This email update provides an overview of the latest policy news and developments that affect children and young people in Scotland.

Key to abbreviations: [S] = Scotland, [E] = Westminster, [NI] = Northern Ireland, [W] = Wales

In this issue: single natinal body for Children's Hearing System, current consultations, a round up of this week's Scottish Parliament news and the latest publications.

HIGHLIGHTS

Single national body for vulnerable children, 18/01/08 [S]
The Scottish Government is to establish a single national body which will bring together the various bodies involved in supporting, organising and delivering the Children's Hearings system. he new body will bring together the work of the Children's Reporter service, the delivery and administration of Children's Hearings and the recruitment, training and support provided to Panel members. For more information click here.

CONSULTATIONS

**NEW**

Choosing the Right Ingredients: The Future for Food in Scotland: Discussion Paper, 15/01/08 - 25/04/08 [S]
Scottish Government consultation on its vision for food in Scotland. The document outlines what the government has done in relation to food since May 2007 and what they plan to do to develop a future food and drink industry that is joined-up throughout the whole supply chain, and that plays an integral part in a healthier, wealthier and fairer, safer and stronger, greener and smarter Scotland. The government is seeking on views on how best to achieve this.

Deadline: 25/04/08

For more information click here.

**CURRENT**

Firm Foundations: The Future of Housing in Scotland, [S]
Deadline: 25/01/08

For more information click here.

The Independent Examination of Proposals for Major Change in NHS Services, [S]

Deadline: 26/01/08

For more information click here.

The Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations, [S]
Deadline: 14/03/08

For more information click here.

Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007: Secondary Legislation, [S]
Deadline: 12/02/08

For more information click here.

Tobacco Sales Licensing (Scotland) Bill: A Consultation, [S]
Deadline:15/02/08

For more information click here.

Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland, [S]

Deadline: 31/02/08

For more information click here.

Face-to-Face and Side-by-Side: a framework for inter faith dialogue and social action, [E/NI/S/W]

Deadline: 07/03/08

For more information click here.

Scottish Road Safety Strategy,[S]
Deadline: 28/03/08

For more information click here.

Local Healthcare Bill, [S]

For more information click here.

Choosing Scotland's Future: A National Conversation, [S]

There is no fixed timescale for this consultation.

For more information click here.

To find out more about these consultations click here.

To find out more about closed consultations click here.

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS

Legislation in progress

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, [E/NI/S/W]
Child Maintenance and other Payments Bill, [E/S/W]
Public Health Bill, [S]

Health and Social Care Bill, [E/NI/S/W]

Debates

Education debate, 16/01/08 [S]
During the meeting of the Scottish Parliament on 16 January 2008 MSPs debated the OECD Report into Scottish Education. Matters discussed during the debated included the links between poverty and poor attainment, vocational training and school leadership. For more information click here.

Young people in the workplace debate, 16/01/08 [S]
During the meeting of the Scottish Parliament on 16 January 2008 MSPs debated a motion on the topic of young people in the workplace. The contribution that young people make to the workplace and to economic development was discussed. Also discussed were matters such as how job security and pay and conditions of employment can be improved for young people. For more information click here.

UK Parliament debates

Children with disabilities, 16/01/08 [E/NI/S/W]
Westminster Hall debate on the additional funding for disabled children’s services allocated through the comprehensive spending review. MPs express particular concern that in Scotland the money may not be spent on the purpose for which it was clearly intended. For more information click here.

Lords debate the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Bill, 15/01/08 [E/NI/S/W]
During their meeting on 15 January 2008 the Lords debated amendments in the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Bill. Amendments debated related to matters including ensuring that funds are distributed where they are most needed and that they are aimed at ‘the community’ as well as young people. The report stage is scheduled to take place on 29 January. For more information click here.

Committees

Equal Opportunities Committee takes evidence on the ageing population strategy, 15/01/08 [S]
During their meeting on 15 January 2008 the Scottish Parliament Equal Opportunities Committee took evidence on the Scottish Government’s strategy, All Our Futures: Planning for a Scotland with an ageing population. For more information click here.

Equal Opportunities Committee takes evidence on the proposed equal opportunities strategy, 15/01/08 [S]
During their meeting on 15 January 2008 the Scottish Parliament Equal Opportunities Committee took evidence on the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland’s proposed equal opportunities strategy. For more information click here.

