Cara Hilton

Answer · Derek Mackay · 21 Mar 2016

The Scottish Government supports the general principle of driver education as an alternative to prosecution, where appropriate. At present, prosecutors may offer diversion from prosecution courses in relation to careless driving, but there is no equivalent diversion scheme in relation to speeding.
We are therefore working with key partners from our Road Safety Strategic Partnership Board – including Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service – to assess whether speed awareness courses would make an effective additional contribution to road safety in Scotland. The introduction of any such speed awareness courses in Scotland would require a robust evidence base and the approval of the Lord Advocate, who would also decide how they would be used in practice.

Answer · Angela Constance · 29 Feb 2016

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28981 on 11 January 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Answer · Shona Robison · 3 Mar 2016

NHS Scotland provides a wide range of highly specialised services for cleft palate patients from birth to late teens, and occasionally into young adulthood. This care starts with neonatal nursing and primary surgery, followed by further surgery as appropriate, speech and language therapy, orthodontics, preventative and restorative dental care, otolaryngology for hearing problems and genetic and psychological counselling.
Cleft Care Scotland collects and reports data on a national basis and uses this data to provide a comparison with services in England as part of the Norcleft audit. The data includes speech outcomes, but not educational outcomes.
While the links between poor speaking skills and attainment in literacy are well known, educational attainment is influenced by a range of factors, not exclusively cleft palate.

Answer · Shona Robison · 3 Mar 2016

National Services Division has commenced a public consultation process on its review of specialist surgical services for cleft lip and palate. The consultation will run until May 2016.
Whatever the outcome of the consultation, out-patient services will remain unaffected. Existing outpatient and other activity carried out by specialist nurses, speech and language therapists, paediatric dentists, orthodontists and changing faces practitioners will continue to be provided locally by each NHS board as they are now.
As previously explained, the purpose of this review is to provide a more sustainable and resilient surgical service that continues to improve on outcomes for all patients in Scotland wherever they reside.

Answer · Angela Constance · 29 Feb 2016

This is a matter for education authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.

Where illness leads to prolonged absence from school, the Section 40 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000 places duties on education authorities to educate children to their fullest potential and to make special arrangements for the pupil to receive education elsewhere than at school. This may include the provision of education in a home or hospital setting. In June 2015, the Scottish Government published revised guidance to education authorities to support them in implementation of their duties. The guidance is available from:
http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00479700.pdf