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The Scottish Government’s reforms to Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) are helping both first-time buyers and home movers across Scotland to purchase a home. Between April 2015 and October 2017, LBTT kept over 25,000 house purchases out of tax by setting a nil rate threshold of £145,000 which was £20,000 more than the nil rate threshold for UK Stamp Duty Land Tax. From June 2018, the Scottish Government plans to introduce a new £175,000 LBTT relief for first-time buyers. This will take 80% of first-time buyers out of tax altogether and will benefit 12,000 first-time buyers each year by up to £600.

In addition to these measures, the Scottish Government is implementing a range of housing policies to assist first-time buyers in the Lothian parliamentary region and elsewhere in Scotland as outlined in the answers to questions S5W-15194 and S5W-15195 on 15 March 2018. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at

The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) 122 guideline development group had input from all specialities involved in the care of patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE), including haematology, orthopaedics, pharmacy, anaesthetics, vascular and general surgery, radiology, obstetrics and gynaecology, general practice as well as lay representation. In addition SIGN also sought national independent expert referees to comment on interpretation of the evidence base supporting the recommendations. In future SIGN will take the same steps to ensure that the guideline development group is made up of representatives from all of the appropriate specialties.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent public body that provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care in England. The Scottish Government is therefore unable to comment on the specialist input to the NICE guideline. Information on the development of NICE guidance can be found at: 

The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) 122 guideline regarding the prevention and management of venous thromboembolism (VTE) was published in 2010 and updated in 2014. SIGN is in the process of contacting the original guideline development group to establish the need for a new guideline. An outcome of the consultation may be that group members choose to submit a proposal for a new guideline which would go through SIGN’s usual decision-making process.

Information on how many couples have used a third cycle of IVF since April 2017 is not held centrally. However, Scottish Government officials regularly discuss the impact of this change with the 4 Centres providing NHS IVF.

The Scottish Government has had initial discussions with Information Services Division around the steps needed to collect this information within the confines of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.

Information on how many couples with children in the home, but where one partner does not have a biological child have accessed IVF since September 2016, is not currently held centrally. However, Scottish Government officials regularly discuss the impact of this change with the 4 Centres providing NHS IVF.

The Scottish Government has had initial discussions with Information Services Division around the steps needed to collect this information within the confines of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.

Decisions on health policy are a matter for Ministers, not officials. Ministers are, of course, accountable to Parliament for those decisions.

The Scottish Government is working to open up the housing market to as many people as possible. Since 2013, over 15,700 households across Scotland, with over 30% of these in the Edinburgh and Lothians area, have been supported to purchase a home through our shared equity schemes - the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) and Help to Buy (Scotland) schemes. The Scottish Government also funds the development by Registered Social Landlords of New Supply Shared Equity units through its Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

In addition, we intend to introduce from June a new Land and Buildings Transaction Tax relief for First-Time Buyers which will have the effect of raising the zero tax threshold for first-time buyers to £175,000. This will result in an estimated 80% of first-time buyers paying no LBTT. Those first-time buyers buying a property above £175,000 will also benefit from the relief on the portion of the price below the threshold, which means all first-time buyers will benefit from the relief by up to £600 once it is introduced.

The Scottish Government is working towards our target to increase housing supply by delivering at least 50,000 affordable homes within this parliament, backed by investment of at least £3 billion. Through this programme, we are determined to increase and accelerate housing supply across all tenures and support the industry and local authorities to deliver their housing priorities with quality homes in mixed communities that fit local needs.

We have a substantial package of support for home ownership and have a good track record in helping people to buy a home. In the Edinburgh and Lothians area, we predominantly support purchasers through the Help to Buy scheme and the Low Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) schemes which have supported over 4,800 purchasers since 2013. In addition, we support mixed tenure schemes through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP).

Data from 2016-17 is provided below, data from the financial years 2012-13 to
‎ 2015-16 was provided in the answers to questions S5W-08627 on 24 April 2017 and S5W-08983 on 10 May 2017.

As highlighted in the answer to questions S5W-08627 and S5W-08983, there are issues around the quality of this data. This means that accurate comparisons between local authorities and between years cannot be made. A lack of consistency in how local authorities have broken down the information to primary, secondary and special categories means that this data does not consistently represent the levels of spending in different categories of schools in local authorities.

Table 1 shows gross revenue expenditure on additional support for learning education from 2016-17 split by Pre Primary, Primary, Secondary and Special Education

Source: Local Financial Returns – Education (LFR 1) statistical return provided by local authorities to the Scottish Government.

Table 2 shows the percentage of total gross revenue expenditure on education by local authorities which is accounted for by spending on additional support for learning in 2016-17.

Source: Local Financial Returns – Education (LFR 1) statistical return provided by local authorities to the Scottish Government.

Table 3 shows the average per-pupil spending on additional support for learning by local authority. This data shows gross revenue expenditure on additional support for learning in primary, secondary and special education from the local financial returns, divided by the number of pupils identified as having additional support needs recorded in the 2016 Pupil Census

Sources:

1. Local Financial Returns – Education (LFR 1) statistical return provided by local authorities to the Scottish Government.

2. Pupil Census – published annually - for further details go to;

There is no test of capacity set out in the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. In some circumstances different provisions and safeguards of the 2003 Act apply if the patient does not have capacity to make a certain decision in relation to treatment at a certain time.

A person has a Significantly Impaired Decision Making Ability (SIDMA) when a mental disorder affects the person’s ability to believe, understand and retain information, and to make and communicate decisions. All adults are assumed to have a decision-making ability or capacity as a starting point. A person with a mental disorder who retains unimpaired ability to take treatment decisions cannot be treated compulsorily under the 2003 Act.

The medical practitioner must believe there are sufficient grounds before deciding it necessary to grant an order for a patient who is refusing to accept treatment on a voluntary basis.

• The patient has a mental disorder.
• The patient has significantly impaired decision-making ability with respect to medical treatment for mental disorder, as a result of his or her mental disorder.
• Detention in hospital is necessary to determine what medical treatment is required and to provide that treatment.
• Significant risk exists to the health, safety and welfare of the patient or to the safety of others if the patient is not detained.

Mental health law in Scotland is based on rights and principles and offers patients significant safeguards where compulsory treatment is necessary. These safeguards include an independent Mental Health Tribunal which grants and reviews orders for compulsory treatment. The patient or the patient’s named person can appeal to the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland to have an order allowing compulsory treatment revoked.