To ask the Scottish Executive whether supervised drug withdrawal and safe alternative therapies are offered to all young people currently receiving Ritalin.

The provision of individual care therapies and treatments are a matter for clinicians in consultation with the relevant professional staff/multi-disciplinary team. Decisions and appropriate responses in each case should always be based on individually assessed needs. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network Guideline on Attention Deficit and Hyperkinetic Disorders in Children and Young People which was published in 2001 to provide good practice guidelines for clinicians covers non-pharmacological therapies as well as pharmacological treatment.