Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-08588

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 27 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to further support the physical activity programme developed by SAMH.

The ALBA (Active Living Becomes Achievable) programme, a collaboration between the Scottish Government and SAMH, will build on the well-established links between physical activity and improved mental wellbeing, and includes partnership working with Leisure Trusts in three targeted areas (Fife, North Ayrshire and West Lothian).

The ALBA programme is already underway, with the first cohort of individuals joining the programme in Fife in early 2017. Leisure providers in North Ayrshire and West Lothian are expected to start working with participants in Summer 2017.

The Scottish Government has invested nearly £1m (£992,000) in this programme to encourage people with mental health problems to become more physically active.

Question reference: S5W-08643

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 27 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06583 by Maureen Watt on 6 February 2017, whether the updated national dementia strategy has been published and, if not, (a) what the reason is for the delay and (b) by what date it will be published.

The Scottish Government now plans to publish the 2017-2020 National Dementia Strategy in June.

We have taken some additional time to ensure that all aspects of the strategy and its commitments are designed to provide maximum national support to local dementia service delivery, re-design and improvement; and to ensure that stakeholders are content with the overall strategy and its commitments.

Question reference: S5W-08584

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the quality of anticipatory care planning approaches for children and young people.

The Scottish Government is working with Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s Living Well in Communities programme which has a dedicated improvement workstream on Anticipatory Care Planning. This has included work with the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) and other representatives of children’s palliative care services to develop an Anticipatory Care Plan for children and young people, recognising that it is vital to ensure person-centred care meets the needs of people of all ages.

Question reference: S5T-00525

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to claims that staff at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital are “incredibly stressed” and that the hospital is “very short staffed”.

Question reference: S5W-08649

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 24 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to alleviate the pressures faced by mental health officers.

Question reference: S5W-08582

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 24 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the protocol for admissions to non-specialist wards for young people with mental health problems will be established.

Question reference: S5W-08611

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 24 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to develop the National Rural Mental Health Forum.

Question reference: S5W-08585

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 24 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin to test the most effective and sustainable models of supporting mental health in primary care.

The question refers to action 23 in the Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027.

£10 million will be invested in primary care mental health services over 2016/17 and 2017/18 to encourage the development of new models of care to ensure that people with mental health challenges are provided with the most appropriate treatment, as quickly as possible, in the most appropriate setting.

On 18 February 2016, the Cabinet Secretary announced the creation of the Primary Care Mental Health Fund alongside the Primary Care Transformation Fund, to which Boards – working with their partners – can submit proposals to support this transformative change.

As we are approaching the second year of funding, Boards will already be testing out the most effective and sustainable models of supporting mental health in primary care. Scottish Government will evaluate the results of the models by 2019.

Question reference: S5W-08656

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 24 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the work on the potential mental health inpatient needs of children and young people with a learning disability and/or an autism spectrum disorder will be complete, and when it will act on the findings.

Question reference: S5W-08636

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 24 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that there is no variation in waiting times accross the country for access to psychological therapies.