Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government keeps funding approaches for alcohol and drug services under regular review to ensure they are informed by evidence and local need. Work for the forthcoming Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan has included consideration of the challenges faced by remote, rural and island areas, drawing on engagement with local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and service providers. We will continue to use this learning to support fair and effective distribution of resources across Scotland.

ADP funding is one of several means for investing and delivering services in remote, rural and island communities. National funding for third sector organisations and wider investment linked to the new Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan will continue to be available to support the activities being undertaken by local areas.

There are no current plans to introduce an annual gynaecological check-up entitlement for gynaecological cancers as there are no suitably accurate screening tests for Ovarian, Uterine, Vaginal or Vulva Cancers.

Our national screening programmes are guided by the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee, an independent expert advisory group which advises all four nations of the United Kingdom on screening policy. We are working to increase coverage and uptake within the established cervical screening programme.

We are committed to improving the early detection of Gynaecological Cancers by raising awareness of symptoms through our Detect Cancer Earlier programme including featuring people who have been successfully treated for ovarian cancer in our public awareness campaigns.

We know that Gynaecological Cancers often have non-specific symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, fatigue or changes in bowel habits. Non-specific symptoms are associated with delayed diagnosis, higher rates of later-stage disease and poorer outcomes. The revised Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer (SRGs) were published in August 2025 and include a new guideline for patients with non-specific symptoms to support primary care clinicians to identify those requiring urgent assessment by a specialist.

Scottish Government wants people diagnosed with cancer to be treated as close to home as clinically possible.

As treatments for cancer become more complex and specialist, such as hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) surgery, it is not possible to deliver them in every location. We know that the best outcomes are often associated with specialist centres and patients should be fully supported in accessing these.

The Scottish Government expects NHS Boards to work collaboratively with HIPEC centres of excellence in England and transport providers to make suitable arrangements to ensure that necessary treatment can be provided in a patient-centred way.

The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to make hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) surgery for ovarian cancer available in Scotland.

Although the value of HIPEC could be recognised for a limited number of patients, any future service establishment would need to be considered in line with patient need and improved patient outcomes. HIPEC is not a standard treatment for Ovarian Cancer and is not considered routinely. It is typically used as a specialised add-on therapy.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) surgery is not routinely provided in Scotland at this time.

NHS Boards may refer patients in Scotland meeting specific criteria who may benefit from this additional specialised therapy to specialised centres in England.

While Royal Mail and postal delivery services are reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is committed to the safe delivery of the parliamentary election on 7 May.

I have been concerned to see recent reports from the BBC and other media outlets stating that Royal Mail are pursuing a policy of prioritising the delivery of parcels while letters remain undelivered for a much longer period of time than should be the case. This is why I have already written to Mr Alistair Cochrane, Interim CEO of the Royal Mail Group, requesting a meeting to discuss with him how Royal Mail intend to ensure all election materials are delivered within the required timescales.

In addition, representatives of the Electoral Management Board for Scotland will be meeting with Royal Mail representatives on a weekly basis from mid-March to the election on 7 May. This was normal practice in the run up to previous elections and provides an opportunity to discuss any emerging issues.

In 2026-27, NHS Shetland will receive £86.6 million in baseline funding. Information regarding the funding provided to NHS Shetland between 2023-24 and 2024-25 is available within the Board’s published Annual Reports and Accounts for each respective year, as well as in publicly accessible Board papers.

In 2023-24, the Scottish Government provided NHS Shetland with capital funding of £555,000 for the development of a Gilbert Bain Hospital replacement business case.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) supports open competitive grant and fellowship schemes for applied health research in Scotland across a wide remit that is inclusive of consideration of research projects relating to gynaecological cancers. Applications submitted to these schemes are assessed through independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by independent expert committees. CSO has funded six projects relating to gynaecological cancers, four of which are ongoing. Funding of £975,496 has been committed to the active studies.

We consulted on proposals for a new Social Housing Net Zero Standard (SHNZS), co-developed with the social housing sector, alongside proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. Since then we have been progressing the foundational work needed to underpin the future standard. This includes reforming Energy Performance Certificates, which will provide a more accurate basis for assessing the energy performance of buildings, which will be important to equip building owners and tenants.

We will confirm next steps following further engagement with partners in the social housing sector, taking into account wider developments, including standards that are being developed for the private rented sector. Our overarching aim is to ensure a fair and proportionate approach across all tenures, supporting decarbonisation whilst tackling fuel poverty.

Scotland, along with the other UK nations, follows the expert advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) when implementing screening programmes. We have fully implemented the UK NSC’s recommendations regarding cervical screening.

The UK NSC has previously considered the evidence regarding ovarian cancer screening, including the clinical data from the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS), which recruited more than 200,000 women. This trial found that screening using the most viable methods did not have a meaningful impact on mortality compared with not screening at all. The Committee therefore concluded that there was not enough evidence to support a screening programme and did not recommend introducing one. Further information regarding their decision can be found on their website: https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/ovarian-cancer/.

The UK NSC has not considered the evidence for any other gynaecological cancers. However, they welcome proposals to consider new conditions for screening during their annual call for topics. Guidance regarding this process is provided on their website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-annual-call-submitting-a-screening-proposal/uk-nsc-annual-call-how-to-submit-a-proposal.

If the UK NSC determines that there is an effective test and sufficient evidence to support implementing ovarian or other non-cervical gynaecological cancer screening, and issues a positive recommendation in the future, the Scottish Government will work with the NHS to implement that recommendation.