- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 31 July 2024
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
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 policy areas including: MAT Standards, Stabilisation, Residential Rehab, and Whole Family Approach.
The ADP Annual Survey evidences activity of ADPs in alignment to National Mission outcomes. The last survey, covering 2022-2023, was published in September 2023 and can be found on the Scottish Government website: https://www.gov.scot/publications/alcohol-drug-partnerships-adp-2022-23-annual-survey/
The upcoming report, covering 2023-2024, is due to be published in Autumn 2024.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 31 July 2024
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
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 services is being supplemented with the implementation of UK-wide clinical treatment guidelines for alcohol services. Both MAT and the UK-wide clinical treatment guidelines will feature in the National Specification for alcohol and drugs services. We have committed to publishing the Specification and subsequent overarching guidance for treatment and recovery services, in response to recommendations made by the Drug Deaths Taskforce. The Specification and guidance, alongside MAT standard implementation and UK-wide guidelines, will help to ensure that high-quality treatment options, for those affected by addiction, will be met for years to come.
In addition, a comprehensive range of initiatives to improve alcohol and drug outcomes for people is set out in our National Mission, including investment in prevention and early intervention, improved treatment services and long-term recovery support for problematic alcohol and drug use. Investment in residential rehabilitation has increased the number of spaces for people, both now and in the future, and our work on tackling stigma aims to fundamentally break down barriers for those seeking support.
To ensure that our future strategic plans are evidence-based, they will be informed by the National Mission evaluation, with the final publication expected in 2026. In accordance with democratic processes, any future strategic plans will also take into account the outcomes of the 2026 Scottish election.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 31 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, how it will ensure transparency and accountability in the reporting of residential rehabilitation treatment lengths once the data infrastructure is in place.
Answer
We have responded to calls for more transparency and accountability by commissioning Public Health Scotland to carry out an independent evaluation of the Residential Rehabilitation programme as part of the wider evaluation of the National Mission.
By collecting and publishing robust data, we will be able to increase the evidence base that will help us to best direct financial resource. This improved understanding means that more people will be able to access the treatment type that is right for them at the right time.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 31 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, what action it will take if any significant discrepancies are found in the lengths of residential rehabilitation treatments across different regions or facilities.
Answer
The Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group defines residential rehab as facilities offering programmes which aim to support individuals to attain an alcohol or drug-free lifestyle and to be re-integrated into society, provide intensive psychosocial support and a structured programme of daily activities, and which residents are required to attend over a fixed period of time.
The Scottish Government recognises that diversity of treatment options is important to empower individuals to have more choice and to meet the needs of individuals seeking different types of recovery, and this includes taking a person-centred approach to treatment length.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 31 July 2024
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
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 nature of the topic, and to reduce the risk of identifying individuals, (especially those from small geographic areas) who in this case were the number of people accessing residential rehabilitation for substance use in River Garden.
The data was therefore suppressed and an asterisk used to denote this in the published report.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 31 July 2024
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
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, and that a gendered approach is taken in all new or developing initiatives across the National Mission to reduce deaths and improve lives.
The Scottish Government provided specific funding of around £1.5m per year to Glasgow City Council to support the 218 Service. As a result of that funding relationship, Glasgow informed the Scottish Government of its plans to re-tender the service last year and discussions took place to confirm that the funding would still be available following that exercise.
Glasgow City Council has provided assurances that it worked closely with Turning Point Scotland to support individuals in transitioning to other support arrangements and that other services, including residential placements, are available to support people with similar needs. In particular, it has confirmed that all 218 service residents had moved on from the service as of 31 January 2024 – some residents naturally came to the end of their stay, while others moved back to their own tenancy or to accommodation with support.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to modernise deer management in Scotland to (a) help tackle the climate and nature emergencies and (b) implement the recommendations of the Deer Working Group.
Answer
As set out in the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Action: Policy Package, Climate change action: policy package - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) , we are developing a package of incentives schemes for deer management to pilot across Scotland. These local schemes will be implemented this year in different parts of Scotland to test different approaches to incentives and to better understand the barriers to deer management.
In addition to this the Managing Deer for Climate and Nature: consultation closed on 29 March 2024. This consultation sought views on proposed legislative changes to Scotland’s systems of deer management, including in relation to a number of recommendations made by the Deer Working Group (DWG) in their 2020 report. The responses are currently being analysed and an update will be provided in due course.
The Scottish Government’s future legislative programme will be set out as part of the upcoming Programme for Government in due course. In the meantime we are working on those DWG recommendations that do not require primary legislation through the Strategic Deer Board. Deer Management Strategic Board - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the academic research on teacher workload, commissioned by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) and published at its June 2024 AGM, which provided evidence that teachers in Scotland continue to work well beyond their contracted hours and that the number of working hours per week is rising.
Answer
I will be responding directly to the EIS on the important issues raised around teacher workload in their most recent report.
I have also strengthened teacher union engagement in recent months through the creation of the Professional Association Forum, which allows for more routine engagement to discuss issues such as workload.
Any changes to teachers’ terms and conditions require tripartite agreement through the SNCT.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 24 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how it engages with Regional Transport Partnerships on the governance of (a) bus and (b) rail services.
Answer
Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) are valued stakeholders and my officials at Transport Scotland engage frequently with the RTPs on various matters. However, whilst Strathclyde Partnership for Transport manages the Glasgow Subway, RTPs have no formal role in governance of ScotRail or Caledonian Sleeper services.
Similarly, as bus services operate in a deregulated market, they are not subject to governance from local authorities or RTPs. However, local transport authorities, which include the model 3 RTPs, have a range of powers available to them in relation to bus services, including flexible tools available through the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 and the ability to subsidise services, where they consider these to be socially necessary. As such, my officials engage with them regularly in relation to bus services.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 16 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Nature Restoration Fund will be (a) retained and (b) expanded.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) provides a total of at least £65 million for nature restoration projects led from communities across Scotland over this parliament. Financial decisions beyond that time will be announced as part of the annual budget process in the next parliament.