Chamber and committees

I met with the Networkof International Development Organisations in Scotland and the Scotland-Malawi Partnership on 23 August 2007 to invite them to contribute to the discussion on thefuture of our International Development Policy. As stated in the answer to questionS3W-3300 on 27 August 2007, my officials and I will continue to meetwith aid agencies to discuss international development as required.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-3642 on 4 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The future directionof the Scottish Government’s International Development Policy - and the way in whichthe increased International Development Fund is distributed - will be informed bythe expert views of Scotland’s Aid Agencies. This will ensure it is focusedon ways in which we can contribute to achieving the millennium development goals.

As stated in the answerto question S3W-2899 on 7 August 2007, this Scottish Government is committed toTrade Justice and will continue to support the drive to make Scotland a Fair Tradenation, based on meaningful and substantial measures. We will do this through continuedsupport for the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, who represent the key organisations andindividuals who can make this a reality.

NHS Highland have informed me that resources of approximately £700,000 will be released by the closure of the Jeannie Deans Unit. The allocation of these resources is a matter for NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute Council.

The resources released from the closure of continuing care inpatient beds at the Jeannie Deans will be used to develop and enhance community care services that will improve access to local services enabling older people to stay within their homes for as long as possible. These include preventative, anticipatory and rehabilitative care; increased rapid intervention to prevent admission and support early discharge, and increased access to respite and day care.

I considered all available information in coming to a view on NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute Council’s proposals to redesign older people’s services in Helensburgh and Lomond. I am aware that the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA) are carrying out a programmed performance inspection of Argyll and Bute Council and that the report is due to be published in October.

SWIA inspection reports set out clear recommended actions for local authorities and these should address any concerns that there might be regarding sustainable alternative services. However, I would stress that both NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute Council have committed themselves to providing the required community based services which will be enhanced by the resources released through the closure of Jeannie Deans Unit.

Under current legislationperiodic reviews mean that MEP numbers are determined with reference to actual numbersof electors.

Regular meetingstake place with NHS boards and local authorities to discuss a wide range ofmental health issues. Most recently, meetings with NHS board chief executiveson 20 June, and NHS board chairs on 23 July included a progress report on themental health agenda.

Other meetingsinclude the NHS board annual reviews which take place over July to December,and the twice yearly implementation reviews with NHS boards, Local Authorities andother partners as part of the on-going monitoring process for the commitmentsand targets around Delivering for Mental Health (Bib. number 41410); the Mental Health of Children and Young PeopleFramework (Bib. number38415); and implementation ofRights, Relationships and Recovery, the national review of mental healthnursing (Bib. number: 43282).Following visits earlier inApril/May these will continue in October/November this year and beyond.

Since theimplementation of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, (the 2003 Act), the Executive hasencouraged better use of short-term detention certificates which are intendedfor assessment and/or treatment of people in hospital. TheMental Welfare Commission for Scotland, who have a duty to monitor theoperation of the 2003 have reported that the rate of emergency detentionremains much lower that it was before the 2003 Act was implemented. Short-termdetention is now the usual route into compulsory treatment during normalworking hours and 70% of emergency orders aregranted outside normal working hours.