Health week every year through the development of resources and a small grant scheme for small, local initiatives.
• The development of two sets of resources for young people: "Cool Heads" for teenagers aged 12 to 16 years and "Head Kit" for 16- to 18-year-olds.
• The highly successful mass media campaign for young people "Think About It" that has, at the heart of it, mental health issues and a focus on relationships, self-image and decision-making through adolescence.
• Schools-based initiatives focussing on mental and emotional health issues.
• A new strand of media work highlighting the importance of communication, listening and respect for children - all of which relate to the mental and emotional well-being of parents and their children.
• A recently produced HEBS "Evidence into Action" paper focussing on research and evaluation of health for the under-fives includes a section on mental health issues
• The production and dissemination of research undertaken to consider the role of primary care in the detection and management of mental health problems. A group has subsequently been set up to consider how the voluntary sector and primary care can link together more effectively.
• The development, with the Institute of Occupational Medicine, of a new resource "Work Positive" which relates to stress in the workplace.

Although specific initiatives have yet to be identified, mental health issues will be an important strand of the work of the board's new Children and Families programme. HEBS has also been working with others to consider how best to make explicit links between community development work and its impact on community health. This work is still very much in the early stages of thinking and development.

A Mental Health Bill will be introduced later this year, which will give effect to the Millan Committee recommendations, as described in the policy statement "Renewing Mental Health Law", published in October 2001. The accompanying Financial Memorandum will set out the best estimates of the costs to which the provisions of the bill could give rise.

The information requested is not held centrally.

In deciding whether to prescribe methylphenidate, for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), clinicians would be expected to take account of advice and guidance about the drug, including the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 52 on ADHD and the advice issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in October 2000.The National Research Register (NRR), records two recently completed research projects on side effects and long-term effects to children who have taken methylphenidate. Details of these projects are available from the NRR, a copy of which is in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17404).Details of the relevant research programmes used to provide guidance for the prescription of methylphenidate, are given in the SIGN Guideline and the NICE advice.

In 2000-01, the majority of local authorities paid an average of £346 per week for each individual placed in the care of a private nursing home. The net cost per in-patient week for geriatric continuing care in 2000-01 was £845.

This will be a matter for Dumfries and Galloway Council, once it has submitted a transfer proposal to the Executive and received "in principle" approval to formally consult tenants.

The control of medicines is a reserved matter. The Scottish Executive are consulted on matters relating to the licensing and control of medicines under the Medicines Act 1968.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex condition which has been the subject of a considerable body research world-wide. While there is evidence that the condition may have an organic basis and that there could be a genetic contribution, there is no definitive proof that these are the only factors. The Department of Health maintains a National Research Register, with details of all on-going and recent research into a wide variety of medical conditions, including ADHD. This is available on regularly updated CD-ROM in the Parliament's Reference Centre and online at:http://www.update-software.com/nrr/CLIBINET.EXE?A=1&U=1001&P=10001.

Four hundred and ninety-three applications have been made to Eaga, from households in the private sector in the Dumfries and Galloway postcode area. 309 of the 440 applications processed so far are eligible for grant and 101 jobs were allocated to Eaga's heating contractors. 16 installations have been completed and the others will be dealt with as soon as possible. Dumfries and Galloway Council and the housing associations in the area, advise that they have no stock which could be included in the programme.

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health services and patient care within the NHS in Scotland. CSO has no plans to commission research into attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), but would be pleased to consider proposals for research into ADHD, which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.