Chamber and committees

Many actions included in the strategy when it was published in 2011 have been delivered and others continue to be delivered through the work of the Scottish Commission for Learning Disabilities and the Learning Disabilities Observatory.

I am delighted to announce that the new framework to support the strategy 'The keys to life: unlocking futures for people with learning disabilities " will be published on ‎ 13 March by the Scottish Government and COSLA.

The new framework sets out some of our achievements over the last few years and highlights our key priorities for the remaining period of the strategy. The framework takes a whole life approach with an emphasis on supporting people from childhood to adulthood and covers a range of priorities across the themes of living, learning, working and wellbeing. The framework consolidates our work and also reflects the feedback we received from a wide range of stakeholders and people with learning disabilities on what matters to them.

The Scottish Government firmly believes that people with learning disabilities can and do play a full part in our communities and looks forward to working with COSLA, Local Authorities, Health and Social Care Partnerships and the Third Sector on the next phase of our work.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lives of people with learning disabilities, their families and carers.

The Scottish Government is pleased to announce that a new learning disability framework, 'The keys to life: unlocking futures for people with learning disabilities" will be published by the Scottish Government and COSLA on 13 March 2019. This framework will support the existing strategy.

The framework was produced following consultation and collaboration with people with learning disabilities and stakeholders. It identifies our key priorities and the commitment of the Scottish Government and COSLA to collaborate with public and third sector partners to deliver real change in the lives of people with learning disabilities.

This collaborative approach will also inform our actions beyond the life of the existing strategy.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lives of people with learning disabilities, their families and carers and welcomes the findings of Dr Anne MacDonald's report: Coming Home.

The Scottish Government will be funding a post to support Health and Social Care Partnerships as they consider and take forward the recommendations of the report, including considering different models of care for people with learning disabilities and complex needs.

The Scottish Government will also be commissioning further work with Glasgow University to develop front line training resources around 'Positive Behavioural Support,' one of the forms of support, identified in the Coming Home report, that can be effective and appropriate for those with additional and complex needs.

We are aware of the concerns that have been raised by patients and their families relating to some PACS Tier Two applications. Scottish Government health officials are actively working to investigate and resolve any issues.

We have been advised that a number of applications were returned to clinicians requesting additional clinical evidence relevant to individual patients. This is a valid request for local Boards to ask of applicants.

We are currently undertaking a 6-month review of PACS Tier Two, and the concerns expressed by patients and their families are feeding into that process.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Medical Officer met with a number of cystic fibrosis clinicians on 27 November 2018, following concerns being raised, to talk through the PACS Tier Two process and to reaffirm that the cost of medicines should not be a decision-making criterion. On 7 January 2019, the Principal Pharmaceutical Officer wrote to all NHS Scotland Medical Directors and Directors of Pharmacy to advise that applications through PACS Tier Two could be accepted for all licensed indications of Orkambi with immediate effect, and that Vertex had agreed to offer a confidential discount to support any such applications.

We strongly encourage clinicians to make use of this system where they judge a medicine, such as Orkambi, to be appropriate for their individual patient’s needs and we expect NHS Boards to process applications appropriately as is set out in the national guidance.

The Scottish Government has not had any discussions or correspondence with the leader of West Dunbartonshire Council or members of the council's SNP group regarding the 2019-20 Budget. However, as per my answer to question S5W-21178, negotiations on the annual local government settlement are officially conducted between the Scottish Government and COSLA on behalf of all 32 local authorities, including West Dunbartonshire Council.

This response is related to the answer to question S5W-21488 on 27 February 2019. The response is copied here:

An update on progress in preparation of the public sectors accounts was provided to PAPLS at the meeting on 29 November 2018 https://www.parliament.scot/S5_Public_Audit/Meeting%20Papers/PAPLS_Meeting_papers_PUBLIC_29_Nov_2018.pdf .

The committee was advised that, as Audit Scotland acknowledges, the Scottish Government delivers on all its financial reporting requirements and has delivered a range of new financial publications as a result of the Scotland Acts. We are progressing a plan to achieve audit and publication of a 2017-18 product, as explained in the letter from the Permanent Secretary to the Convener on 23 November, and included in these committee papers.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

An update on progress in preparation of the public sectors accounts was provided to PAPLS at the meeting on 29 November 2018 https://www.parliament.scot/S5_Public_Audit/Meeting%20Papers/PAPLS_Meeting_papers_PUBLIC_29_Nov_2018.pdf .

The committee was advised that, as Audit Scotland acknowledges, the Scottish Government delivers on all its financial reporting requirements and has delivered a range of new financial publications as a result of the Scotland Acts. We are progressing a plan to achieve audit and publication of a 2017-18 product, as explained in the letter from the Permanent Secretary to the Convener on 23 November, and included in these committee papers.

Scottish Water invests around £650m pa to improve all aspects of its service to customers across Scotland and also enable growth to support new housing. This involves thousands of projects ranging from major capital projects such as the Shieldhall Tunnel to small value capital jobs on its asset base. As with all large utilities, much of this work can be intrusive in nature such as building new water and sewer pipelines, new treatment works and pumping stations and maintaining 60,000 miles of water mains and sewers. This often results in Scottish Water having an obligation to make payment to customers, landowners and occupiers to ensure that they are recompensed appropriately whilst it delivers its extensive investment programme.

In addition to the figures previously listed, Scottish Water has paid the following over the last 4 years, which represents less than 0.5% of the cost of delivering its investment programmes:

My officials will respond to the member's FoI request on this matter.