Questions and answers

**ORAL QUESTIONS**

Youth Courts Oral Question, 17/01/08 [S]
During First Minister's Question Time on 17 January 2008 Wendy Alexander (Lab) asked why the Government was delaying the new youth courts in Dundee, Kilmarnock and Paisley. The First Minister Alex Salmond replied that the previous Executive decided that there should be a review of the youth courts system. He said that the position was to be reviewed in spring next year in the light of the impact of the summary justice reforms. For more information click here.

Healthy Living Centres Oral Question, 17/01/08 [S]
During Question Time on 17 January 2008 Jamie McGrigor (Con) asked the Scottish Executive what support is available for healthy living centres in remote and island communities. The Minister for Public Health, Shona Robison, replied that the Scottish Government provides funding to health boards and local government to support local services such as healthy living centres, in line with local needs and priorities. She said that on 25 November last year, the cabinet secretary wrote to all territorial health board chairs, asking them to consider the importance of community health initiatives in their area and the support that can be offered to ensure that valued activities for health improvement in the community are continued. For more information click here.

Children's Cancer Services Oral Question, 17/01/08 [S]
During Question Time on 17 January 2008 Lewis Macdonald (Lab) asked the Scottish Executive whether the full range of children's cancer services will continue to be delivered in Aberdeen. The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon, replied that she expects to receive within the next few weeks recommendations from an option appraisal of children's cancer services that will inform the national delivery plan for specialist children's services. She said that the delivery plan will be subject to consultation early 2008. She added that the Scottish Government has a presumption against centralisation of services, however, that does not mean that there will never be any specialisation of services, but that where such specialisation is proposed, there must be strong evidence to show that it is clearly in the patient interest. For more information click here.

Obesity Oral Question, 17/01/08 [S]
During Question Time on 17 January 2008 Mary Scanlon (Con) asked the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to tackle obesity. The Minister for Public Health, Shona Robison, replied that the Scottish Government are delivering a wide range of actions to support people in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, including implementation of the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007. She said that over the next three years, the government will be investing a further £14.7 million, in addition to increased spending on healthy eating and physical activity, to tackle obesity. For more information click here.

**WRITTEN ANSWERS**

Children’s Hearing System Written Answer, 18/01/08 [S]
Written Answer given in response to Bob Doris’s (SNP) question asking the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards meeting the SNP manifesto commitment to introduce legislation to improve the Children’s Hearing System. Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, announced that Scottish ministers intend to bring together the existing bodies which make up Scotland’s Hearings system into one body, to ensure a consistent national approach. She said that panel members will continue to be recruited from local communities and will serve those local communities. For more information click here.

Child Protection Line Written Answer, 17/01/08 [S]
Written Answer given in response to Mary Mulligan’s (Lab) questions asking the Scottish Executive how the national child protection line will be funded, how many staff will be recruited, how the will be managed and what agencies, apart from local authority social work departments, will be involved. Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early Years, replied that operational costs (which are met centrally by the Scottish Government) for the first year of service are expected to be around £35,000, with a further £8,000 incurred for bespoke training. He saids that Essentia, who run the service along with other specialist helplines such as Know the Score, Sexwise, Smokeline, CALM and Learndirect have 400+ staff, 26 of which are specialist staff reserved for the CPLine. He said that a rage of agencies are involved with the CPLine including social work and police, Childline and NHS24. For more information click here.

Children with Disabilities Written Answer, 17/01/08 [S]
Written Answer given in response to Johann Lamont’s (Lab) questions asking the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place with disability groups since May 2007 to discuss the findings in Aiming High for Disabled Children: Better Support for Families, whether further meetings were planned and what the timescale was for implementing the recommendations. Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early Years, replied that he and the First Minister met with representatives of For Scotland’s Disabled Children – a coalition including many of Scotland’s leading disabled organisations, as well as families with disabled children on 11 January 2008 to discuss issues around support for families, and that further meetings are planned for the future. He said that in May 2007, following the release of the document, the Scottish Government announced an additional £340 million investment in this area over 2007-08 to 2010-11. For more information click here.

