Chamber and committees

The publication of performance and carrying statistics is a matter for CalMac Ferries Ltd as the operator of the Clyde & Hebrides Ferry Services contract.

Overall more trainee doctor posts have filled in 2023 than any other year on record, (data correct as at 25 July 2023). Within that overall context there will always be a number of posts which do not fill. Diagnostic Neuropathology ST3 is a small specialty with only 1 post advertised in 2023, therefore, as this post has not filled, the fill rate appears as 0%. We continue to work closely with our partners in NHS Education for Scotland and Health Boards, to consider ways of improving fill rates across all specialities.

I receive regular performance delivery updates on the three Policy Prospectus missions of equality, opportunity and community. I also engage regularly with Cabinet Secretaries to support strong collaboration across portfolios and budgets and enable effective delivery of Mandate Letter commitments. These arrangements are routinely reviewed and improved where appropriate.

The Scottish Government’s 10-year vision for cancer provides for a compassionate and consistent cancer service which provides excellent treatment and support for all people affected by cancer. Our action plan describes specific steps towards this, including investing in our capital radiotherapy replacement programme and delivery of an Oncology Transformation Programme.

The Scottish Government has no plans to create specific funding schemes for Brain Tumour research.

Within the Scottish Government, funding of Health and Care Research comes under the remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO).

The CSO's Translational Clinical Studies (TCS) Committee and the Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research (HIPS) Committee each meet twice per year to consider funding applications. Details of the application process are published on the CSO website.

https://www.cso.sc ot.nhs.uk/grant-funding/response-mode-funding-schemes/. Applications on Brain Tumour research are welcomed.

CSO provides funding support through NHS Research Scotland (NRS) for infrastructure to support the running of clinical trials in the NHS here. this includes the NRS Cancer Research Network whose role is to increase, support and sustain clinical trial activity in cancer care in Scotland https://www.nhsresearchscotland.org.uk/research-areas/cancer

The NRS Cancer Research Network is currently supporting 13 Brain Tumour Clinical studies with over 190 patients recruited.

Through UK-wide funding agreements, researchers based in Scotland are able to access research funding programmes administered by the National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR). Within their individual remits, these programmes can consider applications for research in Brain Tumours. CSO is working with the health research community in Scotland to ensure awareness of these opportunities and to maximise the number of high quality applications from Scotland to the NIHR research funding programmes going forward.

In our cancer strategy published in June last year, the Scottish Government committed to focus on cancer types that are the largest burden and have worse outcomes. These include brain and the other cancers categorised as less-survivable such as oesophagus, pancreas, and stomach.

We are continuing to invest in 12 pilot single point of contact (SPOC) sites and will evaluate the impact of the programme and expand its reach. We are also rolling out our final Improving the Cancer Journey (ICJ) service, in partnership with Macmillan, giving everyone diagnosed with cancer in Scotland access to a key support worker.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on 18 January 2024. 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 wrote to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade in November 2023 welcoming the UK Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Plan, and to offer the Scottish Government’s commitment to work collectively to deliver on the key elements of direct relevance to Scotland. The Advanced Manufacturing Plan will be supported by the Green Industries Growth Accelerator fund.

Details of the precise delivery of the Advanced Manufacturing Plan and Green Industries Growth Accelerator are yet to be finalised. The Scottish Government will continue to offer support to the UK Government at official and Ministerial level, ensuring that opportunities within Scotland are maximised.

In June 2022, Scottish Ministers received an application from Naturalis Energy under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for the proposed Knockkippen Wind Farm, to be located within East Ayrshire. Currently, discussions are ongoing between the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit, the developer and several consultees in relation to addressing outstanding issues. Until these matters are resolved, Scottish Ministers are not yet in a position to determine the application.

The majority of services in Scotland are operated on a commercial basis by private bus companies. Under the Transport Act 1985, where there is a social need local transport authorities can provide subsidy for services that are not provided on a commercial basis, this is entirely a matter for the local authority to consider and action.

The Scottish Government have brought forward an enhanced suite of options for local transport authorities to improve bus services according to their local needs, including formal partnerships, franchising and running their own bus services. The Community Bus Fund was launched in September 2023 to support local transport authorities to explore the options in the Transport Act, and to improve public transport in their areas.