Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-01160

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met its target to pay all final common agricultural policy payments by 30 June 2016 and, if not, what percentage of the total payment amount remains outstanding.

The Scottish Government has now paid common agricultural policy 2015 payments (basic, greening and young farmers) that total almost £311 million to more than 17,800 farms. Over 16,000 businesses have received their full payment.

Our current estimate of the total number of eligible businesses is 18,137. However, at this stage it is not possible to confirm the value of outstanding payments, and hence the percentage remaining to be paid, because cases are still undergoing processing.

Question reference: S5W-00788

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are plans to close the Mulberry Unit at Stracathro Hospital.

It is for NHS boards and health & social care partnerships to plan and provide services that meet the needs of local people, whilst being consistent with national policies and frameworks established by the Scottish Government.

Over the last two years, NHS Tayside has been reviewing its existing clinical models of care, including its mental health services. The priorities for this exercise has been patient safety and improving quality of care. It is important to recognise that, in relation to mental health, NHS Tayside’s review process is ongoing and that no decision has been made about the future shape of the service.

Since 1 April 2016, the lead role for the planning of mental health services has been devolved to the Tayside integrated joint boards (IJBs), with the in-patient element being hosted in Tayside by Perth and Kinross IJB. The board is committed to working with the IJBs in taking forward the next steps in identifying a sustainable long-term model for mental health services across Tayside, with public engagement being a key aspect in finding the right solution.

Question reference: S5W-00786

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 28 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support mental health treatment in NHS (a) Tayside and (b) Grampian.

NHS boards have also been allocated £24.7 million to increase capacity to deliver services. NHS Grampian have been allocated £2,454,025 of this and NHS Tayside £1,905,168 over five years.

We are also providing support for improving mental health services in primary care settings. On 18 February 2016, the cabinet secretary for health and sport launched the mental health primary care fund, totalling £10 million, which will encourage new ways of working with GPs and others to ensure people with mental health challenges get the best support available, in settings they want, as fast as possible and in the form best suited to them. NHS Grampian have been allocated £894,179 of this fund over the period 2016 to 2018, and NHS Tayside £694,191. We received a significant number of proposals, including proposals from NHS Grampian and NHS Tayside, and we are currently working with NHS boards and integrated joint boards to consider which would best deliver the changes we want to see.

Question reference: S5W-00787

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 28 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has put in place to ensure that people in rural and urban communities have equal access to mental health treatment.

The Scottish Government sets national direction of policy on mental health and provides funding to agencies – including NHS boards and local authorities – to support implementation of policy.

The management of local actions in implementing national policy, and decisions on local spending priorities are the responsibility of relevant local agencies. It is therefore the responsibility of NHS boards and local authorities to work with their partners and regularly review spending decisions to ensure they deliver fit for purpose services which respond to the needs of their local population, including those in rural communities.

In addition to services provided by NHS boards the Scottish Government also fund

Breathing Space - a free and confidential phone line provided by NHS24 and aimed at people experiencing low mood or depression. It is available to anyone calling from anywhere in Scotland.

Living Life - a free telephone service also provided by NHS24 which is available to anyone over the age of 16 who is suffering from low mood, mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety. Two types of telephone intervention and support are provided: Living Life Guided Self Help Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT with a self-help coach) and Living Life Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT with a therapist).

The impact of computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (CCBT) for adults with mild to moderate depression and anxiety who require a flexible treatment, accessible from different locations at a time that suits them is currently being evaluated through the mastermind project. In Scotland, mastermind aims to make high quality treatment for depression more widely available for adults suffering from the illness by the use of information communications technology (ICT). This has been achieved through the development, running and evaluation of CCBT services in four health boards; NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Grampian, NHS Fife and NHS Shetland.

Question reference: S5W-00846

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 28 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether Aberdeenshire Council's invitation to tender for new mental health service provision across Aberdeenshire references preventative measures and includes a crossover from the current commissioned services to the new provision and whether it considers that not doing so could lead to people deemed "low risk with a possible risk of elevation" being unable to access existing support in the area.

