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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-31301

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 10 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions NHS Information Services Division (ISD) has had with the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce and its sub-groups since July 2019.

Information services division ((ISD) became part of Public Health Scotland (PHS) from 1 April 2020. A range of officials from PHS have been actively involved in the work of the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce and its sub-groups since its first meeting in September 2019.

As well as being represented on the main Taskforce, a PHS representative is leading the work of the Public Health Surveillance sub-group, whilst a representative sits on the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) sub-group. PHS is also supporting engagement on implementation of the MAT Standards with a range of partners as part of the MAT sub-groups work.

PHS further support the Taskforce and its sub-groups by providing briefings on a range of issues, including; data governance, timescales for delivery of statistical reports and other PHS projects, advice on the feasibility of research; and the impact of COVID-19 on people who use drugs.

Question reference: S5W-31303

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 10 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures suggesting that drug deaths in Scotland have risen by more than three times since 2005, and have been the world's worst since November 2008.

National Records of Scotland are responsible for publishing annual data on drug related deaths. The most recently published report reports on deaths in 2018. Information within the report confirms a total of 1187 drug related deaths in 2018.

I do not recognise the claim that Scotland has had the worst number of drug related deaths since November 2008 and I am not aware of any data that would indicate this. Data does show, however, that the number of drug deaths in Scotland has been on an upward trajectory since data collection began in 1992.

The number of drug related deaths, and the levels of drug related harm, that occur in Scotland is unacceptable, and it is a priority of this Government to do all we can to tackle this public health emergency that we are facing. I established a Drug Deaths Taskforce as part of our ongoing response, and we have invested around £895 million in services to tackle alcohol and drug use since 2008.

Question reference: S5W-31302

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 9 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on recommendation 9 of the Scottish Advisory Committee on Drug Misuse Drug-related Deaths Working Group's 2005 report, which stated that "priority must be given to greater development of the Single Shared Assessment (SSA11) as highlighted by the EIU in Integrated Care for Drug Users, Principles and Practice; improving and standardising clinical note taking, and developing effective methods for dealing with clients’ case files across Scotland. To support these efforts, it is essential that robust systems for sharing of information between local generic, specific and voluntary services are developed as a matter of urgency".

The Scottish Government (Executive) response to this recommendation can be found here - http://www.dldocs.stir.ac.uk/documents/0020632.pdf .

In that response areas of future action are highlighted which, building on work already in place, would deliver those information sharing systems. One of those specifically mentioned was the expansion of the Scottish Drugs Misuse Database (SDMD) to provide: information on numbers of people in treatment; the length of time they remain in treatment; and on outcomes and changes in behaviour. It would also follow clients within services through their individual treatment pathway.

As a result this expanded database provided further information on drug use and the wider social circumstances that underpin an individual’s recovery throughout the course of treatment, thus forming a valuable source of information on the outcomes of drug treatment for services, ADPs and the Scottish Government.

In 2013 the Drugs Strategy Delivery Commission (DSDC) published the Independent Expert Review Of Opioid Replacement Therapies. As part of its response to that document the Scottish Government commissioned Information Services Division ((Scotland) now part of Public Health Scotland) to develop an integrated drug and alcohol information system (DAISy).

DAISy will replace that existing SDMD database and the Drug and Alcohol Waiting Times Database. It will gather key demographic and outcome data on people who engage in drug/alcohol treatment services and will improve the way in which these services are planned and delivered.

Question reference: S5W-31305

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 9 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates the Drug and Alcohol Intervention Service (DAISy) advisory or supervision committee has met, and whether it will publish (a) the minutes of and (b) a list of the attendees at each meeting.

Question reference: S5W-31306

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 9 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on developing the substance misuse electronic assessment tool, Drug and Alcohol Intervention Service (DAISy); what the final estimated cost is, and how this compares with the original estimate.

The development and maintenance costs associated with the Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy) remain in line with the allocated budgets. Development costs up to 31 March 2021 are estimated to total £529,100 followed by recurring annual expenditure for further development and maintenance set at £120,000 per year since 2017-18 on a recurring basis.

During the development, data provision has been ensured form the continuation of the existing data tools at no additional cost.

Question reference: S5F-04351

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 September 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-04329

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-31304

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 28 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the substance misuse electronic assessment tool, Drug and Alcohol Intervention Service (DAISy), is not yet operational.

The development has taken longer than originally envisaged due to the complexity of the system, and to ensure that the necessary standards in relation to security, reliability and sustainability are met.

The Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy) is expected to be implemented across Scotland by the end of 2020.

DAISy is a new development which will collect the data required for reporting on drug and alcohol treatment and outcomes at a local and national level. It will replace two existing data collection systems, the Scottish Drug Misuse Database and the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Waiting Times database, and will also include data on alcohol treatment and outcomes which is currently not collected.

Details of the Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy) have been shared and discussed with members of the DAISy Implementation Group which includes Alcohol & Drug Partnership service representation from across Scotland throughout the development.

DAISy Implementation Group members advise on the implementation of DAISy to ensure that the new system meets Alcohol & Drug Partnership service requirements, recommend system features that would enhance data management, recording and the quality of data to ensure that the system meet local needs.

Details of the Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy) have been shared and discussed with members of the DAISy Implementation Group which includes representation from each Alcohol & Drug Partnership across Scotland.

Group members advise on the implementation of DAISy to ensure that the new system meets Alcohol & Drug Partnership service requirements, recommend system features that would enhance data management, recording and the quality of data and directly liaise with Alcohol & Drug Partnerships and Services to ensure that the system meet local needs.

A series of walk-through sessions have been undertaken with Alcohol & Drug Partnership service representatives to demonstrate the layout and functionality of DAISy in order to assist with local planning and implementation.

Question reference: S5W-31308

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 28 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government which drug teams are or have been involved in the beta testing of the substance misuse electronic assessment tool, Drug and Alcohol Intervention Service (DAISy).

Question reference: S5W-31307

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 28 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Information Services Division (ISD) will publish draft details of the substance misuse electronic assessment tool, Drug and Alcohol Intervention Service (DAISy) before beta testing to allow frontline drug workers and managers and people in treatment or recovery to comment before its finalisation.