ASL Act Implementation Written Answer, 17/01/08 [S]
Written Answer given in response to Hugh O’Donnell’s (LD) questions asking the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in implementing the 7 key points for action in HMIE’s October 2007 report on the implementation of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 and by what dates it expects these to have been achieved. Maureen Watt, Minister for Schools and Skills, replied that the action points involve a wide range of agencies and organisations and that the Scottish Government is currently considering its role in taking these forward. She said that because of the wide range of agencies and organisations involved, it is not possible to set a date by which they will be achieved. For more information click here.

Mental Health Written Answer, 17/01/08 [S]
Written Answer given in response to Mary Scanlon’s (Con) question asking the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in allocating a named mental health link person in every school and basic mental health training for all those looking after children and young people in care. Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health, replied that the Scottish Government remains on track for delivery of these by the end of 2008. She said that in some areas Primary Mental Health Care Workers were already performing this role, while others are considering how best to fulfil the commitment objectives. She added that a national event is planned in March this year to further aid and inform local decisions. A training programme has been designed and implemented with over 500 people graduates so far. For more information click here.

Teenage Pregnancies Written Answer, 17/01/08 [S]
Written Answer given in response to Ian McKee’s (SNP) question asking the Scottish Executive what its policy is with regard to the incidence of unplanned teenage pregnancies. Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health, replied that Respect and Responsibility sets out the governments strategy for reducing the number of unintentional teenage pregnancies and that it is on track to meet national targets. For more information click here.

Youth Courts Written Answer, 17/01/08 [S]
Written Answer given in response to Nigel Don’s (SNP) question asking the Scottish Executive when it will make a decision about further Youth Courts. Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, replied that following the positive evaluation of the Youth Courts in Hamilton and Paisley, funding has been continued to allow them to be reviewed again in 2009, in light of the impact of wider summary justice reforms. In 2009 the government will reconsider whether to introduce further Youth Courts. For more information click here.

Budget for Children Written Answer, 16/01/08 [S]
Written answer given in response to Rhona Brankin’s (Lab) question asking the Scottish Executive what proportion of its budget it proposes to spend on children. Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early Years, replied that the Government has set out its commitments to children and young people in detail in the Spending Review which also contains information on more detailed expenditure plans. He also said that almost all of the budget for children’s services is now contained within the local government settlement and the budgets for health boards. For more information click here.

Other Written Answers given this week were on alcohol awarenes, sale of age restricted goods, Childsmile, children's hearings, foster and kinship carers, rural schools and domestic abuse. Click here to read these Written Answers.

For answers to previous questions click here.

Motions

Leisure Opportunities for Children with Additional Support Needs Motion, 18/01/08 [S]
Motion lodged before the Scottish Parliament on 16 January 2008 by Mary Mulligan (Lab) noting the publication of the report, Nationwide Study of Recreation and Leisure Opportunities for Young People with Additional Support Needs. The motion highlights that it is essential for of local authorities to provide opportunities for leisure and recreation for children with additional support needs, and to listen to those children's views in the development of leisure and recreation services. For more information click here.

New Schools Motion, 16/01/08 [S]
Motion lodged before the Scottish Parliament on 16 January 2008 by Helen Eadie (Lab) asking when the Scottish Government will set out a programme for the building of new schools and the extension of old schools. For more information click here.

Deprivation and Health Motion, 15/01/08 [S]
Motion lodged before the Scottish Parliament on 15 January 2008 by Bill Wilson (SNP) noting the links between poverty and poor health and raising concern that efforts to tackle health inequalities will be ineffectual if wealth inequalities are not tackled effectively too. For more information click here.

DOCUMENTS

Respect and Responsibility: Sexual Health Strategy Second Annual Report, 16/01/08 [S]
Scottish Government's second annual report on Respect and Responsibility, the Sexual Health Strategy for Scotland. The document describes what the Scottish Government has been doing to achieve the aims outlined in the sexual health strategy. Some £15 million of additional funding was allocated over the three financial years from 2005 to 2008 to help implement the strategy. The report explains that whilst the first year of the strategy saw much preparatory work taking place such as the development of local strategies, the second year has seen these plans come to fruition. Good examples of joint working between different parts of the health service, local authorities and with other agencies, including the voluntary sector have been identified. For more information click here.

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