Chamber and committees

This is a really serious issue that involves the health of children. I believe that we all take that seriously, and I think that we should treat the issue in that context. Nobody is burying their head in the sand over this. Notwithstanding the fact that, as I said earlier, medicines supply is actually a reserved matter—it is not within the responsibilities of this Parliament or this Government—we take our responsibilities seriously. This week, the Cabinet had a very lengthy discussion on Strep A in general, and on antibiotics supply, in particular. The chief pharmaceutical officer took part in that discussion.

We are, of course, aware of some localised supply problems with penicillin and amoxicillin liquid preparations due to the increase in demand across the whole UK, but such demand-led shortages are not uncommon. The national health service has robust systems in place to deal with them, and the assessment right now is that there is sufficient supply in the UK to meet needs.

That said, where there are shortages of liquid penicillin, for example, notices are put out about alternatives that can be used—the solid form of the same antibiotics or, sometimes, alternative antibiotics. With alternative antibiotics, we have the option of drawing down from medicines stockpiles.

Such issues are of the utmost seriousness and I ask all members to treat them in that way. Everybody takes the matter very seriously and we are all working hard and working together to make sure that there is a good response now, in the face of rising demand.

I will come on to the range of actions that we are taking to meet the percentage targets, which are important, but the numbers that I am talking about here are important for the very reasons that Anas Sarwar has mentioned. The numbers signify individual patients with cancer.

The figure that I gave a moment ago was a percentage figure. On the 62-day pathway, 10 years ago, in the quarter that we are talking about just now, 3,110 people were seen; in the most recent quarter, 4,161 people were seen. On the other pathway, 10 years ago, the figure was 5,500 people; today, it is almost 6,500. What does that say? It says that our cancer services are seeing more patients, and they are seeing more patients on those urgent pathways. That is important, and it is important for individuals.

However, there is more work to do here. For example, over the next few years, we will invest £40 million to support cancer services and, specifically, to improve waiting times. That investment is focused particularly on urology and colorectal and breast cancer, because those are the pathways that are under the greatest challenge. We are investing in the endoscopy and urology diagnostic plan. We have six one-stop urology diagnostic hubs. We are committed to earlier diagnosis through the rapid cancer diagnostic services that are coming on stream.

All of that work is important to further improve performance, but it is really important to recognise the volume of work that our cancer services are doing each and every day.

I agree very much with that. I also agree and take the opportunity to recognise that free bus travel for under-22s is a great example of the partnership in government between the Scottish National Party and the Green Party—I know that the Conservatives and Labour love hearing about that.

It is important to incentivise public transport use, but that on its own will not be enough to drive down sector emissions. Cars account for nearly 40 per cent of transport emissions, so I agree with the Climate Change Committee that plans to discourage car use are needed to accompany current plans to encourage active travel and the use of public transport. The need for both those aspects is set out in “A route map to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in car kilometres by 2030”.

As well as the action that I have outlined, the on-going fair fares review will ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares in the future. All those actions are important and necessary, and the SNP-Green Government will continue to take them.

As I have demonstrated, the actions that the Government is taking on public transport stand comparison with those of any Government across these islands. Unlike Governments elsewhere, we will continue to progress all those actions.

Bird flu is a significant concern right now, and both the chief vet and the cabinet secretary, Mairi Gougeon, are monitoring the situation carefully. The measures that are in place in Scotland are given serious consideration on an on-going basis, and I know that the chief vet has spoken at length on the basis of the decisions that we have taken so far.

It is absolutely right to say that this is having a big impact on farmers, and we will continue to liaise with the farming community on how we best support them through what is an extremely challenging period.

First, it is for this Parliament to decide whether it passes that legislation, as is the case with any piece of legislation. There is full scrutiny under way right now and, of course, Parliament will next look at the proposals in plenary session next week.

The bill does not create a single new right for trans people; all it does is simplify existing processes. I encourage anyone who has not already done so to read this morning’s comments by the United Nations official who has already given evidence to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, setting out in detail why, in his view, the bill brings Scotland into line with its international obligations.

There are significant safeguards in the bill. Of course, there are concerns that men may abuse provisions relating to trans people to harm women. However, one of the comments of the UN official is that there is no evidence that that is the case in any of the countries that already have such legislation in place. However, the point is that, if any man was to seek to do so, the bill does not increase their ability to do that. The bill is about making a process that already exists for trans people much more humane and less invasive. Of course, it is for Parliament to consider the many amendments that have been lodged and to reach a final view on the bill next week.

Medicines supply is a reserved matter, but the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has discussed the issue with the United Kingdom Government to seek assurances about supply of antibiotics to treat group A Strep, in response to the sharp increase in demand. We have been advised that manufacturers in the UK currently have adequate supplies of antibiotics and that wholesalers and manufacturers are working at speed to continually replenish stock.

Scottish Government officials have issued a medicine supply alert notice providing advice to healthcare professionals on prescribing options, including alternative antibiotics if the first-line option is unavailable. In addition to that, work is under way to further strengthen the resilience of the supply chain, including by releasing antibiotics from medicines stockpiles, increasing manufacture of antibiotic liquid preparation and, where necessary, importing additional supplies.

Jackie Baillie stood up then and acted as if she was giving information that was somehow new. I said in my original answer that the Scottish Government had issued a medicine supply alert notice, and we do that for a particular reason. I have already covered that, but I will come back to it.

Humza Yousaf has been, and continues to be, right in what he says. There is no overall shortage of antibiotics, but when there is a surge in demand—not just in the case of Strep A, but in other situations—there will often be localised shortages. However, there are systems in place in the NHS to deal with that. When the particular first-line antibiotic for any condition might be in shortage, there are alternatives. Part of the purpose of the supply notice is to advise healthcare practitioners of the alternatives that can be used if liquid penicillin, for example, which is the first-line antibiotic in this case, is not available. That is the proper way to do things. Everybody is treating the matter with the utmost seriousness.

I come back to the factual point that medicines supply is not within the responsibilities of this Government: unfortunately, it is a reserved matter. We continue to work with the UK Government, but we also to do everything that we can to ensure adequate supply, and that is what we will continue to do.

Grants of £73 million have been made to low-income workers and their families to help them to isolate from Covid-19. That support has helped over 150,000 low-income households all over Scotland since the scheme began in October 2020.

When the UK Government removed the £20 universal credit top-up, we continued offering the grant to all low-income households that would have been eligible previously. The grant was, of course, a temporary measure while self-isolation was an essential tool to control Covid. The scheme will close from 5 January next year. However, we will be able to reinstate it quickly if circumstances require it.

It is always really striking just how uncomfortable the Scottish Conservatives get when poverty is mentioned in the chamber. [Interruption.] I am not sure that it is always visible to the people who are watching at home, but the catcalling, heckling and shuffling in seats always start from the Conservatives, because they know deep down inside—or not even so deep down inside—that their party is pushing more and more people into poverty every week.

It is this Government’s responsibility to do everything that we can to lift people out of poverty. The Scottish child payment is the foremost example of that. During times of extremity at the height of the Covid pandemic, the self-isolation payment was a very important tool, and 150,000 low-income households all over the country were helped through the pandemic. It was an important measure. I hope that it will not be necessary again, but we stand ready to reintroduce it, should circumstances dictate that it is necessary.