Parliamentary questions
Monica Lennon
3,484 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
31 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28205 by Jenni Minto on 5 July 2024, whether it plans to update Mental Health Core Standards to include guidance for the treatment of patients living with non-communicable diseases, including chronic kidney disease.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Jenni Minto: In September 2023, we published Mental Health Core Standards, initially applying to adult secondary mental health services. These general standards ensure high quality and safe mental health services. We are currently focusing on a phased implem…
31 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of renal (a) psychologists and (b) psychiatrists currently employed by the NHS to provide psychological support for (i) adults and (ii) children living with chronic kidney disease.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not hold the data requested which is a matter for health boards locally.
31 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28205 by Jenni Minto on 5 July 2024, what data it holds on the number of renal counsellors currently employed by the NHS to provide support to people living with chronic kidney disease.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28882 on 26 August 2024. 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-committe…
31 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that every NHS board has a designated renal (a) psychologist and (b) psychiatrist for (i) adults and (ii) children with kidney disease.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Recruitment and training of registered mental health professionals is a matter for employers such as NHS boards and Local Authorities. These bodies make informed decisions about recruiting counsellors and psychotherapists or training new mental health practit…
30 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any work has progressed on the creation of a voluntary code of conduct for the dismissal and replacement of land-owning maintenance companies.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government is committed to developing a voluntary code of practice on dismissing and replacing land-owning land maintenance companies (“the Code”). Whilst work on the development of the Code continues, other work pressures have impacted the rate…
26 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on Food Standards Scotland's work with local authorities to improve efficiency and resilience in the environmental health and food safety workforces.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Food Standards Scotland (FSS) meet on a quarterly basis with the representatives of the Society of Chief Officers in Environmental Health who work in local authorities to discuss issues in relation to food safety, food standards and nutrition in Scotland. The…
26 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01580 by Mairi McAllan on 19 August 2021, what discussions it has had with the forestry sector regarding the spread of outbreaks of the larger eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) in Scotland, in light of reports that the spec…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scottish Government considers industry involvement a vital component in preventing the spread of Ips typographus into or within Scotland. Regular updates on surveillance and discussions are held with industry representatives from the nursery sector, growers …
26 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01580 by Mairi McAllan on 19 August 2021, what action it is taking to prevent the spread of outbreaks of the larger eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) in Scotland, in light of reports that the species has been found in Engla…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The surveillance network that has been established as per the answer to S6W-01580 has been expanded to include additional pheromone lure traps and ground surveys in Scotland. Communications and discussions with the forestry sector in Scotland are also increas…
26 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27486 by Mairi McAllan on 28 May 2024, whether a decision regarding Scottish ministerial attendance at (a) COP29 and (b) COP16 has been reached, and whether it has discussed attendance with the (i) UK Government, (ii) Welsh Government and (iii) Nort…
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government is committed to working with our international partners to secure a global transition to a net zero and nature positive future in a way that is fair and just for all. Scotland will continue to play our part at COPs, building on the le…
17 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the independent review on incineration, Stop, Sort, Burn, Bury - incineration in the waste hierarchy, which was published in 2022, by what date it will (a) set out further detail on the actions and implementation timelines to ensure that all of the recommenda…
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government published a response to Stop, Sort, Burn, Bury - Incineration in the Waste Hierarchy, the first report from the Independent Review of the Role of Incineration in Scotland’s Waste Hierarchy in June 2022 and set out some key actions in r…
17 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the reported expected delay to its 2025 tree-planting target will be mitigated.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Scotland faces the most challenging budget settlement since devolution. Despite this Scottish Government remains committed to maximising the important contribution forestry makes in tackling the climate emergency. Unfortunately, with the available funding it …
17 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding whether Scotland should be part of the UK performance-based rating scheme for non-residential buildings.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The previous UK Government consulted on further development of the non-domestic minimum energy efficiency standard scheme for England and Wales but their response was not published before the UK General Election. We look forward to understanding what the new …
17 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 2022 Transport Scotland report, Reducing car use for a healthier, fairer and greener Scotland, what progress is being made in developing its car-kilometre reduction strategy that will set out set out how it will achieve a reduction in car-kilometres and deliver "20-minut…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Publication of the 20% car use reduction route map is planned in autumn this year. It is being produced in partnership with CoSLA. On 25 April 2024 planning guidance on local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods was published, setting out a framework and info…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reconcile any discrepancy between the targets for residential rehabilitation, which it set in 2021, and the current status of residential rehabilitation services.
