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: S4W-22913

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made since the introduction of the Scottish Strategy for Autism.

The Scottish Government launched the Scottish Strategy for Autism in November 2011 and announced an investment of £13.4 million over four years to improve autism services, and access to those services.

This is a 10 year strategy and much has been achieved in the first three years. Key highlights include:

£4.8 million funding to an Autism Development Fund which has supported local and national organisations to deliver local autism services on the ground. 53 organisations across Scotland – ranging from local autism support groups to third sector organisations - have benefited from the fund.

£1.12 million funding to local authorities to develop local autism strategies and associated action plans to improve local autism service provision. An autism coordination team has been appointed to support local authorities to implement their autism strategies and associated action plans.

Publication of Menu of Interventions – a guide to supports available for people with autism and their families. The guide has been rolled out across Scotland through a series of road shows throughout the year.

A network of One Stop Shops across Scotland that provide autism support services that are tailored to local need, including advocacy and sign-posting.

A new training and education framework, developed by NHS Education for Scotland, to raise awareness of and build capacity in autism within mainstream services.

An Autism Toolbox to help teachers and educational support staff to meet the needs of children with autism.

Question reference: S4O-03702

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it will use technology to improve access to primary healthcare services.

Question reference: S4W-22862

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist mental health officers there have been in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

For each of the three financial years to 31 March 2012 information on the number of mental health officers in each local authority area was published on the Scottish Government’s website as part of the Mental Health Officers Survey.

2011-12: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/06/3674 (Page 17)

2010-11: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/06/27145626/0 (Page 18);

2009-10: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/08/30114721/0 (Page 16);

The Scottish Social Services Council now publishes this information in its Mental Health Officers (Scotland) Report on a year to 31 December basis:

2013: http://data.sssc.uk.com/images/MHO/Mental%20Health%20Officers%20Report%202013.pdf (page 44)

2012: http://data.sssc.uk.com/images/publications/MentalHealthOfficersReport2012.pdf (Page 27)

Question reference: S4W-22916

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many people with autism aged (a) under and (b) over 18 have been sectioned under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 in the last four years and how many were assessed in a hospital outside of (i) their NHS board area and (ii) Scotland, broken down by (A) NHS board and (B) location of hospital.

Question reference: S4W-22864

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many children sectioned under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 have been detained in non-specialist units in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S4W-22865

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist mental health officers have been recruited in each of the last five years; what support local authorities receive to assist with recruitment, and what the Scottish Government has done to increase recruitment.

<>Information on the number of mental health officers recruited is not held centrally. However, the Scottish Social Services Council may hold this data for 2012 and 2013 and they can be contacted at: [email protected].

Section 32 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 places a duty on local authorities to appoint a sufficient number of mental health officers to discharge functions under the relevant legislation. Whilst the Scottish Government sets national policy and provides funding, it is a matter for individual local authorities to decide on the number of mental health officers appointed in their area taking into account local needs and circumstances.

Question reference: S4W-22863

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been sectioned under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) age and (b) local authority area.

Question reference: S4W-22886

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 11 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the New Medicines Fund will be funded by the pharmaceutical industry rebate payment made through the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme.

Question reference: S4W-22884

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 11 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the eligibility criteria is for medicines to be funded by the New Medicines Fund.

Question reference: S4W-22885

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 11 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether medicines approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium will be eligible for funding by the New Medicines Fund.