Questions and answers

Question reference: S3W-17231

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 17 November 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the impact of Part 2 of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003 and what plans it has to review operation of the legislation.

Registers of Scotland maintain a public register where details of registrations, under the provisions of Part 2 of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003, can be checked online at http://rcil.ros.gov.uk. As at 30 October 2008, there are 975 valid registrations of tenant''s interests in acquiring land from their landlord.

As the key body in Scotland representing all sides of the agricultural tenanted sector, the Tenant Farming Forum is debating how the current agricultural tenancy legislation is operating with a view to offering advice to the Scottish ministers.

Question reference: S3O-04815

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 13 November 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is responding to the points raised at the town hall meeting on flood management in Newmilns on 18 April 2008.

The Scottish Government has fully considered all of the points raised at each of the town hall meetings this year, such as the need to consider flooding from sewerage systems, as well as from rivers and flooding, and also the need for better communication and cooperation between all parties involved in flood risk management. This has helped us to shape the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Bill that is currently passing through the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S3W-16582

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2008
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 October 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of older people affected by clinical depression seek treatment

The total number of older people affected by clinical depression is not recorded centrally.

Estimates drawn from a sample of general practices in Scotland indicates that 23,000 patients over age 65 consulted their GP or practice nurse in 2006-07 because of depression. This figure captures those in the range from mild, short-lived depression to severe, chronic depression.

Those presenting to and supported by specialist services in primary care and services out primary care are not included in this estimate.

The Scottish Government and local partners continue campaigns to end stigma and discrimination of mental ill health and to encourage those in need of help to seek help. We are also investing £3 million in new innovative approaches, with a focus on self help, to better reach and support those with anxiety or depression.

Question reference: S3W-16584

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2008
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 October 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve the diagnosis and treatment of depression among older people.

We are working with GPs so that new patients with depression receive a formal assessment using a standardised tool and matched therapy appropriate to the level of need.

The GP contract provides additional resources to practices to make objective assessments to assess the severity of depression and provide appropriate information on interventions including self help, life style advice and other evidence based interventions such as exercise. The pharmacy contract also enables some pharmacists to advise on mental health and wellbeing issues.

Our published standards for Integrated approaches to the treatment of depression will also inform all practitioners on expectations. We have also published a short summary sheet on the overall attention underway and planned on raising awareness and responding better on depression, including £3 million investment in new innovative approaches for service users.

Question reference: S3W-16581

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2008
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 October 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many older people are affected by clinical depression.

The total number of older people affected by clinical depression is not recorded centrally. It is generally acknowledged that a large proportion of people with depression remain with their condition unrecognised and untreated.

To address this the Scottish Government and local partners continue campaigns to end stigma and discrimination of mental ill health and to encourage those in need of help to seek help. We are also investing £3 million in new innovative approaches, with a focus on self help, to better reach and support those with anxiety or depression.

Estimates drawn from a sample of general practices in Scotland indicates that 23,000 patients over age 65 were recorded with depression by GPs or practice nurses in 2006-07. This figure of course does not capture those with depression who do not seek help from the support agencies.

Question reference: S3W-16585

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2008
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 October 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what training and development is available to GPs to enable them to recognise and treat older people with depression.

GPs as independent contractors are expected to identify, assess and address their own training and educational needs aligned to the needs of their patients. On-going attention will include consideration of needs for the identification, treatment and recovery expectations for those with depression.

Learning needs are also highlighted and discussed at the contractually required GP annual appraisals. Other parts of the GP practice contract also assist in the learning process such as significant event analyses.

GPs are supported in addressing their training needs by their NHS board, through protected learning time initiatives. Other help and support is offered through directors of GP post graduate education; NHS Education; Royal College of General Practitioners; NHS elibrary services; special colleagues, and others.

Our published standards for Integrated approaches to the treatment of depression will also inform all practitioners on expectations. We have also published a short summary sheet on the overall attention underway and planned on raising awareness and responding better on depression, including £3 million investment in new innovative approaches for service users.

Question reference: S3W-16583

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2008
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 October 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of older people treated for clinical depression make a full recovery.

It is difficult to estimate the numbers of those making a full recovery given the range of possible reasons for non presentation following initial contact and support.

The 2003-06 Scottish Government Doing Well by People with Depression initiative which is now carried forward in local areas did show improvement in some patients from presentation to discharge across all the pilot sites. The difficulty with definitive data extends here also however with some patients for example declining to continue contact with the initiative as they did not wish to recall or revisit that period of their depression.

The Scottish Government are investing £3 million in new innovative approaches, with a focus on self help, to better reach and support those with anxiety or depression. Attention also continues on reducing anti-depressant prescribing and offering alternatives to medication and on campaigns to encourage those in need of help to seek help.

Question reference: S3O-04351

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 25 September 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors changes in the number of households threatened with homelessness through actions for repossession.

Question reference: S3W-13990

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2008
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 17 June 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to local authorities regarding educating children permanently excluded from state schools.

Question reference: S3W-13995

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2008
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 17 June 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4713 by Peter Peacock on 15 December 2003, what the average time has been for education authorities to find alternative education for excluded pupils in each year from 2003-04 to 2006-07, broken down by education authority.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government collects national statistics on exclusion from school which includes information on the type of alternative provision made. These statistics are available from:

2004-05:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/01/30144545/28.

2005-06:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/01/30100624/31.

2006-07:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/01/28122247.

Chamber and committees