Parliamentary questions
Adam Ingram
1,244 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on recruitment advertising for teachers in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-26485 on 3 July 2002 providing information on all advertisingspend, including the teacher recruitment campaign, by the Scottish Office/ScottishExecutive Departments from 1991-92 to 2001-02.</p><p>In the year’s…
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for recruiting history teachers to schools in each year to 2010.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The recruitment of history teachersto schools is a matter for local authorities (LAs), depending on the curriculumneeds of individual schools.</p><p>The Scottish Executive carriesout an annual teacher workforce planning exercise to ensure at a national levela…
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent specifically on mental health services and treatments for children under 16 in each year since 1999.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it identifies cannabis use amongst children under 16.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Executive’s primary sourceof information regarding cannabis use by under 16 year olds is the Scottish SchoolsAdolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS). This is an Executive-fundednational biannual self-report survey of 13 and 15-year-old pupi…
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 were known to be using cannabis in each year since 1999.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Schools AdolescentLifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) provides national estimates of the proportion of young people aged 13 and15, who report the use of cannabis in the previous year. The following table detailsthe findings:</p><table bor…
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific training teachers are receiving to recognise and identify children who may be suffering from depression.
Answer · Peter Peacock: During their initial teachereducation courses, student teachers are required to undertake specific core moduleswhich develop their understanding of health, health promotion and relatedissues. These core modules also support learning, recognition and understan…
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 were diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not centrallyheld.</p>
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many recorded suicides were there of children under 16 in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · George Lyon: In presenting statistics on suicidesit is conventional to combine deaths classified as intentional self-harm (suicides)with those classified as events of undetermined intent. This is because the majorityof the latter are likely to have been suicides. However,…
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 were treated for depression I each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The exact number of childrenunder 16 diagnosed with depression in Scotland in each year since 1999 is not available centrally. However,national estimates of the numbers of children consulting for depression can be givenbased on the number of patients seen for…
29 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 were prescribed anti-depressants in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Prescription data collected centrallydo not relate to the number of patients receiving treatment but to the numbers andcost of prescribed items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists anddispensing doctors.</p><p>These data cannot be used asa prox…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for robust evaluation of all types of interventions and treatments for young people found to be deliberately self-harming.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: As at January 2006,there were approximately 50 part- or fully-funded Choose Life initiatives acrossScotland where tackling self-harm was identified asa key aim of local Choose Life action plans. All these initiatives are requiredto indicate how, and by when, …
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it plans to issue to health and education authorities in respect of the rights of young people who disclose their self-harm to education, health and social care professionals.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: <i>Safe and Well</i> guidance on child protection in school (2005) alreadyincludes a section on responding effectively and sensitively to pupils who self-harmand there are no plans to issue further guidance to education professionals.</p><p>In addition, the s…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it routinely records instances of deliberate self-harm across Scotland and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: NHS National Services Scotland publishesa range of statistical information on self harm. This is available on <ahref="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/nss/">www.show.scot.nhs.uk/nss/</a>. The datasetinforms agencies and others in the design of services and respons…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recommend the introduction of counselling and peer support schemes in schools in the next 12 months.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive is preparinga good practice briefing for schools which will describe a range of approaches schoolsmay take to promote positive mental and emotional well-being in schools. The briefingwill describe case studies of successful counselling …
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the robustness of the evaluation criteria used in anti-bullying strategies in schools.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has commissioneda guide to good practice in school anti-bullying policies and strategies. Thiswill be disseminated to schools in the summer of 2006 and will advise on approachesto self-evaluation of anti-bullying work within schools.</…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have a positive mental health strategy in place.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Whilst health boards are notrequired specifically to produce a positive mental health strategy, healthministers annually discuss mental health as one of a range of key issues aroundperformance each year for individual health boards. This annual review process…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have a positive mental health strategy in place.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Local authorities have aduty under Sections 25 to 27 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland)Act 2003 to provide services designed to promote the well-being and socialdevelopment of people with a mental disorder.</p><p>The positive mental healthme…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it audits and monitors the promotion of positive mental health across Scotland to ensure that the same set of standards is applied in all relevant local health bodies and local authority departments.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Local authorities and healthboards in Scotland do not have specific set targets for the promotionof positive mental health. Therefore, monitoring and audit specifically of suchtargets is not currently required.</p><p>Health Ministers undertake,each year with …
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what conclusions have been reached regarding the factors that place young people at risk from self-harm and what research it has undertaken to support these conclusions.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The recent National Inquiry intoSelf-Harm Among Young People, <i>Truth Hurts</i> (<ahref="http://www.selfharmuk.org/">www.selfharmuk.org</a>) drew together findingsfrom a number of studies to highlight many reasons why young people self-harm. Thetwo-year inqu…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many self-harming incidents there have been involving (a) cutting, (b) burning and (c) banging amongst people under 18 in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Number of Continuous In-patientStays (CIS) involving an admission for deliberate self harm due to burning or cuttingin children under 18 years, by NHS board of residence; year ending 31 December 1999-2004.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thea…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the prevalence of deliberate self-harming incidents in Scotland.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: NHS National Services Scotland gathersa range of statistical information on self harm within Primary Care and Hospitalsettings.</p><p>The Practice Team Informationdataset provides details on GP, Practice Nurse and other Primary care contacts andaccident and e…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to raise awareness of deliberate self-harm among young people.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive iscurrently involved in several initiatives that are aimed at raising awarenessof self-harm among young people.</p><p>The See Me campaign iscurrently involved in a phase of campaign activity aimed at children and youngpeople that specif…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what training exists for teaching professionals to enable them to identify pupils at risk of deliberate self-harm.
Answer · Peter Peacock: As part of their initial teachertraining, student teachers are required to undertake a core module on healtheducation which is designed to develop their understanding of health, health promotionand related issues. The module covering health education includes…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to draw up a cross-departmental strategy to tackle any increases in deliberate self-harming incidents.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Executive Departments aregiving collective consideration to the issue of self harm following the recentpublication of <i>Truth Hurts</i> the report of the National Enquiry into Self-Harmamong Young People, and will make decisions on how to take action forward…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it will commission to examine the extent of, and growth in, deliberate self-harming incidents over the last 10 years.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive currentlyhas no plans to commission any specific research on the extent of self harmingincidents in the past 10 years.</p><p>Information relating tohospital discharges with a diagnosis of self-harm is already available, as aredata relat…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were given counselling as a result of deliberate self-harming incidents in each year since 2000, broken down by NHS board or local authority area.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many drop-in centres are available for young people who deliberately self-harm, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to allocate additional resources and support to tackle deliberate self-harm amongst people under 16.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Choose Life suicide preventionstrategy and action plan is implemented through actions plans agreed bycommunity planning partnerships in local authority areas. As at January 2006, there are approximately 50 part orfully funded Choose Life initiatives acros…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions resulted from deliberate self-harm by people under 16 in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Table 1:</p><p>Number of Continuous In-PatientStays (CIS) Involving an Admission Due to Deliberate Self Harm in Children Under16 Years, by NHS Board of Residence; Year Ending 31 December 1999-2004.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr>…
28 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of deliberate self-harm by pupils under 16 were reported by teaching professionals in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) age and (b) local authority area.
Answer · Peter Peacock: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>