Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government believes that all children in Scotland, including those with diabetes, should be able to enjoy a full school life because their school gives them the necessary support.

Legislation, policy and guidance are in place to support this commitment. For example, the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 requires education authorities to identify, meet and keep under review the additional support needs of all pupils for whose education they are responsible, including those who have additional support needs arising from type 1 diabetes. The act emphasises the importance of effective multi-agency working. Meeting the needs of each individual pupil lies at the heart of this legislation.

In addition to the legislation to support schools and local authorities, the Scottish Government has produced Safe and Well guidance which provides a range of advice on issues which may affect children and young people while they are attending school. The guidance contains specific advice on the development of health care plans to meet the needs of individual pupils, including administration of medicines.

NHS boards have statutory responsibility for the medical inspection, supervision and treatment of pupils in schools, including the administration of medicines, and education authorities help them to discharge this responsibility. They have a duty to ensure that they have suitably trained staff in place and to make appropriate arrangements and provision for children with diabetes. No child should go through school without their needs being identified and addressed.

Guidance on the Administration of Medicines in Schools emphasises that school staff who have volunteered to administer regular or emergency medication to a pupil, should receive detailed training from a health professional. Although the content of training courses is the responsibility of NHS boards, the guidance states that for diabetes, this should, as a minimum, cover an understanding of the condition, the importance of diet and the symptoms of hypoglycaemia. Staff should also be aware of the emergency treatment for low blood sugar and how to measure blood sugar levels.

Local government has received record levels of funding that should enable them to make progress on meeting the concordat commitment to make progress on reducing P1 to P3 classes to a maximum of 18 pupils. The Scottish Government will discuss with East Renfrewshire Council any legislative obstacle they believe may hinder their ability to reduce class sizes.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24300, on 10 June 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24300 on 10 June 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

We need to ensure that the ability of national and local government to establish and support class size limits is properly balanced with the rights of parents to make placing requests about where their children are educated. We are considering, with COSLA and local government, whether current legislative provision gets that right.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24300, on 10 June 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

In the last 18 months we have provided Diabetes UK Scotland with funding of some £80,000, mainly related to its work in helping people with diabetes contribute directly to diabetes service planning, but including a young people''s forum being held in Glasgow on 13 June 2009.

The consultation on the revision of the Diabetes Action Plan 2006, launched on 28 May, offers an opportunity to identify further ways of supporting children with diabetes.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23761 on 26 May 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23761 on 26 May 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.