Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has not made any assessment of the technologies in question in relation to renewable energy trading. As the regulation of energy markets remains reserved, this would be a matter for the UK Government to consider.

There are no plans to expand eligibility of The Young Patients Family Fund at this time.

With respect to what further support is needed to support young cancer patients and their families, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11449 on
‎ 4 November 2022.

In addition to support available under the Young Patients Family Fund, financial support for travel to hospital is available via the patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes. Under those schemes, patients and authorised escorts can reclaim reasonable costs of travel associated with attending a hospital appointment, in line with eligibility criteria and medical requirements.

Where travel outside Scotland is necessary, Boards are expected to support patients to identify and access support available, taking account individual circumstances and ensuring patient care is at the centre of all decisions.

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 continues to invest in our Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme, of which public education and empowerment is a key work-stream. We launched a new campaign – Be the Early Bird – in March 2023 to empower those with possible symptoms to act early. To coincide with this, a roadshow visited areas of deprivation across Scotland to further improve symptom awareness and encourage prompt action.

We will continue to work with the Scottish Cancer Coalition, as well as the primary care community, to raise awareness of symptoms of possible cancers, including ovarian. Work is also underway to redesign DCE’s website ( Get Checked Early ) and symptom checker, which includes signposting to Target Ovarian Cancer, a charity providing support to those affected by ovarian cancer.

The Scottish Government recognises the need to improve education around cervical screening and what it involves. We worked with Public Health Scotland (PHS) to develop a stakeholder toolkit to promote Cervical Cancer Prevention Week across partner channels earlier this year. We have also awarded £456,000 to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust in support of their important campaign work on screening benefits including increasing awareness of how cervical screening works. Cervical Screening Awareness Week is also later this month and provides another opportunity for us to work in collaboration with partners to further increase awareness of the benefits of cervical screening.

The Scottish Government and all of Scotland's local authorities are committed to the principles of Fair Work First. So we would expect to see fair work practice embedded from the outset in any Investment Zones in Scotland, just as we have done for Green Freeports.

The Scottish Government firmly opposes the inappropriate use of zero-hours contracts and other non-standard types of employment that offer workers minimal job or financial security. We continue to press the UK Government for the full devolution of employment powers in order to allow us to protect and enhance workers’ rights and tackle the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts.

We are limited to what we can achieve at present and recognise that only with independence can we realise our full potential. Our Fair Work Action Plan sets out the action we are taking, using the levers we have control over, to promote and deliver fairer working practices.

Through our flagship Fair Work First policy, we are applying Fair Work criteria to as many funding streams, business support grants and public contracts as we can. The inclusion of the criterion no inappropriate use of zero hours contracts is a key mechanism for driving fair pay in Scottish workplaces.

For the last seven years we have funded the STUC to support its efforts in tackling precarious work and promoting fair work in under-unionised sectors.

In 2021 we introduced a Living Hours Employer Accreditation Scheme for Scotland, recognising that as well as payment of the real Living Wage, the number and frequency of working hours and security of contract are critical to addressing in-work poverty.

My previous answer to S6W-18372 on 8 June 2023, S6W-18374 on 9 June 2023 & S6W-18375 on 6 June 2023 provides the details on how the Scottish Government is engaging in these areas with various stakeholders, businesses, unions and employers on the matter of Zero Hours Contracts using our Fair Work policy to promote fairer work practices across the labour market in 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 .

The Scottish Government is committed to improving care for people with chronic kidney disease through a number of activities which are aligned with the recommendations set out in Kidney Research UK’s Changing the Future for Chronic Kidney Disease in Scotland report, published in December 2022 with input from Scottish Government clinical advisors and partners.

We are raising awareness of the symptoms, causes, diagnosis and prevention of kidney disease by providing and promoting information on chronic kidney disease for patients and their families on NHS Inform .

Our Donation and Transplantation Plan was published in 2021 and sets out a dedicated priority to increase living donation and reduce the wait for a kidney transplant. This includes a number of recommendations to improve care, including developing resources and information to promote living donation , changing clinical practice in renal units, increasing direct engagement with patients and their families, and developing new guidance on staffing to support living donation.

We also continue to support the work of the Scottish Renal Registry which promotes excellence in renal care in Scotland including audits on the delivery of renal replacement therapy. The most recent report from the registry was published by Public Health Scotland in October 2022 and provides vital information for Health Boards, service managers and individual clinicians to improve care and standards for people with chronic kidney disease.

The Scottish Government have been clear that any Investment Zones here must be a good fit for Scotland’s policy, economic and governance landscape; be well aligned to our National Strategy for Economic Transformation, our approach to regional economic policy, and our recently published innovation strategy, and; be taken forward jointly by the Scottish and UK Governments, and in close partnership between government and the relevant Regional Economic Partnerships.

Social Security Scotland is committed to giving people decisions as quickly as possible, while allowing time to make sure they have the information required to get decisions right first time.

Most recent statistics show that since the introduction of Adult Disability Payment, less than a year ago, most people have had a decision within four months. However we know others have waited longer. This is unacceptable, and work to make sure people get faster decisions is already underway.

This includes a comprehensive look at every step in the journey from people applying for a disability benefit to getting paid.

One of Social Security Scotland's key principles is making sure people can access and understand all the information relating to their benefits. Easy Read was identified as a solution to help clients to engage with materials in a format best suited to them, and ensure that the processes and ways of communicating could be adapted to meet the wide-ranging needs of clients.

In addition the Local Delivery service, provided by Social Security Scotland, has teams of specially trained Client Support Advisers based in every Local Authority across Scotland. The service offers a range of support to suit people’s needs, including appointments in clients’ homes, at local community venues, by video appointment or by telephone.

Scottish Government and UK Government officials are actively discussing a partnership approach to possible Investment Zones in Scotland. The Scottish Government has been clear in these discussions that any Investment Zones must be a good fit for Scotland's policy, economic and governance landscape; must build on, rather than cutting across, existing economic activity; and must be taken forward jointly by the two governments working closely with local authorities and their partners.

The Scottish Government position on nuclear power is clear – we do not support the construction of new nuclear power stations in Scotland. As set out in our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, significant growth in renewables, storage, hydrogen and carbon capture provide the best pathway to net zero by 2045 and will deliver a climate friendly energy system that delivers affordable, resilient and clean energy supplies for Scotland's households, business and communities.

Member states of the EU have a wide range of views on the use of nuclear energy, and we are aware that policy is evolving across member states. In April, Germany shut down the last of its three nuclear power plants, joining other member states which have no nuclear power stations and remain opposed to nuclear power, including Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta and Portugal. Several other member states, including Spain, have plans to phase out nuclear power. In contrast, Finland has recently constructed the first new nuclear reactor in Europe in 16 years.