Chamber and committees

The Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) uses two methods to assess problem gambling, the Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and the Diagnostic and Statistics manual-IV (DSM-IV) screening tool. In 2014, 0.7% of the adult population were identified as problem gamblers according to the PGSI scale, where 0.8% were identified according to the DSM or PGSI.

Although SHeS collects a range of data on health risks that can be linked to gambling status, the number of problem gamblers in the sample is too small to allow any robust analysis.

It is not possible to identify problem gambling from other health data due to the small numbers in the datasets.

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/scottish-health-survey

In common with other behaviours that cause difficulties in people’s lives and contribute to their ill health, problem gambling is addressed as part of wider health issues that a person may be experiencing including mental health problems and substance misuse problems. Where a person is referred to a service for treatment, the clinical team will work with the person to identify the issues or problems that are important to support their recovery in a holistic person-centred way. Specialist psychological skills and competencies used in the management of alcohol and drug misuse have some applicability to some problem gamblers as do problem solving counselling skills.

The information requested is not held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28172 on 11 November 2015. 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.

NHS Information Services Division publishes a census of patients delayed in hospital in Scotland. These showed the following delayed discharges in 2014-15:

The census is a snapshot taken on the fifteenth of the month.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The Lifetime Homes Design Guide is a good practice document that sits out with a regulatory framework. The Domestic Technical Handbook is written in such a way that enables it to support minimum building regulations for Scotland. The changes made in 2007, to the Technical Handbook, for enhancing accessibility are very much founded on the principles set out in Housing for Varying Needs and the more recent publication Lifetime Homes. However, there is no direct ‘read across’ between Lifetime Homes and the Domestic Technical Handbook, in each document some measures are more prescriptive than others, but they follow the same intent.

Scottish building regulation standards and guidance cover:

Car parking size and provision (both private and communal);

Access from road/pavement/car parking to homes (widths, surfaces and gradients);

Entrances (common and private);

Communal stairs and lifts;

Corridors and doorway sizes;

Circulation (including bathrooms, kitchens, etc.);

Accessible living/sleeping space (enhanced apartment), kitchen and toilet at the principal living level;

Future shower at the principal living level;

Wide stairs to accommodate future stair lift and parking;

Robust walls for future grab rails in shower/bath rooms; and

Access to manual controls (including windows, electrical sockets, etc.)

The main principles not covered by the Domestic Technical Handbook (that feature in Lifetime Homes) are the potential for future fitting of:

A through-floor vertical lift in a 2-storey home; and

A support track and hoist.

Reasons covering the non-inclusion of these two measures are given in Scottish Government letters (dated 28 April and 28 October 2015) to the Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee (PE01554: Improve the provision of disabled-friendly housing).

Although the building regulations are minimum standards, they set a good level of accessibility that applies to all new housing (including mass-market housing). They not only offer an ‘immediate’ level of accessibility and offer the opportunity for some future adaptation, they also allow people to live in their homes for longer as they get older. Over the last two years we have 'taken stock' of the accessibility measures that were introduced in 2007. As part of a wider 'better regulation' review, some of these measures were adjusted to better reflect the intent of the building standards and improve design flexibility, with no loss of amenity. In particular the opportunity was taken to improve the guidance to the standards, thereby supporting consistency of the approach to be taken throughout Scotland. There are no plans at present to carry out a further review of the accessibility standards and guidance in Scottish building regulations.

Addressing housing need is the responsibility of the local authority.

A Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) will help the local authority understand current and future need for housing and housing related services, including for those with a disability. A local authority will use the HNDA evidence to develop a Local Housing Strategy that sets out their approach to providing suitable housing and housing related services, over the next five years. This will include the housing and services needed by those with a disability, taking into account those currently on the local authority waiting list.

The Immigration Bill as introduced applies the measures to restrict access to private rented accommodation in England only. The Bill includes regulation making powers which enable UK Government ministers to extend their application to Scotland (and Wales and Northern Ireland).

I wrote to the Minister of State for Immigration, James Brokenshire to express several significant concerns about the impact of this Bill and also the ‘right to rent’ on Scotland. I also asked that the regulation making power be amended to require ministers to consult with the Scottish Parliament before extending these provisions to Scotland because they impact on housing matters that are fully devolved.

Mr Brokenshire’s reply has not provided the clarification or reassurance that I asked for on the UK Government’s intentions regarding these matters. Mr Brokenshire declined my request for a meeting, advising that “As immigration is a reserved matter, I do not believe that making provision with a similar effect for Scotland requires a legislative consent motion”.

The Scottish Government will continue to raise its concerns about the impact of these policies, which run contrary to the Scottish Government’s commitment to create a fairer Scotland, where we provide protection, safety and security to those who need it most.