The Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey (SCPES) is vital in proving information on improving our understanding of peoples experiences as they navigate their own cancer pathway. Findings published from the 2024 survey show that for those aged 16 and over, 95% of people are positive about their overall cancer care experience, illustrating that that we are progressing towards our aim to put people with cancer at the heart of all decision and actions involving them.

The timing and frequency of SCPES are not fixed. Surveys have been conducted in 2015, 2018, and most recently in 2024, from which we are still taking learning.

The number of children and young people diagnosed with cancer in Scotland is small compared to other cancers.

To protect confidentiality, cancer groups with fewer than 50 responses cannot be analysed, as this helps minimise the risk of individuals being identifiable within the dataset.

Understanding the unique support needs of children and young people with cancer is a priority for both the Scottish Government and the Managed Clinical Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MCN CYPC), who are responsible for the implementation of the Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care: cancer strategy for children and young people 2021–2026.

The MCN CYPC have a number of support programmes including the National Youth Advisory Forum and Buddy Support Network, which enable young people to share experiences, identify gaps, and help improve service quality through feedback.

Understanding the unique support needs of children and young people with cancer is a priority for both the Scottish Government and the Managed Clinical Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MCN CYPC), who are responsible for the implementation of the Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care: cancer strategy for children and young people 2021–2026.

The number of children and young people diagnosed with cancer in Scotland is small compared to other cancers. Due to small patient numbers it is challenging to produce detailed, anonymised data.

To protect confidentiality, cancer groups with fewer than 50 responses cannot be analysed, as this helps minimise the risk of individuals being identifiable within the dataset.

The MCN CYPC have a number of support programmes including the National Youth Advisory Forum and Buddy Support Network, which enable young people to share experiences, identify gaps, and help improve service quality through feedback.

Decisions on non-domestic rates policy for 2026-27, including reliefs, are considered in the context of the Budget in line with other government priorities and will be set out in the Budget on 13 January 2026.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), whose functions will be replaced by Qualifications Scotland early next year, rightly offers a wide range of assessment arrangements to enable learners with additional support needs to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without compromising the integrity of the assessment.

It works with centres (schools, colleges or training providers) to ensure that all learners have the appropriate support they need for their assessments and exams.

Assessment arrangements are based on the candidate’s specific individual needs and reflect their way of producing work in class such as extra time, modified assessment formats, or the use of assistive technology.

The SQA does not require pupils to have a confirmed diagnosis of a disability for assessment arrangements to be put in place. However, there must be an identified need, and they rely on centres to submit requests and to consider the needs of individual learners. The SQA and centres have quality assurance processes in place to ensure that assessment arrangements are appropriate; guidance for centres setting out more detail is available on the SQA website.

Local authorities oversee the delivery of education and have a range statutory duties to provide for and to review the support they provide pupils with additional support needs.

Enquire is funded by the Scottish Government to help parents and carers to understand their child’s rights to additional support for learning and how to work in partnership with their school to make sure their child gets the support they need.

There are a range of dispute resolution mechanisms available under the Additional Support for Learning 2004 Act. These offer more formal ways to resolve concerns, if an agreement with the education authority cannot be met. Information about these mechanisms and what resolution they can offer, is available on the Enquire website.

As I stated in my previous answer to Question S6W-41435 from Ariane Burgess MSP, initial meetings with stakeholders took place between 20 November 2024 and 16 January 2025 including with local authorities, farmer representatives, farm employers and regulatory bodies. This was to help better understand the situation during the scoping work.

Further meetings will be held with the wider sector when officials are in a position to begin consultation.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42386 on 18 December 2025 where I signposted areas of engagement to support the maritime sector in Inverclyde.

Scottish Government has committed £500 million to the Glasgow City Region Deal, which includes £18 million towards projects in Inverclyde:

• Greenock Ocean Terminal: £5.2 million towards the redevelopment of the cruise terminal at Greenock.
• Inchgreen Marine Park: £5.5 million towards the establishment of the Marine Park, which aims to create opportunities for businesses to locate in the area. Part of a Joint Venture between Inverclyde Council and Clydeports (a part of Peel Ports Group).
  Inchgreen dry dock is not a part of the original scope of Inchgreen Marine Park and has not received funding through the Deal, but Inverclyde Council have suggested it will be integrated following the recent UK Government funding announcement.
• Inverkip: £2 million towards road improvements on the A78 to facilitate the redevelopment of Inverkip Power Station.
• Growing Commercial Assets: £5.6 million towards projects to develop and improve business space in the area, with sites to be confirmed by Inverclyde Council.

In line with a PfG commitment, we are investing up to £2 million to develop engineering skills in the Glasgow City Region through a programme led by Clyde Maritime Cluster with Skills Development Scotland.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

We reached a formal agreement with COSLA in December 2024 which commits to freezing learning hours in 2025-26.

Through our announcement of a ‘New National Deal for Scotland’s teachers’, we have set out a range of proposed changes to the teaching and learning week, including exploration of new nationally agreed minimum standards on pupil learning hours.

This will include work to consider minimum standards on pupil learning hours and explore the legal, financial and operational considerations which will underpin any agreed approach.

Scottish Government officials regularly meet with COSLA officers to discuss operational matters related to the delivery of education.

Through our announcement of a ‘New National Deal for Scotland’s teachers’, we have set out a range of proposed changes to the teaching and learning week, which we intend to pilot with the assistance of Schools and Local Authorities.

This approach will allow us to gather the data and evidence needed to fully consider issues such as the feasibility and funding implications of a restructured teaching and learning week and discuss these with local government partners.

The Scottish Government is represented at all committees and subgroups of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), including the SNCT subgroup on Reducing Teacher Class Contact Time.

Government officials regularly provide updates and table proposals to SNCT committees and subgroups, in line with Government policy positions and ministerial direction. It’s quite appropriate for ministers to signal a desired policy direction in advance of this being taken as a formal proposal to be discussed at the SNCT.

We recognise the challenges that many remote and rural schools face, including challenges with teacher recruitment.

Through our announcement of a ‘New National Deal for Scotland’s teachers’, we have set out a range of proposed changes to the teaching and learning week, which we plan to pilot and explore with local government and schools.

This will include working with Schools in remote and rural communities to pilot new ways of structuring the teaching and learning week, which take account of their local contexts and provide the flexibility they need to address these challenges. This work will allow us to asses impact, and build the data and evidence needed for future national approaches.