Answer · Jenni Minto: In November 2021 we committed to increasing residential rehabilitation capacity from 425 to 650 beds and to increasing the number of statutory-funded placements by 300%, so that by 2026 1,000 people are publicly funded for their placement.From a baseline of a…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has to support its current policy that 12-week rehabilitation programmes are suitable, and what its response is to studies showing that longer treatment durations can lead to better outcomes.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group’s 2020 report noted that there was some evidence that rehabilitation programmes of 12 weeks had led to more successful treatment outcomes. However, the recommendations were also clear that further res…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Public Health Scotland's Interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements, what assessment it has made of whether there are currently any geographic disparities in the provision of rehabilitation beds; what steps it is taking to increas…
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government published a capacity mapping report in 2021 which found that residential rehabilitation provision was disproportionally located around the Central Belt. We acted on this by announcing the second round of the Residential Rehabilitat…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether shorter detox programmes, of two to four weeks, represent comprehensive rehabilitation, and, if this is not the case, how it ensures that such programmes are not misleadingly categorised as comprehensive rehabilitation.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: Public Health Scotland’s baseline report on the residential rehabilitation programme, published in February, outlines the complexities in evaluating shorter programmes within the context of wider residential rehabilitation. As noted on Page 12 of the repo…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Ward 5 receives funding directly from the Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs), at an average cost of £15,012 per person, and, if this is the case, for what reason the funding is not being provided to NHS Ayrshire and Arran.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Public Health Scotland’s Interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements published on 18 July 2024, shows that during the period between October 2023 and March 2024 estimated costs for 33 placements to Ward 5 was £495,3…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out the (a) actions it will take and (b) timelines to deliver its commitment to increase the number of publicly funded residential rehabilitation placements by 300% by 2026.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: Public Health Scotland’s (PHS) most recent report confirmed that 461 statutory-funded placements were approved in the second half of the 2023-24 financial year alone, with 938 placements approved for the year overall. This indicates that we are already on tra…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Public Health Scotland Interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements, how many rehabilitation placements were successfully completed in the reported period, and whether it will provide the (a) names and (b) types of the organisations i…
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Public Health Scotland interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements does not gather data on the number of successfully completed rehabilitation placements. We have responded to calls for more transparency and accoun…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether resources to support alcohol dependence recovery should match those allocated to drug addiction harm reduction services, and what measures it will take to ensure that alcohol dependence recovery receives adequate attention and resources.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: Funding allocated to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) is for both alcohol and drug treatment services. In 2024-25, £112.9 million is being made available to ADPs. This funding is used to ensure that local services meet the needs of people who experience a…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure transparency in reporting from all rehabilitation facilities, including River Garden Auchincruive, Aberlour and Phoenix Future Family Service.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: We have responded to calls for more transparency and accountability by working with Public Health Scotland to track the number of residential rehab placements that ADPs have funded and the development of a National Core Minimum Dataset that will provide data …
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a detailed breakdown of (a) how its stated record investment in Alcohol and Drug Partnerships has been used and (b) the outcomes that have resulted from this funding.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: A breakdown of how funding is allocated to ADPs since 2017 can be found on the Scottish Government website: https://www.gov.scot/publications/alcohol-and-drug-partnerships-funding-allocations/ This shows a breakdown in funding for each ADP across several p…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the data regarding River Garden Auchincruive is absent from Public Health Scotland's Interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements, which was published on 18 June 2024.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: Public Health Scotland (PHS) follows statistical disclosure control (SDC) when publishing data, including those submitted for their most recent report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements. PHS applies the SDC to data due to the sensitive…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will address any impact of the closure of facilities, such as Turning Point 218 in Glasgow, on the availability and accessibility of addiction recovery services for women.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government will address the impact of changes to service provision on access and availability to alcohol and drug recovery services by continuing to ensure that the specific needs of women are considered in the design and delivery of services, an…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its long-term strategy for addiction recovery services, and how will it ensure a comprehensive and effective approach to addressing both alcohol and drug misuse.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government remains committed to addressing the twin public health emergencies on alcohol and drugs and recognises the key role treatment and recovery services play. Implementation of the Medicated Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards in such servi…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what quality assurance measures are in place to ensure that all residential rehabilitation facilities provide effective and evidence-based treatments.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: Residential rehabilitation services in Scotland are regulated by appropriate governing bodies independent of the Scottish Government; namely the Care Inspectorate, Healthcare Improvement Scotland or the NHS. It is the responsibility of these bodies to monit…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, when it expects the data infrastructure by Public Health Scotland to be fully operational, and when the detailed information on treatment lengths will be made publicly available.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: We have responded to calls for more transparency and accountability by working with Public Health Scotland to track the number of residential rehab placements that have been funded using public money. PHS and SG have worked collaboratively with stakeholders …
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, whether it can provide any interim estimates for the average length of residential rehabilitation treatments, based on existing reports or studies.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government survey of residential rehab providers, published in November 2021, found that the duration of treatment programmes varied substantially across providers, with an average core treatment duration of 23 weeks. Some providers suggested t…
16 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, what measures are currently in place to ensure the quality and effectiveness of residential rehabilitation treatments across different facilities in Scotland, in light of data not being collated centrally.…
Answer · Christina McKelvie: Residential rehabilitation services in Scotland are regulated by appropriate governing bodies independent of the Scottish Government; namely the Care Inspectorate, Healthcare Improvement Scotland or the NHS. It is the responsibility of these bodies to monit…