- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2016
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 7 December 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how its public information campaign to maximise incomes and benefit take-up will target the estimated 53,000 carers who do not claim carer's allowance.
Answer
We want to see incomes maximised for people to receive all the benefits to which they are entitled. There are many benefits reserved to the UK Government, including Carer’s Allowance, where take up could be improved. We plan to run a take-up campaign in 2017-18 to encourage all those entitled to benefits to access them. In the meantime we will continue to run public information activity to ensure people know what benefits are being devolved and when, and are carrying out work to understand what the barriers to take-up are, including user experience panels.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2016
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 5 December 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03842 by Maureen Watt on 2 November 2016, whether it will provide (a) a breakdown of how the £54.1 million over four years to reduce waiting times in mental health services will be spent and (b) details of how each area of investment will be evaluated.
Answer
The First Minister announced £54.1 million of funding over 4 years from 2016-17 to improve access to mental health services on 12 January, 2016. Following that announcement this letter provides further information on that package of support and the allocations to NHS Boards.
This package of funding represents the initial announcement of support from within the £150 million awarded to mental health by the Scottish Government to 2015-20. It comprises three specific elements which total £54.1 million over four years and is intended to support the delivery of the LDP access standards for both CAMHS and psychological therapies. The package includes:
-
An allocation to NHS Boards to increase capacity to deliver services (24.7m);
-
Support for the development of the mental health workforce to enhance supply and training of workforce to deliver evidence-based therapies, delivered by NHS Education for Scotland (£24.6m);
-
The delivery of a Mental Health Access Improvement Support Programme, delivered by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (£4.8m).
This package of support has been structured to focus on improving access to mental health services and support for NHS Boards to:
-
Deliver reductions in waiting times and the achievement of the LDP standard for CAMHS and Psychological Therapies.
-
Improve access to mental health services in response to the local need identified within the LDP.
-
Deliver a workforce development plan for mental health workforce.
National published data on access to service and workforce will be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the investment.
A summary of the funding can be seen in the following table:
|
Initiative
|
2016-17
|
2017-18
|
2018-19
|
2019-20
|
Total
|
|
Building Capacity
|
4,300,000
|
6,800,000
|
6,800,000
|
6,800,000
|
24,700,000
|
|
Workforce Development
(CAMHS/PT)
|
4,500,000
|
6,100,000
|
7,000,000
|
7,000,000
|
24,600,000
|
|
Improvement Support
(MHAIST)
|
1,200,000
|
1,200,000
|
1,200,000
|
1,200,000
|
4,800,000
|
|
Total
|
10,000,000
|
14,100,000
|
15,000,000
|
15,000,000
|
54,100,000
|
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2016
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 December 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03581 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 4 November 2016, whether it will provide an update on what progress it is making to appoint a commissioner for fair access, and what the deadline for this is.
Answer
We are continuing work to identify the right candidate. The Commission on Widening Access recommended that an appointment be made by the end of the year and we are working to progress this as a matter of priority.
-
Current Status:
Withdrawn
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2016
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Children's Services Coalition warning that Scotland faces a "lost generation" of children with additional support needs.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2016
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2016
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 22 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03844 by John Swinney on 1 November 2016, for what reason the Education Maintenance Allowance budget has reduced from £42.6 million in 2007-08 to £39.6 million.
Answer
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is an entitlement in Scotland which means that any applicant who meets the eligibility criteria will receive EMA support. The budget level is set in line with recent spending trends. We increased the EMA budget to £39.6 million for 2016-17 from its previous year’s budget of £29.6 million to accommodate any increase in the number of EMA recipients resulting from the amended eligibility criteria introduced in January 2016. We have also provided additional support to Local Authorities to promote the EMA funding and to inform parents and student about the changes to the eligibility criteria.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2016
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 22 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03843 by John Swinney on 1 November 2016, what analysis it has carried out to ascertain the reason for the reduction in the average payment made to (a) male and (b) female recipients of Education Maintenance Allowance over this period.
Answer
Since piloting the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) programme in 2005 there has been a number of changes to the EMA eligibility criteria. These include the removal, following the consultation into ‘16-Plus Learning Choices – First Step Activity and Financial Support (2008)’, of the bonus payment and tiered payment structure in 2009 and the revised household income thresholds in 2016.
These changes mean that it is difficult to make any accurate comparisons and draw conclusions about average EMA payments across different years.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2016
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 22 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03843 by John Swinney on 1 November 2016, what analysis it has carried out to ascertain the reason for the reduction in the number of (a) male and (b) female recipients of Education Maintenance Allowance over this period.
