- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 17 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to commission research into autistic spectrum disorder among primary and secondary school pupils to understand what the underlying reasons are behind the rises in pupils being identified as having autism.
Answer
The Executive and MedicalResearch Council (MRC) have been taking forward a jointly funded researchprogramme based on the agenda outlined in the MRC Review of Autism Research.The MRC has now committed over £3 million to new research. The awards rangefrom clinical investigations in children and adults, to environmental riskfactors, brain imaging and intervention studies.
The Scottish Executive ASDReference Group is represented on the UK Wide Autism Research Co-ordinationGroup (ARCG), which has been established by the Department of Education andSkills to provide a framework to enable greater co-ordination of autismresearch activity in the UK. ARCG has a number of aims including focusing inautism research funding on identified gaps such as biomedical research andresearch on interventions.
In addition, the ScottishInter-collegiate Guidance Network (SIGN) Council are developing a guideline forprofessionals working with children and young people up to age 18 on evidencebased approaches to diagnosis, assessment and early clinical interventions forautism. The SIGN Guideline development will cover surveillance and shouldconsider the evidence base for routine screening.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 17 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it took to find an explanation for the increase in autistic spectrum disorder among those primary and secondary school pupils with records of needs and/or individualised educational programmes from 1999 onwards and, in particular, the recorded rise between 2001 to 2002.
Answer
Up to and including 2001,information was only collected on those pupils with records of needs. Manypupils with high functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome would not have metthe criteria for records of needs but would have Individualised EducationalProgrammes (IEPs). The increase in 2002 onwards is, therefore, partlyattributable to pupils with IEPs being included in the statistical collection.
The Executive is not awareof any peer-reviewed evidence that the prevalence of autistic spectrumdisorders (ASD) has actually increased. The causes, nature and development ofASD are not fully understood but the general consensus is that ASD are aheterogeneous group of disorders resulting from a number of different causes,including a strong genetic factor. Diagnostic boundaries have been broadenedand awareness has increased dramatically over the past 20 years leading to morecases being detected and correctly diagnosed.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 17 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is in place to support pupils with autistic spectrum disorder once they leave the educational system.
Answer
The Education (AdditionalSupport for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 places new duties on educationauthorities and appropriate agencies, including Careers Scotland, furthereducation colleges and higher education institutions, to ensure early planning,preparation and the effective exchange of information to support children andyoung people with additional support needs to make a smooth and successfultransition to post-school life – whether that is to education, training orwork.
As autonomous bodies, Scotland’scolleges and universities are responsible for ensuring their provision isaccessible and inclusive to students with disabilities and other additionalsupport needs. Both sectors have been successful in achieving this, asevidenced by the year on year increase in participation by students withdisabilities.
Colleges and universitiescan draw on various support to help them improve their provision. Guidance toPE Colleges on the subject was published in January 2005 when PartnershipMatter’s set out the roles and responsibilities of the various bodies involvedin providing support to students, and other tools from the Scottish Further andHigher Education Funding Council.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 17 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional specialists were recruited among the relevant allied health professions in order to increase the provision of support available to pupils identified as having autistic spectrum disorder in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The information requested isnot held centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 17 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates have been carried out by (a) Scottish ministers, (b) local authorities and (c) NHS boards of the additional financial cost of providing adequate support and provision for pupils identified as having autistic spectrum disorder in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority and NHS board area.
Answer
The Scottish Executiveprovides significant funding each year to help local authorities make provisionfor children and young people with additional support needs, including autismspectrum disorder. Funding is allocated on the basis of each authority’s two to19-year-old population. It is a matter for local authorities to decide how toutilise this funding in the light of local needs and circumstances.
The information requested inrelation to estimates carried out by local authorities and NHS boards is notheld by the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 17 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the increase in autistic spectrum disorder among pupils identified with records of needs and/or individualised educational programmes having autistic spectrum disorder, what resources it has put in place to support non-educational agencies, and allied health professionals, to deliver a level of service for these pupils.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has beenmaking project grant awards to individual voluntary sector organisations in respectof additional support needs since April 1999. The awards specifically related toautism spectrum disorders have totalled over £1.5 million and are made on the basisof a two or three year cycle.
