Chamber and committees

Since the Scottish Government became aware of the SMC’s now announced decision not to recommend Orkambi® or Symkevi® for routine availability on the NHS, officials have held a number of meetings with the SMC, with the manufacturer and with other interested parties. The purpose of these meetings has been to seek to develop the principles of a solution that can make possible the widest availability of these medicines, wherever clinically appropriate. Further meetings are planned and work continues as a matter of urgency.

The SMC considered in relation to the two applications that it did not consider the cost to be justified in light of the continuing uncertainty about clinical effectiveness. The SMC takes decisions independently of the Scottish Government.

Thought Field Therapy is not included as an evidence based treatment in standard UK clinical guidelines. In particular, it is not included in “The Psychological Matrix” (2015) which is a comprehensive guide to delivering psychological therapies in Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on current medical research, or ongoing medical trials. We expect NHS services to consider all credible options of improving treatment for patients.

The Scottish Government received the 2018-23 noise action plan from Edinburgh Airport on 18 th December 2018. This was formally adopted by Scottish Ministers on 17 January 2019 and then published on the European Commission’s website, where all of the noise action plans for Scotland can be viewed.

Funded entitlement to early learning and childcare is helping to reduce childcare costs for families. All 3 and 4 year olds and around a quarter of 2 year olds are currently entitled to up to 600 hours of funded early learning and childcare per year. From August 2020, children’s entitlement will almost double to up to 1140 hours per year. The average estimated saving to families from the entire expanded provision is about £4,500 per child a year.

Local authorities are starting to phase in the expanded offer. Almost 20,000 children were already benefitting from more than 600 hours of funded early learning and childcare as a result of phasing as at April 2019.

In addition to the funded entitlement to early learning and childcare, the Scottish Government funds specific projects aimed at reducing childcare costs, including the Social Innovation Partnership’s One Parent Families Scotland flexible childcare service in Dundee and TASK’s Family and Childcare service in the Gorbals. We also recently announced a £3 million Access to Childcare Fund to deliver accessible and affordable after school and holiday childcare to support families on low incomes.

The Scottish Government is committed to working in partnership with the adoption sector to ensure that we improve the outcomes of adopted young people and their families. Adoptions are completed as quickly as is appropriate and possible, without detracting from the crucial safeguarding of children that these processes seek to ensure. The majority of adoptions happen within a year, however the complexities of some adoptions require additional time and such decisions are taken in the best interests of the child or children concerned to ensure the match with adopters meets their long term needs.

The Scottish Government is aware of the importance of making these processes easier and quicker where possible without detracting from the crucial safeguarding of children that these processes seek to ensure. The Scottish Government recognises that permanent, loving, nurturing relationships are what matter most to children, and that this is best delivered by giving them the legal certainty that their relationships are permanent. Since 2014 the Scottish Government has funded the Centre for Looked After Children (CELCIS) to deliver the Permanence and Care Excellence programme (PACE). PACE supports improvement projects in local authorities, designed to identify areas of blockages or difficulties in securing permanence for looked after children and to reduce delay where it is appropriate to do so. In line with the commitment in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2018/19 all local authorities have now been offered support from the PACE programme.

Through the Children and Young People Act 2014, the Scottish Government has placed Scotland’s Adoption Register on a statutory footing. The Register provides opportunities for children to be matched with families across Scotland if they cannot be matched locally, and is now used by all local authorities to further reduce the delays in children being matched with adoptive families, and finding permanent homes.

An Advisory Group will be established to consider the implementation of the Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019 and potential future ages of criminal responsibility, and invitations have been issued. The Group will meet for the first time on 26 August. Care and justice organisations represented previously on the 2015-16 Advisory Group have again been invited to contribute, with the addition of Children's Hearings Scotland and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. At its first meeting, the Group will consider whether other experts, interests and organisations should be invited to join them.

An analysis of responses to the Reducing Health Harms of Foods High in Fat, Sugar and Salt consultation will be published by the autumn.

The Scottish Government will reflect on the findings from the consultation in considering what actions to take going forward.

Anyone applying for a National Entitlement Card (NEC) is required to provide original documentation to confirm their residency in Scotland and verify their personal details. This includes name, address, date of birth and proof of entitlement.

A list of the acceptable proofs to confirm residency entitlement can be found on the NEC website - https://www.entitlementcard.org.uk/how-get-your-nec

In Scotland, as part of the wider Child Health Programme , a system is in place for collecting and reporting on obesity levels in children.The most recent report ‘Body Mass Index of Primary 1 Children in Scotland’ is available here .

The purpose and key components of the Scottish programme are similar to that of the National Child Measurement Programme in England: to inform local planning and delivery of services for children; gather population-level data to allow analysis of trends in growth patterns and obesity; increase public and professional understanding of the importance of healthy weight in children and be a vehicle for engaging with children and families about healthy lifestyles and weight issues.

Consistent with action 3.11 of the Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan , we are exploring options for an additional measurement point to improve data and support beyond primary 1. This includes providing more support to parents and the frontline practitioners who work with them, to have effective conversations about their child’s weight, in a way that is non-stigmatising. We will take learning from the National Child Measurement Programme in England, and practice further afield, to inform our decisions.