The Scottish Government sets national direction of policy on mental health and provides funding to agencies – including NHS boards and local authorities – to support implementation of policy.

Aberdeenshire Council is currently tendering to re-commission what has traditionally been termed ‘day services’ for people with mental health problems. This is the final stage of extensive reviews and stakeholder consultation.

Aberdeenshire Council have undertaken a review to ensure services comply with financial and procurement regulations and also the need to ensure services are fit for purpose.

The new service specification aims to deliver improvements such as:

Improved recovery focus;

Better links to community mental health team priority groups;

Inclusion of autism;

Improved community inclusion focus;

Possibility of a social enterprise to improve links with employability.

Aberdeenshire Council has indicated that it remains a priority to target resources based on risk and need but also to recognise the importance of prevention and early intervention. The service specification includes a signposting provision for those with lower level needs. These services are in the context of wider mental health provision and wellbeing initiatives across Aberdeenshire. A comprehensive transition plan will be agreed between Aberdeenshire Council and provider(s) when the outcome of the tender is known.

Question reference: S5W-00785

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 28 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comment in its news release of 12 January 2016, Mental health funding, that it would "improve capacity to see people more quickly...redesign local services to make them more efficient, effective and sustainable [and] improve workforce supply and train existing staff to deliver services for children and young people, as well as psychological therapies for all ages", what its response is to reports that some mental health services in NHS Tayside are facing closure.

The Scottish Government sets national direction of policy on mental health and provides funding to agencies – including NHS boards and local authorities – to support implementation of policy.

The management of local actions in implementing national policy, and decisions on local spending priorities are the responsibility of relevant local agencies. It is therefore the responsibility of NHS boards and local authorities to work with their partners and regularly review spending decisions to ensure they deliver fit for purpose services which respond to the needs of their local population.

Question reference: S5W-00780

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 28 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Aberdeenshire Council regarding concerns that the limit on the number of characters available to bidders using its PCS-Tender e-tendering system to procure mental health support services might impact on the quality of bids.

Question reference: S5W-00782

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 27 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position on reports that the qualifying criteria for Aberdeenshire Council's invitation to tender to procure mental health support services suggests that bids should address financial risk to the local authority and not personal risk to the mental health or wellbeing of presenting individuals.

The Scottish Government has no involvement regarding the qualifying criteria for Aberdeenshire Council's invitation to tender for mental health support services. Public bodies should ensure that they consider both the statutory and best practice guidance published by the Scottish Government when procuring these important services.

Guidance under the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014: http://www.gov.scot/publications/2016/03/8410

Guidance on the Procurement of Care and Support Services (Best-Practice): http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Government/Procurement/policy/SocialCareProcurement

Question reference: S5W-00781

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 27 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the effectiveness of Aberdeenshire Council’s health and social care integration process with regard to mental health provision, including whether (a) the NHS and (b) stakeholders have sufficient input in defining community support services.

The design and delivery of integrated health and social care services, including mental health, is the responsibility of the Aberdeenshire health and social care partnership. This is overseen by a joint board whose members are nominated by Aberdeenshire council and NHS Grampian, called the Integration Joint board (IJB), which consists of five Aberdeenshire councillors and five NHS Grampian board members, and also includes non-voting members of the board, such as representatives from carers groups, trade unions and the third sector. The Partnership sets out how it intends to improve the design and delivery of integrated health and social care services through its strategic plan, which can be found at: https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/media/16182/health-and-social-care-strategic-plan-march-2016-final.pdf

It is for the partnership to ensure that stakeholders have sufficient input in defining community support services in a way that best suits their local needs. the scottish government has published guidance on the principles partnerships should follow in this regard, within guidance on the principles for planning and delivering integrated health and social care: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0046/00466005.pdf

Question reference: S5O-00062

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how the loss of jobs in the oil and gas sector has affected homelessness in the north east and what action it has taken to mitigate this.

Chamber and committees