Asked by: Lennon, Monica (Scottish Labour - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the (a) Alcohol and Drug Partnerships in Scotland: Annual Survey 2023/24 and (b) finding that only (i) 30% of alcohol and drug partnerships have an alcohol harms group and (ii) 27% have an alcohol death review group.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
Scottish Government is working closely with ADPs to ensure further roll-out of Alcohol Harms Groups and Alcohol Death Reviews across Scotland.
The ADP Survey highlights that in addition to the 30% of ADPs with specific Alcohol Harms Groups in place a further third report having other structures in place for informing surveillance. These include multi-agency groups working on wider public health monitoring including drug and alcohol harms and sudden death groups whose remits include both death reviews and suicide reviews.
Several ADPs have indicated that alcohol harm and death review groups are currently in development.
Scottish Government is working in partnership with Alcohol Focus Scotland to ensure that all ADPs in Scotland have agreed processes to review alcohol deaths and build on the learning of the 27% of ADPs already delivering.
Asked by: Lennon, Monica (Scottish Labour - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to support all alcohol and drug partnerships to establish (a) alcohol harms groups and (b) alcohol death review groups.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
Scottish Government is working closely with ADPs to ensure further roll-out of Alcohol Harms Groups and Alcohol Death Reviews across Scotland.
We are working in partnership with Alcohol Focus Scotland is ensure that all ADPs in Scotland have structures in place to carry out alcohol death reviews and build on the learning of the 27% of ADPs already delivering these.
Asked by: Wells, Annie (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to mitigate any significant side effects and risks associated with prolonged methadone use.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
The Scottish Government recognises that the prescribing of methadone, and all forms of OST, is a matter for clinicians in consultation with individuals and that the risks of prolonged use and any possible side effects are a matter for clinicians who are bound by professional codes and evidence-based UK-wide clinical guidance on this.
The Scottish Government agreed with recommendations made by the Drug Deaths Taskforce who recommended that more choice should be available on the types of OST offered where appropriate and notes that a significant proportion of people have chosen to move from methadone and oral buprenorphine to long acting injectable buprenorphine since the introduction of the medication Assisted Treatment standards in May 2021.
However, methadone remains a recommended, evidence-based first line option for clinicians and individuals according to independent codes and clinical guidance.
Asked by: Wells, Annie (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what investment it is making in preventative measures in relation to heroin addiction.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
The Scottish Government remains committed to funding local services who make decisions on commissioning and planning services for people impacted by drugs, including heroine. Funding to local areas where decisions on preventative measures are taken remains at an all-time high, supplemented by additional funding over the life of the current Parliament through our National Mission. It is important that decisions are taken and plans are made locally to take account of local need.
Asked by: Lumsden, Douglas (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - North East Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy
I last met with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks on Tuesday 29th October 2024 to discuss the Scottish Consenting Consultation.
Information about Ministerial engagements, overseas travel, car journeys, domestic travel and gifts received is also published on the Scottish Governments website: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Asked by: Lumsden, Douglas (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - North East Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met the National Energy Systems Operator.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy
I last met with the National Energy Systems Operator on 29 October 2024 to discuss Clean Power 2030.
Information about Ministerial engagements, overseas travel, car journeys, domestic travel and gifts received is also published on the Scottish Governments website: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Asked by: Lumsden, Douglas (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - North East Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Power.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy
I last met with Scottish Power on 29 October 2024 to discuss the Scottish Consenting Consultation.
Information about Ministerial engagements, overseas travel, car journeys, domestic travel and gifts received is also published on the Scottish Governments website: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Asked by: Eagle, Tim (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Highlands and Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many residential rehabilitation beds there have been within NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian in each year since 2021.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
The Scottish Government conducted an initial survey of residential rehabilitation providers in Scotland and published the results in November 2021. This showed that, at that time, there were 12 reported beds in Highland and 6 in the Western Isles. None were reported in Orkney, Shetland or Grampian.
Whilst the Scottish Government did not conduct yearly surveys, we conducted a further count of residential rehabilitation capacity this year. The results were published on 26 November and showed that, as of 2024, there were 14 reported beds in Highland, 12 in the Western Isles and none in Orkney, Shetland or Grampian.
However, as part of the £38m we made available to expand residential rehabilitation capacity, £11.3m was awarded to Phoenix Futures to develop a new national residential rehabilitation service in Aberdeenshire, which is expected to open in 2025. This will create 27 core residential rehabilitation beds alongside up to 53 units of housing and therapeutic community Dayhab in an innovative model which will create welcome residential rehabilitation provision in Grampian.
We also provided £2.4m for the expansion of CrossReach’s service in Inverness, which supported the two additional beds in Highland and will provide outreach to island areas.
Asked by: Eagle, Tim (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Highlands and Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, whether it will commit to including so-called earn as you learn opportunities within its remote and rural workforce recruitment strategy.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
The Scottish Government recognises that career pathways such as earn-as-you-learn can widen access to health and social care careers, including those who are settled and rooted in our rural and island communities.
That is why, we are funding a dedicated resource within NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to scope the current skills landscape and identify where earn as you learn programmes could be expanded and where further development work is required with the aim of widening the pathways into health and social care careers.
The Rural and Island Workforce Recruitment Strategy will focus on a sustained model of direct support and will take cognisance of broader cross-government work such as the exploration of earn as you learn models to provide a long-term, dynamic and connective approach to support employers to recruit successfully.
Asked by: Wells, Annie (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what specific strategies are in place to address cancers linked to alcohol misuse.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
Through promoting healthy living by reducing alcohol misuse we can reduce the risk of developing some cancers. The Scottish Government published our Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 and initial Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-2026 in June 2023. There are specific actions in the action plan aimed at reducing the consumption of alcohol.
A Public Health Scotland evaluation estimated that our world-leading Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) policy has saved hundreds of lives, likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions and contributed to tackling health inequalities. We introduced an increase to MUP in September 2024.
We have commissioned Public Health Scotland to carry out a review of the evidence on restricting alcohol marketing and advertising. We will progress work in areas where evidence supports further action to address alcohol misuse and improve population health.