Chamber and committees

The contract between Abellio ScotRail and Scottish Ministers contains contractual steps for managing performance. The Scottish Government has taken steps through the contract to issue ScotRail with Remedial Plans to ensure they remain focussed to return performance levels on a trajectory to meet our challenging but achievable contract targets.

For the ScotRail Performance Remedial Plan, the operator has delivered on commitments as per programme – the Remedial Agreement for performance is effective up until 30 May 2020. This accords with the timescales for the completion of all contractual commitments (notably driver recruitment and training) and aligns with ScotRail’s forecasts of when ScotRail expect to exit Breach Performance Level for the Cancellation and Public Performance Measure Benchmarks in respect of relevant sectors.

There has been no patients treated at the New Royal Hospital for Children and Young People since it was handed to NHS Lothian and the move to the new site was halted. I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24397 on 18 July 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 .

Numbers are not available exclusively for the new facility. It is important to note that the staff for the RHCYP & DCN building are planned as part of the NHS workforce including the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. While the new building remains closed many of these staff, with their agreement, are still working in the current RHSC or on other sites; this has all been done with staff partnership and will be kept under review.

Domestics - current staffing numbers are 45.26 wte; headcount 73 – working in RIE and RHCYP & DCN

Catering - current staffing numbers are 24.14 wte; headcount 33 – working in existing RHSC, SJH, WGH, REH RIE and RHCYP & DCN

Logistics - current staffing numbers are 30.93 wte; headcount 31 – working in RIE and RHCYP & DCN (where they provide 24/7 security, plus portering & traffic management)

Payments of around £1.4m have been paid every month since handover of the facility to NHS Lothian in February 2019, as required by the contract.

Scottish Government does not collect information on all the provision described. These projects are mainly provided by third sector organisations. We are aware of useful work of projects like Chris’s House, and of their collaborative work with other agencies and also Edinburgh Crisis Centre

Edinburgh Crisis Centre services are provided by Penumbra and is currently jointly funded by City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian.

The Crisis Centre is open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year and provides community based emotional and practical support at times of crisis.

It is a service for people who are aged 16 or over who are using or have used mental health services and are resident in the City of Edinburgh when they are facing a crisis. This includes people who have seen their GP, used voluntary services and people who identify themselves as having a mental health issue.

Face to face support is arranged via a helpline. Staff will offer emotional support and practical help. There is facilities for overnight stay for up to four service users for a maximum of seven days.

Action 5 of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan (Every Life Matters) refers - “the NSPLG will use evidence on the effectiveness of different models of crisis support to make recommendations to service providers and share best practice.” The July minutes of the NSPLG show that a workshop will be set up to describe what effective service provision would look like.

Scottish Government will take into account these recommendations for any future provision.

The Scottish Government recognises the good work of the Edinburgh Crisis Centre. Nigel Henderson, Chief Executive of Penumbra is a member of the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group and sponsors Action 5 of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan: The NSPLG will use evidence on the effectiveness of differing models of crisis support to make recommendations to service providers and share best practice.

The information requested is as follows:

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

SPS is not changing the way it records incidents involving psychoactive substances.

Incidents can only be attributed to a particular substance if, following any recovery, testing confirms that a particular substance was involved. Where any recovered substance cannot be identified then it is classified as “unknown”.

SPS are currently trialling technology across a number of sites to support the identification of illicit substances on paper and clothing.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24338 on 1 August 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website; the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .