Chamber and committees

We are investing up to £5 million from the Cancer Strategy to tackle inequalities in access to screening, including cervical screening. The funds will support new activities, sharing of learning from local practice and innovation, to improve uptake of screening programmes, particularly amongst those least likely to participate.

We are supporting the work of charities like Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust to increase awareness and address some of the barriers to participation. To enable the charity to expand their reach we are funding their innovative new outreach service targeting women less likely to attend. We also supported their first ever Scottish roadshow providing information and support about cervical screening and cervical cancer to high streets and retail parks across Scotland.

Officials continue to work closely with Cervical Screening Coordinators from all NHS Boards to develop local level initiatives to improve uptake for all women and to promote cervical screening services by communicating effectively with a range of audiences.

As responsibility for the police estate sits with the Scottish Police Authority, the Authority considered and agreed to the disposal of 49 unused Police Scotland properties at a public Board meeting on 2 May 2018.

The Scottish Government understands that 31 unused Police Scotland properties are currently being marketed for sale. Consideration of future plans for the Police Scotland estate are for the Scottish Police Authority.

Although this is a UK-wide report, we are aware that levels of self-harm are higher in girls than boys in Scotland and it is unacceptable that anyone should feel this way. We want anyone who may be at risk of self-harm to be able to get the help they need quickly – ask once, get help fast.

We are taking forward fundamental improvements to the whole system to achieve this, including establishing a Task Force chaired by Dr Dame Denise Coia, and the Youth Commission on Mental Health. The Youth Commissioners have also been invited to be co-chairs of the Task Force, ensuring young people’s voices are at the heart of these reforms.

All of this work together will help make a real and tangible difference to the support available to our young people, including those at risk of self-harm.

The Scottish Government has figures on people waiting for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and Psychological Therapies, but not on people who have paid for private mental health counselling.

For CAMHS in the last 3 years:

The Scottish Government does not collect data on the number of patients who have accessed private mental health counselling.

The Scottish Government is working with Rape Crisis Scotland to seek proposals from each rape crisis centre on how it can best reduce waiting times by utilising additional resources. The outcome of decisions on how to allocate the additional funding will be made public.

The Scottish Government will discuss further with stakeholders how this funding may be allocated, and further details will be provided on this in due course.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5O-02319 on 6 September 2018. The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the parliaments website, the Official Report can be viewed at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=11643&i=105514 .

Both centres are supported by specialist staff for pain management and fertility.

The last meeting with the Independent Race Equality Adviser was the Race Equality Action Plan Programme Board meeting on 22 August 2018. The discussion was around the progress being made on the actions in the Race Equality Action Plan.