Questions and answers

Question reference: S5O-00683

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the incidence of fly-tipping.

Question reference: S5W-06733

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote the RNIB bus charter.

Question reference: S5W-06734

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that bus services are user-friendly for people who are blind or partially sighted.

In line with our Accessible Travel Framework, the Scottish Government is supportive of the provision of information in an accessible way to blind or partially sighted bus passengers. The installation and use of audio-visual display technology is a matter for each individual operator to consider and fund using their own commercial judgement. However, the RNIB Bus Charter sets out reasonable actions which will help blind people to access and use buses and I have recently written a joint letter with the RNIB and Guide Dogs Scotland to the Confederation of Passenger Transport encouraging their members to sign up to it.

Disability and vehicle construction legislation is reserved to the UK Government. An accessible information clause has been included in the UK Bus Services Bill, which will apply to Scotland. Scottish Ministers will be consulted on the relevant draft Regulations and we will engage fully so that the legislation enables delivery of clear accessible information allowing people to plan and take journeys on local bus services.

Question reference: S5W-06732

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many bus companies have signed up to the RNIB bus charter.

Question reference: S5W-06659

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 9 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that NHS Lothian has said that it cannot currently meet the 18-week waiting target for psychological therapy.

The Scottish Government remain determined to hit the target of 90% of people seen within 18 weeks from referral to treatment for Psychological Therapies. We will continue to work with Boards, including NHS Lothian to make sure that happens right across Scotland.

As part of the £54.1m package of support announced by the First Minister in January 2016, £4.8 million has been awarded to Healthcare Improvement Scotland to establish a Mental Health Access Improvement Support Team. This team will provide support to Boards to improve access to psychological therapies for all ages, including for children and young people.

The Improvement Programme will be delivered by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, with support from NHS Education for Scotland to enhance the supply and training of workforce (£24.6m SG funding). Following a series of commissioning visits, in June 2016 NES wrote to all Boards setting out an individual, tailored offer of funding and workforce development. A significant proportion of the funding from NES is for service posts, intended to support service delivery by providing training, coaching and supervision in evidence-based interventions.

This package of funding include £24.7m to be provided to NHS Boards to improve their capacity to see more people more quickly, with NHS Lothian receiving a funding awardee total of £3,620,703.

Question reference: S5W-06661

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 9 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of therapists employed in mental health services in (a) Lothian and (b) Scotland.

The Scottish Government remain determined to hit the target of 90% of people seen within 18 weeks from referral to treatment for Psychological Therapies. We will continue to work with Boards, including NHS Lothian, to make sure that happens right across Scotland.

As part of the £54.1m package of support announced by the First Minister in January 2016, £24.6 million has been awarded to NHS Education Scotland (NES) to improve workforce supply and train existing staff to deliver services for children and young people, as well as psychological therapies for all ages.

Following a series of commissioning visits, in June 2016 NES wrote to all Boards setting out an individual, tailored offer of funding and workforce development. A significant proportion of the funding from NES is for service posts, intended to support service delivery by providing training, coaching and supervision in evidence-based interventions.

This package of funding also includes £24.7m to be provided to NHS Boards to improve their capacity to see more people more quickly, which could include additional therapists, with NHS Lothian receiving an allocation totalling £3,620,703.

Question reference: S5W-06660

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 9 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding recruiting therapists to work in mental health services.

The additional £150 million for funding announced for mental health includes £54 million funding for mental health improvement. This has been designed as a comprehensive package of support and offers a new approach to improvement of mental health services.

Within this £24.6m funding was provided to NHS Education for Scotland over five years to support for the development of the mental health workforce to enhance supply and training of workforce to deliver evidence-based therapies. Following a series of commissioning visits, in June 2106 NES wrote to all Boards setting out an individual, tailored offer of funding and workforce development.

It comprises a significant proportion of funding for service posts. These posts are intended to support stepped-care models of service delivery by providing training, coaching and supervision in evidence-based interventions.

Question reference: S5O-00667

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact has been on West Lothian of the recent road closures arising from engineering and bridge works by Network Rail.

The closure of the A71 at West Calder Station was authorised by West Lothian Council to allow Network Rail to undertake essential preparatory electrification works. Traffic management arrangements are being monitored jointly by West Lothian Council and Network Rail. To date these have been operating satisfactorily.

Network Rail is also working closely with West Lothian Council's economic development unit and Business Gateway to provide support and advice to local businesses affected by the closure.

The road closure has also led to extended routes and timetable amendments for bus operators delivering subsidised and local schools contracts. Transport Scotland engaged with West Lothian Council officials to identify options to address this issue. The Minister for Transport and the Islands has agreed to provide a contribution of £67k towards the additional costs being incurred by the Council for essential bus service provision.

Question reference: S5W-06500

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 9 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05994 by Aileen Campbell on 23 January 2017, what research it is undertaking or supporting, or plans to undertake or support, into the impact of low vitamin D levels for non-musculoskeletal health outcomes, including neuropsychological functioning.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to undertake research on vitamin D and non-musculoskeletal health outcomes at this time. A number of other organisations fund research and we will continue to monitor further research that emerges on vitamin D.

The recent review by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) provides the most up to date assessment of the impact of low vitamin D on non-musculoskeletal health outcomes and on neuropsychological functioning. The results are detailed on pages 212-243 of the SACN report which is available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-vitamin-d-and-health-report

Question reference: S5W-06645

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of concerns that there is a lack of suitable disabled access at Uphall railway station, whether it has made, or plans to make, representations to the railway authorities on this matter.

I can confirm that there is step free level access to both platforms at Uphall station. However I recognise that due to the absence of lifts the route between the platforms can be difficult for some passengers who have reduced mobility. There are no plans at this stage to install lifts at the station but Transport Scotland will keep the station under review along with other stations when considering potential future opportunities through the Access for All fund.

ScotRail provide a wide range of assistance for disabled and other passengers who may request help to access rail services. Passengers who need assistance can find out what help is available by looking at the ScotRail website where they will also find a free travel assistance advice and helpline that they can call to speak directly with ScotRail staff.

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