In addition, the Executive provideda total of £3 million in 2004-05 and in 2005-06 to the Health Boards to assist themto prepare for and to support the implementation of the Education (Additional Supportfor Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. This funding could be used in a variety of ways,such as to provide additional allied health professionals to support children andyoung people with additional support needs, including autism spectrum disorders.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 17 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional specialists were recruited among the relevant educational professionals in order to increase the provision of support available to pupils identified as having autistic spectrum disorder in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The information requested isnot available centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 17 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were waiting for a first appointment at a sleep centre in each year since 1999, broken down by sleep centre.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 17 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients received continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) in each year since 1999.
Answer
The information is containedin the following table.
| Health Boards | Total |
| 1999- 2000 | 2000- 01 | 2001- 02 | 2002- 03 | 2003- 04 | 2004- 05 | 2005- 06 |
| Argyll and Clyde | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Borders | 20 | 29 | 18 | 18 | 31 | 44 | 50 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Fife | 70 | 53 | 60 | 63 | 68 | 113 | 132 |
| Forth Valley | 34 | 41 | 33 | 42 | 48 | 63 | 74 |
| Grampian | 38 | 44 | 46 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Greater Glasgow | 7 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Highland | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Lanarkshire | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 19 | 21 |
| Lothian | 163 | 152 | 130 | 136 | 134 | 238 | 284 |
| Orkney | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Shetland | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 6 |
| Tayside | 61 | 49 | 43 | 54 | 70 | 81 | 98 |
| Western Isles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Northern Ireland* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Totals | 399 | 377 | 348 | 411 | 390 | 571 | 679 |
Note: *Because of limitedfacilities in Northern Ireland for people with sleep disorders, patients whorequire a "second opinion" (or the provision of a CPAP machine) inthe view of the consultant, are referred to the Edinburgh Sleep Centre at the RoyalInfirmary of Edinburgh.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 17 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated for the treatment of sleep disorders in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
| Health Boards | Total Funding |
| 1999-2000 (£) | 2000-01 (£) | 2001-02 (£) | 2002-03 (£) | 2003-04 (£) | 2004-05 (£) | 2005-06 (£) |
| Argyll and Clyde | 1,543 | 3,348 | 3,515 | 3,620 | 3,761 | 4,183 | 4,434 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 943 | 3,104 | 3,255 | 3,353 | 3,483 | 3,874 | 4,106 |
| Borders | 30,515 | 24,870 | 40,561 | 41,778 | 43,400 | 52,814 | 55,983 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 1,886 | 800 | 1,111 | 1,144 | 1,189 | 1,322 | 1,402 |
| Fife | 75,601 | 57,000 | 59,850 | 61,646 | 64,040 | 96,225 | 101,999 |
| Forth Valley | 37,801 | 47,293 | 50,407 | 51,919 | 53,935 | 62,118 | 65,845 |
| Grampian | 943 | 58,164 | 88,000 | 90,640 | * | * | * |
| Greater Glasgow | 2,914 | 8,000 | 10,160 | 10,465 | 10,871 | 12,091 | 12,816 |
| Highland | 1,371 | 5,872 | 6,166 | 6,351 | 6,598 | 7,338 | 7,779 |
| Lanarkshire | 9,429 | 10,126 | 10,632 | 10,951 | 11,376 | 14,783 | 15,670 |
| Lothian | 182,918 | 172,420 | 266,744 | 274,746 | 285,416 | 317,440 | 336,486 |
| Orkney | 771 | 779 | 877 | 1,143 | 1,062 | 1,334 | 1,414 |
| Shetland | 4,029 | 225 | 237 | 244 | 254 | 2,413 | 2,558 |
| Tayside | 54,515 | 62,000 | 65,100 | 67,053 | 69,657 | 91,274 | 96,740 |
| Western Isles | 86 | 459 | 482 | 496 | 516 | 574 | 608 |
| Cumbria** | 171 | 173 | 195 | 254 | 236 | 263 | 278 |
| Northumberland** | 600 | 606 | 682 | 889 | 826 | 1,038 | 1,100 |
| Northern Ireland** | 771 | 779 | 877 | 1,143 | 1,062 | 1,334 | 1,414 |
| Totals | 406,807 | 456,018 | 608,851 | 627,835 | 557,682 | 670,418 | 710,632 |
Notes:
*Local provision since 2003-04.
**Because of limited facilitiesin Cumbria, Northumberland and Northern Ireland for people with sleep disorders, patients who requirea “second opinion” (or the provision of a CPAP machine) in the view of the consultant,or need to be assessed by undergoing a sleep study which involves overnight staysare referred to the Edinburgh Sleep Centre at the RIE.
