Chamber and committees

The review will be stakeholder-driven and evidence-led and it is crucial that people, particularly those with lived experience, have an opportunity to make their views known.

This Government is determined to ensure that the views of patients, those with lived experience and those that care for them are front and centre of the work to be taken forward so that they can help shape the future direction of our legislation.

How the review is undertaken is a matter for the Chair, but the views of people with lived experience of compulsory care and treatment and their families and representatives must be central to the work of the review.

While it will be for the Chair to determine how the review is best taken forward, we have been clear that the principal aim of the review of the Mental Health Act is to improve the rights and protections of people with a mental disorder and remove barriers to those caring for their health and welfare.

In order for this to happen, the review will need to consider and take account of the developments in mental health law and practice on compulsory detention and care and treatment since the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 came into force.

From that work, we expect recommendations that give effect to the rights, will and preferences of the individual by ensuring that mental health, incapacity and adult support and protection legislation reflects people’s social, economic and cultural rights, including UNCRPD and ECHR requirements.

I refer the member to the answer to recent question S5W-23053 on 16 May 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-23060 on 15 May 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

IVF Waiting Times data are collected for first cycle to screening appointment. "Information Services Division collect IVF data to inform the target for NHSScotland; that eligible patients will commence IVF treatment within 12 months by 31 March 2015." Data from July 2014 can be found at www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Waiting-Times/IVF-Waiting-Times/ .

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lives of autistic people, their families and carers through the Scottish Strategy for Autism .

There are no current plans to undertake further research into the number of autistic people in Scotland. The Micro segmentation Project published in March 2018 has established a robust national Scottish autism prevalence rate of 1.035%. More information can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2018/03/3640 .

The Scottish Government have recommended that this prevalence figure should be used as the most accurate prevalence estimate available. The report provides accurate data for the number of autistic individuals, together with numbers with and without an intellectual disability, in every age range for the whole of Scotland and for every Council or Health Board area.

There is no body of scientific evidence to support the hypothesis that there is a link between excessive sugar consumption and the increase in the number of autistic people.

The Scottish Government funds research through the Chief Scientist's office.

Researchers can apply to the Chief Scientist Office for funding. The CSO's Translational Clinical Studies Committee and the Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committees each meet twice per year to consider funding applications. Details of the application process are published on the CSO website. http://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/funding-2/

Applications looking at excessive sugar consumption and its suppression of the enzyme, glutamine synthetase may be submitted to the CSO funding committees. In common with all other applications, these would go through the CSO's standard independent peer review process.

The following table shows the number of affordable homes delivered in 2018-19 between 1 April 2018 and 31 December 2018. Figures for the final quarter, 1 January 2019 to 31 March 2019, will be published in June 2019 and may differ slightly from the figures previously published by the Scottish Government More Homes Division for a number of reasons, including: differences in data extraction dates and changes made to the historical data after the original publication.

All published quarterly figures for 2018-19 can be found at the following link: https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration

Please note that as well as new build homes, the Affordable Housing Supply Programme includes rehabilitation projects, off the shelf purchases and homes for low-cost home ownership from existing housing stock:

The Scottish Government expects NHS Boards to provide high quality, person-centred care for all people, including those with suspected, or confirmed diagnosis of Primary Biliary Cholangitis.

Scotland has an implementation plan for rare diseases, published 2014, which includes 51 commitments. A progress report, published 2018, sets out progress towards meeting these commitments http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2018/02/8601 .