Answer
The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is an entitlement and a demand led programme. Any young person who has reached the age of 16 can apply and if they satisfy the eligibility criteria they will receive the award. We do not collect data on the number of school pupils or college students who could be eligible for EMA. The recent edition of the EMA statistical publication shows fluctuations in the number of EMA recipients over the years. There is likely to be several reasons why the number are fluctuating, including the numbers of young people at college and school. Changes to the number of recipients does not necessarily indicate the rate of uptake has decreased. Since piloting the programme in 2005 there has been changes to the EMA eligibility criteria. This has had an impact on the numbers of young people who are eligible to apply for the support, which makes it difficult to draw a direct comparison between each year of the programme.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2016
-
Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 10 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged (a) under 18, (b) 18 to 65 and (c) over 65 have (i) been diagnosed with and (ii) received hospital treatment for malnutrition in each year since 2011, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
Information on the number of patients who have been diagnosed with malnutrition is not held centrally. The number of people admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of malnutrition in each calendar year since 2011 by age group and NHS board is shown in the following table.
Please note that most people with malnutrition who are admitted to Scottish hospitals are suffering from some other medical condition that causes malnutrition. In addition many other cases are diagnosed and treated in a primary care setting.
|
|
Under 18
|
18-65
|
Over 65
|
Under 18
|
18-65
|
Over 65
|
Under 18
|
18-65
|
Over 65
|
Under 18
|
18-65
|
Over 65
|
Under 18
|
18-65
|
Over 65
|
|
|
NHS Ayrshire & Arran
|
6
|
14
|
25
|
*
|
15
|
15
|
-
|
13
|
25
|
-
|
10
|
17
|
*
|
23
|
17
|
|
|
NHS Borders
|
-
|
7
|
6
|
-
|
12
|
8
|
*
|
11
|
12
|
*
|
13
|
20
|
-
|
5
|
8
|
|
|
NHS Dumfries & Galloway
|
*
|
5
|
*
|
-
|
9
|
*
|
-
|
6
|
4
|
-
|
*
|
5
|
*
|
5
|
2
|
|
|
NHS Fife
|
*
|
12
|
11
|
*
|
10
|
8
|
*
|
15
|
4
|
-
|
10
|
13
|
-
|
18
|
8
|
|
|
NHS Forth Valley
|
-
|
6
|
*
|
-
|
11
|
*
|
-
|
*
|
3
|
-
|
8
|
*
|
*
|
9
|
5
|
|
|
NHS Grampian
|
-
|
30
|
22
|
-
|
29
|
14
|
*
|
18
|
11
|
-
|
26
|
11
|
*
|
16
|
3
|
|
|
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
|
*
|
40
|
29
|
*
|
25
|
15
|
*
|
22
|
17
|
-
|
29
|
28
|
*
|
32
|
25
|
|
|
NHS Highland
|
*
|
16
|
11
|
-
|
18
|
6
|
-
|
19
|
13
|
-
|
14
|
5
|
-
|
21
|
11
|
|
|
NHS Lanarkshire
|
*
|
21
|
14
|
*
|
25
|
7
|
*
|
27
|
10
|
-
|
13
|
8
|
-
|
19
|
7
|
|
|
NHS Lothian
|
-
|
38
|
16
|
-
|
41
|
23
|
-
|
30
|
21
|
-
|
52
|
27
|
*
|
33
|
18
|
|
|
NHS Orkney
|
-
|
*
|
*
|
-
|
*
|
*
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
NHS Shetland
|
-
|
*
|
*
|
-
|
*
|
*
|
-
|
*
|
*
|
-
|
*
|
|
-
|
*
|
-
|
|
|
NHS Tayside
|
-
|
13
|
14
|
*
|
14
|
13
|
*
|
13
|
8
|
*
|
13
|
10
|
-
|
*
|
7
|
|
|
NHS Western Isles
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
*
|
-
|
*
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
*
|
-
|
*
|
-
|
|
|
Non NHS Scotland Residents
|
-
|
*
|
*
|
-
|
*
|
-
|
-
|
*
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
*
|
-
|
-
|
*
|
|
|
Treated in NHS Scotland
|
14
|
208
|
156
|
8
|
214
|
119
|
8
|
182
|
129
|
*
|
194
|
149
|
6
|
187
|
112
|
|
*Indicates values that have been suppressed due to the potential risk of disclosure and to help maintain patient confidentiality.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 October 2016
-
Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 10 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland report, Breastfeeding Statistics Scotland, Financial Year 2015/16, which suggests that breastfeeding rates have remained mostly static over the last decade and can vary because of deprivation, geographical location and maternal age.
Answer
The Scottish Government continues to be committed to supporting breastfeeding. Across Scotland the proportion of babies being breastfed at their first visit has increased over the last 10 years (44.1% - 49.3%). Twenty four local authorities had increases in breastfeeding rates at 6-8 weeks, from the previous year.
The increase in overall breastfeeding rates and in the most deprived areas is mainly due to an increase in the percentage of mothers who breast and formula fed rather than exclusively breastfed. The rates varied across Scotland and were lower in more deprived areas and amongst younger mothers.
