Chamber and committees

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.

What role does the UK Government envisage for hydro power in the future energy system?

That would be great.

You mentioned the Scottish Government’s draft energy strategy, and I believe that you welcome some of the content in it. You will probably be aware that there was a request in there to

“provide appropriate market mechanisms for hydro power to ensure the full potential of this sector is realised”.

Do you broadly support that request, and if so, what work is being done to support investment in it?

The idea of what is immediate can mean different things to different people. Can you put any timeframe on that—will it happen this year, or do you see it being more something for next year?

Thank you, convener. I think that Monica Lennon covered the question that I was going to ask, but I will come back in if I think of another one.

Good morning. I have no relevant interests to declare.

The consultation on raising council tax on second homes is welcome, but I fail to see how that policy will have any impact on the numbers of second homes, which we know can be an issue.

The Highlands is the area that is most affected by second homes. Ullapool is one of many towns that are affected, and Ullapool Community Trust recently described the lack of housing supply there as a “real and persistent crisis”. Second homes reduce available stock for local families and can push up prices well beyond the reach of key workers. Then, businesses and the public sector can struggle to attract staff, as there is no housing available for workers.

One solution may be for our councils in hot-spot areas to limit second home numbers. Will the Government commit to looking seriously at that option?

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its cross-Government co-ordination on islands policies, what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding regulating second home ownership in rural and island communities. (S6O-02100)

Shauna Clarke, would you like to add anything?