Chamber and committees

The Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce have met three times this year and each of the minutes have been published on gov.scot which details the work discussed. This can be found here Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce - gov.scot.

On June 11 2026 the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care announced the Independent Review of Maternity Services in Scotland. Professor Christine McCourt, Chair of the Independent Review will begin her work in September.

The high-level principles of the Independent Review were published on 11 June and are available to read here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/maternity-services-independent-review-principles/

We are currently considering the remit of the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce and how it may lead on current improvement work, including the HIS Inspection findings whilst the independent review of maternity services takes place.

The Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce considered miscarriage services at its meetings on 26 February and 25 March. The minutes of the Taskforce have been published on the Scottish Government website (Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce - gov.scot)

Ministers are currently considering the role and remit of the Taskforce and how it works alongside the independent review of maternity services which commences in September 2026.

The membership list for the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce was published on gov.scot website in February 2026 and can be found here Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce - gov.scot.

Six Long Term Conditions Advisory Groups were established under the previous Government in March 2026. Advisory Group 5 focused on Long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/ CFS) and other post-infectious/ post-viral conditions.

The Advisory Groups provided recommendations by 7 May 2026 for the new government to consider. We are grateful for the work of all six Advisory Groups in developing their recommendations.

It is for Scottish Ministers to decide whether and to what extent any of the recommendations become government policy. We are carefully considering the Advisory Groups’ recommendations to inform our way forward for long term conditions. Our Programme for Government for 2026-27 will be put to the Parliament in due course.

Recommendations regarding the use of tumour profiling tests such as Oncotype DX are developed independently of the Scottish Government. The Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) published their recommendation in October 2023, which has been implemented in full. SHTG have criteria and processes in place to judge whether new evidence is sufficient to revise its existing recommendations.

The Scottish Government does not hold an estimate of how many clinical breast cancer patients have undergone chemotherapy from which they derived no clinical benefit.

We are committed to ensuring that people with cancer receive the treatment most appropriate to their individual circumstances. The Scottish Government has commissioned the NHS Scotland Cancer Collaborative (NSCC) to develop National Clinical Management Pathways (CMPs). CMPs outline the patient with cancer journey from diagnosis onwards and support consistent decision-making across Scotland on optimal treatment options at the various points in a patient’s pathway. They help clinicians and patients to work in partnership to consider the likely benefits and risks of treatment options and allow people to make an informed choice about their care, as well as reducing waste, potential harm and regret about treatment decisions, in line with the principles of Realistic Medicine.

The process for the development and review of CMPs has been previously described in S6W-42977 on 20 January 2026.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering equitable access to genomic testing and precision medicines and continue to work with NHS Scotland partners to explore opportunities to expand our genomic testing provision in Scotland, in line with our strategy and resources.

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 project team has not yet determined the methodology, format or update frequency for ancient woodland condition reporting. Developing these elements will form a substantial part of the project's work. The Register will provide outputs, including the spatial data layer, in an open, accessible, updatable and machine-readable format to maximise their usefulness. The team will follow the FAIR principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable—and use recognised UK geospatial standards when developing the specification.

The project team did not consider the Woodland Carbon Code, green finance or Biodiversity Net Gain when developing the project scope, (noting that Biodiversity Net Gain does not apply in Scotland). However, the team will consider how these factors affect the protection of ancient woodlands as it develops the Register and engages with stakeholders and users.

A total of £75,000 has been committed to this project, £50,000 by NatureScot split over 2026-2027 and 2027-2028, and £25,000 from Scottish Forestry for 2026-2027. Future budget beyond 2027-2028 has not yet been committed.

The Register of Ancient Woodlands will present location data, condition assessments and restoration requirements for all recognised ancient woodlands in Scotland. The Register will help decision-makers prevent further loss or reduction in the extent of ancient woodlands through development or inappropriate management, and it will support efforts to bring all ancient woodlands into acceptable condition.