From: Minister for Public Health and Sport
SHONA ROBISON MSP

To: Mr Jamie Hepburn MSP
The Scottish Parliament
EDINBURGH
EH99 iSP
28 February 2009

Dear Jamie

Thank you for your letter of 5 February to Richard Lochhead MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs about the forthcoming Older People’s Summit organised by the Welsh Food Alliance for Wednesday 18 March. I am responding as this issue falls within my portfolio of responsibilities.

The development of the National Food and Drink Policy is being taken forward via a number of working groups, one of which is specifically looking at food affordability, access and security. The retail sectors are members of that group. The chair of this workstream has also met with the Chief Executive of the Scottish Retail Consortium to discuss the vital role that retailers can play in supporting vulnerable groups.

The first meeting of the Scottish Retailers’ Forum is planned in March, at which we intend to discuss with retailers their contribution to supporting healthier food choices and groups where access may be an issue. The meeting in Wales will provide some useful practical ideas that we will certainly pick up for our meeting in Scotland. I understand that an official from the Food and Health team will attend the Summit, and so will be able to report back on
proceedings.

You will also be aware that in 2008 we published Healthy Eating Active Living an action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity. The plan recognises that good nutrition plays a vital part in the wellbeing and health of older people and sets out actions both for free living older people and those in long term care establishments. We will work with COSLA to develop nutritional standards for the vulnerable elderly in care settings.


We remain fully committed to improving the nutritional standards of food served in the public sector, including care homes. We recently supported the Promoting Nutrition in Care Homes Project which involved recruiting care home staff across Scotland, including cooks, care workers and managers, to take part in a six month programme that included:

      • teaching care home staff about nutrition and older people;

      • providing care home staff with expert advice from dieticians;

      • developing individual projects to improve some aspects of nutrition within care homes;

      • teaching care home staff skills needed to make the changes; and

      • mutual learning from and sharing of experiences.


Consideration is now being given to capitalising upon the benefits of the project.

You might also be interested to know that the Scottish Government provides financial assistance under the Section 10 grant scheme to assist voluntary organisations in developing social work services and promoting social welfare in Scotland. The Food Train, a grocery shopping, befriending and household support service for older and disabled people in Dumfries & Galloway, has successfully secured grant funding of £81,764 for 2009-10 to research and expand the organisation’s services.

In addition, the Scottish Government provides support to Community Food and Health Scotland to build capacity in the voluntary community sector. A key strand of its work is considering how best to deliver support for and better target early years, maternal health and the elderly.

I hope you find this information helpful

       SHONA ROBISON MSP
St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG   
 
www.scotland.gov.uk  ~