Chamber and committees

Benzodiazepines (both prescribable and street variants) were implicated in, or potentially contributed to, 792 drug-related deaths in 2018 (67%). Of these 792 deaths 675 involved ‘street’ benzodiazepines and 238 involved prescribable benzodiazepines.

Source: National Records of Scotland

Following the closure of the works in July 2019 by Gemini Rail Services Ltd, Scottish Enterprise is continuing to work with the landlord on identifying and attracting new investment in to the site from the rail and broader engineering sectors.

The Scottish Government has committed £1.11 million in 2019-20 to the E-bike Loan Fund for the provision of interest-free loans to help individuals and businesses purchase e-bikes and e-cargo bikes. This is an increase on the £900,000 of funding awarded in 2018-19.

In addition this financial year, £1.14 million has been allocated to the E-bike Grant Fund in order to assist local authorities, public sector agencies, further and higher education institutions, active travel hubs and community groups to purchase e-bikes and e-cargo bikes as more sustainable alternatives to a car or van. This investment builds on the £932,000 of e-bike grants that were awarded in 2018-19.

SEPA has carried out, or is currently undertaking, the following studies into the impact of pharmaceuticals on the water environment:

• Water Framework Directive (WFD) Watchlist Monitoring – SEPA is monitoring for a number of pharmaceuticals in the water environment as part of a EU-wide programme to understand the prevalence of these substances.
• Chemical Investigation Programme – As part of a UK wide programme SEPA is working with Scottish Water to understand the occurrence, treatability and sources of a range of substances, including pharmaceuticals, in urban waste water discharges.
• Assessment of organic contaminants in materials spread on land – SEPA is involved in assessing the degree to which materials spread on land contain pharmaceuticals and veterinary medicine residues.
• Investigating the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistant E. coli in Scottish Bathing Waters – ongoing SEPA analysis at routinely monitored bathing waters and associated watercourses to determine bacteriologic resistance to antibiotics.
• Environmental risk assessment of human pharmaceuticals in Scottish marine waters - SEPA is working with Robert Gordon University on a project to assess the levels of pharmaceuticals in Scottish marine waters.
• One Health Breakthrough Partnership – SEPA is working with NHS Highland and other partners to help medical practitioners make choices that achieve outcomes for patients, which are best for the environment.

One of the purposes of the studies referred to above is to help identify potential risks to wildlife. However, at present, SEPA is not able to directly measure and attribute impacts to particular pharmaceuticals in the environment.

Between 2015 and June 2019, 148 new cases of HIV in people who inject drugs in Glasgow have been identified. Further data, including a breakdown over time is available on the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde website: https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/your-health/public-health/public-health-protection-unit-phpu/bloodborne-virus/hiv/hiv-infections-in-people-who-inject-drugs-update-2019/

An analysis of the causes of the HIV outbreak in Glasgow was published in The Lancet in April 2019. This research was the product of collaboration between Glasgow Caledonian University, Health Protection Scotland, and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The key interpretation of the analysis was that: ‘despite high coverage of harm reduction interventions, Glasgow has experienced a rapid rise in prevalence of HIV among its PWID population, associated with homelessness, incarceration, and a major shift to injection of cocaine’.

We are providing £2.13m over three years to third sector organisations to support innovative work to tackle poor sexual health and reduce blood borne virus transmissions. This includes funding for Scottish Drugs Forum to work with people who inject drugs to help them reduce risk behaviours connected with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

The amount of funding provided to all ADP’s can be found at the following link - https://www.gov.scot/publications/alcohol-and-drug-partnerships-funding-allocations/ . This funding is used to support the delivery of drug and alcohol services. It is the responsibility of the Health Board and ADP to use these funds in a way which ensures the provision and quality of services that best meets the needs of their local population.

The Scottish Government has invested £800 million to tackle problem alcohol and drug use since 2008. Over £70 million is available in this financial year to help reduce the harms caused by alcohol and drugs.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-25169 on 18 September 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-25169 on 18 September 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 .

a) In the financial year 2018-2019 1,269,233 items classed as benzodiazepines were dispensed in Scotland. Drugs classified as benzodiazepines included: loprazolam, lormetazepam, nitrazepam, temazepam, diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, lorazepam, oxazepam, clobazam, clonazepam and midazolam.

b) In the financial year 2018-2019 3,533,132 items classed as SSRI antidepressants were dispensed in Scotland. Drugs classified as SSRI antidepressants included: Citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine maleate, paroxetine and sertraline.

Source: Prescribing Information System

The project procured by NHS Lothian was to design, build, finance and maintain a new facility to re-provide services from the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) and the Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) in a single building adjoining the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France. The Project was procured via the Scottish Government’s Non Profit Distribution initiative, a form of public private partnership procurement.

As the member knows from previous discussions, before Dr Veronikis can work with clinicians and patients in Scotland he needs registration with the GMC which also requires him as a visiting clinician, to have a contract with an NHS Board.

Dr Veronikis has made good progress with that for his part and I am grateful to him for that. Professional review is needed by a Board which in part involves surgeons visiting Dr Veronikis in the US. I am disappointed that clinical commitments have prevented that visit taking place over the summer as I had expected. I understand that our surgeons have scheduled their clinical commitments to make a visit possible in November, provided that suits Dr Veronikis. Meantime the CMO, Dr Calderwood has invited Dr Veronikis to meet her in Scotland but he has let her know that his clinical commitments are booked until January 2020. She has instead offered time when they can have a longer conversation by telephone.