Chamber and committees

Currently the annual scheme income from contributions exceeds annual expenditure on pension benefits in payment, which generates an in-year cash flow surplus. In 2010-11 that figure was £161 million. That in-year cash flow surplus is forecast to begin to reverse for the NHS scheme from 2013-14.

It is important to recognise that in-year cash-flow is not considered to be an appropriate measure of scheme sustainability because contributions made today effectively ‘buy’ future pension benefits, which must be honoured when those benefits fall due in the future.

Prescribing costs are funded from NHS board baseline budget allocations provided by the Scottish Government.

Territorial NHS boards received a 2.9% increase in baseline funding in 2012-13. Subject to Scottish Parliament approval, territorial NHS boards will receive increases in baseline funding of 3.3% and 3.1% in 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively. It is for NHS boards to determine how best to utilise baseline funding to meet the healthcare needs of their resident population.

<>All NHSScotland health boards are expected to comply with the Safer Pre and Post Employment Checks Partnership Information Network (PIN) policy and take appropriate action based on any information received. This covers appointment checks that are either required by law or should be considered mandatory for all NHSScotland posts. The Safer Pre and Post Employment Checks PIN can be found at http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/publications/j9227.pdf. It is the duty of the General Medical Council to regulate whether doctors are fit to practice.

The £20 million contingency budget dealing with welfare reform has been allocated to local government in 2013-14.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06790 on 27 April 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

<>I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-09788 on 25 October 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Details of the UK Budget consequentials and other agreed transfers prior to, and post, the 2011 Scottish Spending Review follow:

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 £ Million £ Million £ Million £ Million

SR 2010 Outcome	27,907	28,262	28,248	28,484
Budget Regime Change - Student Loans		5	5	5
Whitehall transfer for Animal Health		14	13	12
UK Budget 2011 - Barnett consequentials	59	23	7	6
Total at time of Scottish Spending Review	27,966	28,304	28,273	28,507
Budget Regime Change - Scottish Housing Debt (AME to DEL)	8	8	8	8
Budget Regime Change – Student Loans	20
Budget Regime Change: Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd	10	10	10	11
DEL Carry forward from 2010-11 as agreed	130
Council Tax Freeze in 2012-13	68
Free advice services	2
Olympic allocation from UK Government	16
Fossil Fuel Levy allocation		103
Growing Places Fund	21
UK Autumn Statement 2011 Barnett Consequentials		114	151	189
Caledonian Sleeper funding	50
UK Budget 2012 Barnett Consequentials		9	6	-1
Forth Replacement Crossing Prepayment arrangement	50	50	-22	-52
Whitehall transfer from Department for Energy & Climate Change		1	15
Coastal Communities fund		4
Total DEL	28,341	28,603	28,441	28,662

Local government is fully committed to making an appropriate financial contribution to the Reshaping Care and Early Years Change Funds. The Scottish Government continues to work with local government to enable decisions on contributions from respective local authorities, but does not centrally hold definitive information for the total contribution from local government. Local government has made no financial contribution to the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund.

The Joint Improvement Team (JIT) is currently carrying out a mid-year review of 2012-13 Reshaping Care Change Plans, and will report its findings to the Delivery Group on Health and Community Care in due course. The purpose of the entire Early Years and Reducing Reoffending Change Funds is to support and deliver prevention and early intervention.

The percentage of 2013-14 Scottish budget committed to the three change funds, including contributions from local government and NHS boards, is: (a) 0.352% (£100 million) to the Reshaping Care for Older People Fund; (b) 0.234% (£66.5 million) to the Early Years Change Fund; and (c) 0.007% (£2 million) to the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund. The change funds do not represent total spend on preventative activity.

The Scottish Government, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and NHS boards are taking forward a number of actions in order to deliver safe, effective, person-centred care every time for older people in acute hospitals.

We are working with NHS boards and clinical experts to improve care for people with cognitive impairment, to reduce and manage falls and to improve pressure area care, nutritional care and care co-ordination.

We are training 300 NHS staff as Dementia Champions and have supported Alzheimer Scotland to appoint a Dementia Nurse Consultant to each NHS board. Other work focuses on personal information documentation, environmental improvements, capacity and consent issues and staff training.

I expect boards to implement their post-inspection action plans as a matter of urgency.