Chamber and committees

We currently provide £42 million annually to local authorities through the flood component of the general capital grant. We are committed to providing an extra £150 million to the flood component over the next five years. This is a 70% increase to the flooding budget from £210 million to £360 million. We are working with SEPA and local authorities to decide the best way of allocating this additional funding.

A portion of the current flood component allocated to the City of Edinburgh Council can already be used for projects to reduce surface water flooding. SEPA prioritise flood risk management actions across Scotland every 6 years. 80% of the current funding is set aside for 40 large scale flood protection schemes, and 20% is divided amongst the 32 local authorities for other actions to reduce flood risk, including from surface water. A number of local authorities are undertaking studies to identify why surface water flooding is a problem in a given location and how it might be resolved.

SEPA are currently prioritising new flood risk management works based on information submitted by local authorities for the period 2022-2027. A number of surface water schemes or works have been put forward as part of this process.

Ministerial decisions will be informed by the recommendations of the joint Scottish Government/COSLA working group that is currently considering these issues.

This information is not routinely recorded at present. The Scottish Government has commissioned Directors of eHealth in NHS Boards, working with others, including Public Health Scotland (PHS), to work to improve the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) digital infrastructure. This will enable the recording and extraction of the full CAMHS and Psychological Therapies (PT) National Dataset (CAPTND), which contains equalities characteristics of patients accessing these services.

Additional funding of £10.881 million has been provided to Edinburgh City Council for the remainder of the financial year 2021-22. These additional funds are to support: the standing up of interim care arrangements (£3.567 million); enhancing multi-disciplinary team working (£1.784 million) and expanding care at home capacity (£5.53 million).

(a) In terms of Scottish Government support, we have set out our commitment to people with a learning disability, including those with Down’s Syndrome, and their families through the Keys to Life Learning Disability strategy and the Towards Transformation Learning Disability and Autism Plan . Both plans focus on outcomes intended to ensure people with a learning disability live healthier lives, enjoy choice and control over the services they use, and are supported to be independent and active citizens.

To this end, we have committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill as part of the Programme for Government. This Bill will ensure that the rights of people with Down’s Syndrome, among others, are respected and protected. Additionally, we will create a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodiversity Commissioner to champion the new law.

The Scottish Government works closely with a range of third sector partners and funds Down’s Syndrome Scotland as delivery partners in achieving the Keys to Life Learning Disability strategy and the Towards Transformation Learning Disability and Autism Plan as well as to allow them to provide direct support to people with Down’s Syndrome and their families.

Additional funding was also awarded to develop changes in Down’s Syndrome Scotland’s programme of work during COVID-19 and supporting families through the pandemic and the recovery phase, including their vital helpline.

(b) Whilst the Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland, it is for the regional health & social care partnerships to determine the level of services that are required to meet local needs and to arrange an appropriate and suitable range of services to meet these local needs, as mandated under statute in the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act. The Scottish Government expects that the needs of people with Down’s Syndrome are identified, acknowledged and met, ensuring positive outcomes are achieved.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04721 on 8 December 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04721 on 8 December 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

There is no system of coroners' inquests in Scotland unlike England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The responsibility for the investigation of any death that requires further explanation rests with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Any sudden, suspicious, unexpected or unexplained death and any death which has occurred in circumstances which give rise to public concern, can result in a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) a public examination of the circumstances of that death conducted before a sheriff.

Legal aid is available for relatives participating in an FAI on the same basis as for civil proceedings and the same statutory tests must be met.

Civil legal aid has generous financial eligibility thresholds and those who are entitled to participate in an FAI, such as family, are assumed to have probable cause. In terms of assessing ‘reasonableness’ the Scottish Legal Aid Board expects that the Procurator Fiscal will usually be able to represent the interests of the relatives. However, where a relative of a person who died in prison or police custody applies, SLAB will look favourably on the application.

SLAB holds data in respect of applications from 2012 only. In respect of FAIs I can confirm that since 2012 there has been a total of 134 applications received, of which 111 were granted. That is a grant rate of approximately 83%.

In the financial year 2012-13 90% of applications received were granted.

In the financial year 2013-14 78% of applications received were granted.

In the financial year 2014-15 71% of applications received were granted.

In the financial year 2015-16 93% of applications received were granted.

In the financial year 2016-17 88% of applications received were granted.

In the financial year 2017-18 87% of applications received were granted.

In the financial year 2018-19 79% of applications received were granted.

In the financial year 2019-20 81% of applications received were granted.

In the financial year 2020-21 86% of applications received were granted.

GP practice records show lists of acute and repeat prescribed medication lists during consultations with quantities of medication prescribed. Over ordering of repeat medication (or repeated consultations for acute prescriptions) are therefore visible on the acute and repeat prescribing sections of the medical records. It is therefore possible to add minimum days before reordering of monthly repeat medications to help prevent medication being ordered early or alert future prescribers to the potential for suspected addiction. ‘Special notes’ can be added or alerts to the patient record in daytime practice to inform prescribers of previous medication seeking behaviour or suspected addiction to pain medication. This information can be added to the patients ‘Special notes’ to be visible to Out of Hours services. Scottish Government is developing tools to accurately display prescribing habits to clinicians during consultations in order to help identify medication (including analgesic) over/under use.

David MacBrayne Ltd is a Relevant Authority under the Islands Act. It is for individual bodies to consider their responsibilities under the Act when carrying out their activities.

CalMac Ferries ltd is not listed as a Relevant Authority in the Act, and is therefore not subject to the same duties under the Act.

Substance misuse services (often catering for drugs and alcohol misuse) are accessible either by open access or through GP referral to these services for review and support. These vary across Health boards with regards to support and resource available and mode of initial access.