Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00633 on‎ 13 July 2021. 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

The Scottish Government is aware of the vast challenges in attempting to ensure pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy is offered to every patient at the point of diagnosis.

Pancreatic cancer patients can present as asymptomatic despite pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, while patients can also be diagnosed through many different pathways.

This can result in clinicians not always having the specialist knowledge and experience to know about the importance of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.

The Scottish Governments National Cancer Recovery Plan will help address this knowledge gap by working to review Cancer Clinical Management Guidelines in liaison with relevant parties.

Under the National Cancer Recovery Plan, we have funded the Scottish HepatoPancreatoBiliary Cancer Network (SHPBN) which is reviewing guidelines to address this issue.

The information requested is not held centrally. Details of the funding awarded to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is published in annual reports and accounts available at www.sepa.org.uk and www.rbge.org.uk . Details of Scottish Government funding provided to Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) are published in their Annual Financial statements available on their website at www.sruc.ac.uk .

Budget allocations to areas of the Scottish Government are published in annual Draft Budget documents available on the Scottish Government’s website at www.gov.scot .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00633 on 13 July 2021. 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

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

The data is collected by individual NHS Health Boards and would require permissions from each to be obtained in order to conduct appropriate data linkage analysis by Public Health Scotland.

There is no ring-fenced procurement budget for COP26. The Scottish Government, and relevant agencies / bodies, have procured a number of contracts among suppliers for COP26, with a total value of £416,240 through Scotland-based businesses, and £24,612 through businesses without a base in Scotland, being spent to date. Procurement is in line with relevant legislation and guidance and using existing contracts and frameworks, which include an assessment with environmental, social and/or labour laws.

There are some circumstances where there are legitimate reasons for not prescribing pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, such as palliative patients or due to patient’s cultural preference. However, we understand more can be done around education and monitoring to ensure our clinicians are aware of the treatment.

As part of The Scottish Governments National Cancer Recovery Plan , published in December 2020, funding has been made available to ensure equitable access to treatments across the whole of Scotland.

This includes our funded work being led by The Scottish HepatoPancreatoBiliary Network which will be directly addressing guidance on the use of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.

The Scottish Government hold regular meetings with Community Pharmacy Scotland, the recognised representative body of community pharmacy contractors in Scotland as set out in the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and over the last 12 months, Scottish Government officials and Community Pharmacy Scotland representatives have met on a bi-weekly cycle to discuss a range of issues related to the community pharmacy network in Scotland.

In the last 12 months, Scottish Government officials have met with the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists on two occasions and the Pharmacists Defence Association on two occasions.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00790 on‎ 13 July 2021. 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

Ferguson Marine have strong links with the local college and have a thriving apprentice community. The yard currently have five apprentices who will complete their training this summer, and a further twenty four who will shortly be moving up into their second year.

The 2021 apprentice recruitment process is also underway, aimed at recruiting fifteen new apprentices for September 2021. The yard are also considering a Foundation Apprentice programme, and potentially taking apprentices into non-technical disciplines such as Finance and Human Resources.