Chamber and committees

Good morning. We have spoken already about the new deal, and my questions are primarily around funding, particularly ring fencing. What effect do you think the new deal will have on the levels of ring fencing?

Thank you. If I have picked that up correctly, I summarise that COSLA’s view is that ring fencing—in particular, when it comes to areas such as net zero goals—may not be entirely appropriate, and that you would like there to be less of it. You can correct me if I have summarised that incorrectly.

However, if that is the case, and if ring fencing is not so desirable in those areas, how do you suggest that the Scottish Government and local government work together to achieve those shared national priorities—on net zero in particular—without ring fencing? What would your suggestions be?

No, not at all, convener. That has covered my area of questioning, so thank you.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I was having difficulty connecting with the app. I would have voted no.

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review its prospectus for an independent Scotland, in light of reported divisions within the independence movement. (S6O-02234)

Many people across the United Kingdom will be looking at their household bills, including their power bills, and at the problems that the UK faces, and many people in Scotland will be considering and, indeed, concluding that an independent Scotland is more important than ever. With that in mind, a cohesive, vibrant, creative and cross-party wider movement is important. It is important in designing a successful campaign, in presenting a united front and in going on to win majority public support for independence. Does the minister agree not only that establishing an independence convention is imperative but that there is an urgent need to do so now?

Good morning to the panel. The committee has heard that the use of targets sends a signal to the regulator and allows for forward planning, particularly for infrastructure. Can you explain why targets have not been set for either solar or tidal?

What do you see as the main benefits or downsides of using targets to drive progress on that?

As you rightly say, tidal seems promising, and we have high levels of innovation on that particular technology in Scotland, which is exciting. Solar seems to be quite complementary to wind. I understand that solar schemes can often be co-located with wind turbines and that solar can often generate power when it is not windy. It therefore seems that solar and tidal have a place in the future but, in the strategy, neither of those technologies seems to receive as much attention as other technologies. Do you think that they will play a significant role in Scotland’s electricity system, or is it too early to say?

I, too, thank Jackie Dunbar for bringing this important issue to the chamber. I also lend my support to our colleague Amy Callaghan for her very important VAT burn campaign to remove VAT from sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or above.

It is timely that we are debating the issue in the chamber this month, because it is skin cancer awareness month. As other members have mentioned, skin cancer is—despite what many might think—one of the six most common cancers to be found in Scotland, so it is right that we take the opportunity this evening to raise the issue and discuss it, covering the medical aspects, things to look out for, different brands of sun cream and so on.

I am somewhat of an expert on the topic, being a redhead who likes to spend as much time outdoors as possible, and also having two red-headed children. In our house, we are so into sunscreen that we spend time discussing the merits of different brands and comparing them against each other, because not all of them perform as well, or are as pleasant to use, as others. It is clear, however, that sunscreen is not a luxury item, which is why I support the campaign. It is very important to use sunscreen, especially for children, as we know that getting one very serious burn as a young child seriously increases your risk of going on to develop skin cancer later in life.

The debate is also a good opportunity to talk about sunbed use. Some members of my family have become addicted to using sunbeds, and I know that that is far from rare in Scotland. There is a dilemma there—with the weather that we have in Scotland, tanning is very popular now, and many people like to look tanned. I think that one reason why sunbeds are so popular in Scotland is that, because they contain some of the rays that would naturally be found in the sun, they can give people a boost to their mood. Nonetheless, we need to remind people that sunbed use, and indeed overuse, can be an extreme risk factor for going on to develop skin cancer of one type or another.

We have made mention of the weather so far. It sometimes seems, given Scotland’s latitude, that we very rarely see the sun, and when we do, we want to rush out and enjoy it. I think that that is the right thing to do, as being in the sun can make us feel better—as we have discussed—and it allows our bodies to generate vitamin D. Vitamin D is a very important vitamin—or a hormone, as it is sometimes even described—that can, when it is in our system, help us to remain at an optimum level of health.

We have learned in the past few decades that many Scots are seriously deficient in vitamin D, which may in part be because we have moved significantly away from a traditional Scottish diet that was, for my mother’s generation, heavy on oily fish. They used to regularly eat herring, which has a lot of vitamin D.

It is difficult to get all the vitamin D that we need from diet, so it is important also to expose our skin to sunlight, although, I stress, not to the point where the skin becomes pink or burns. Most of us will know how many minutes that will take or at what point that will happen to us, but it is possible to go online, check the different skin types to find our own and find out how long it might be appropriate to expose our skin without sunscreen in order to get some vitamin D into our system.

The important message is: get outside and enjoy the sun and it is even better if you can exercise while you do that. Do not let yourself get burnt. Sunscreen is important and is not a luxury item. I support this important campaign.