Thank you, convener, and good morning committee members. I will not take up much time with my remarks, but I want to cover two broad areas: first, the reasons why the previous cross-party group on dementia did not re-establish itself in time for the deadline; and, secondly, the general purpose of the CPG moving forward, if the committee approves it.
The previous CPG on dementia did not re-establish itself in line with the Parliament’s guidelines because no MSP members of the group, with one exception, remained as MSPs following the election in May 2016 for the fifth session of the Scottish Parliament. The one exception was a returning member who declined an invitation to act as secretariat to the group and continue as a member. Therefore, in essence, the support organisation Alzheimer Scotland—Action on Dementia was required to carry out work to meet MSPs and gather the required cross-party support for the group. Unfortunately, it was not possible for that to be done in time to meet the deadline for re-establishment as a previously existing CPG. However, I can inform the committee that we held a very successful and incredibly well-attended initial meeting of the proposed CPG on 31 January 2017. I am excited at the prospect of being involved with such a fantastic mix of individuals and organisations—41 people attended that night.
I will highlight briefly the key areas that support the re-establishment of the CPG on dementia. This year will see the publication of the Scottish Government’s third national dementia strategy, and I am sure that members will agree that the re-establishment of the CPG is timeous as it will provide a forum for discussing that work in the years and sessions ahead. The group will also look to work with other CPGs in relevant areas to avoid duplication. For example, there is tentative agreement to hold a joint session with the cross-party group on palliative care, which I believe demonstrates the benefits of our group’s recognition of interdisciplinary engagement. There are, of course, other strands of work taking place in relation to dementia that it would be useful for colleagues in Parliament and, indeed, wider stakeholders to be aware of, and I believe that the group will be an excellent conduit for discussing those issues.
Again, I thank the committee for its time. I am happy to be guided by you, convener, on questions.