Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-06808

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the site-specific brain tumour research funding that is provided through the Chief Scientist Office is allocated between the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Common Scientific Outline categories of (a) biology, (b) aetiology, (c) prevention, (d) early detection, diagnosis and prognosis, (e) treatment and (f) cancer control, survivorship and outcomes research.

A search of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Research Database (CaRD) carried out by NCRI at the request of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) showed the following allocation for CSO funded site-specific brain tumour research by Common Scientific Outline category

Category 1. Biology - total 4.1% /£22,275

Sub-category 1.5: Resources and Infrastructure - £22,275

Category 2. Aetiology

0

Category 3. Prevention

0

Category 4. Early Detection, Diagnosis and Prognosis - total 59.9% /£325,022

Sub-category 4.1: Technology Development and/or Marker Discovery - £67,767

Sub-category 4.2: Technology and/or Marker Evaluation - £134,305

Sub-category 4.4: Resources and Infrastructure Related to Detection, Diagnosis, or Prognosis - £122,950

Category 5. Treatment - total 35.6% / £192,875

Sub-category 5.3: Systemic Therapies - Discovery and Development - £13,928

Sub-category 5.4: Systemic Therapies - Clinical Applications - £48,685

Sub-category 5.7: Resources and Infrastructure Related to Treatment and the Prevention of Recurrence £130,262

Category 6. Cancer Control, Survivorship, and Outcomes Research - total 0.4% / £2,195

Sub-category 6.2: Surveillance - £2,195

In the June 2021 round of the CSO Translational Clinical Studies Committee, the following research project was funded:

Developing representative models of the blood-tumour barrier to enhance drug development for Glioblastoma

Lead Investigator: Prof. Anthony Chalmers / Univeristy of Glasgow / £296,864 TCS2105.pdf (scot.nhs.uk)

This project will be categorised at the next update of the NCRI CaRD (scheduled Summer 2022)

Question reference: S6W-06414

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent deaths from non-communicable disease, in light of a recent report by the Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Coalition, which stated that only one of the six actions it called for had been implemented.

We are fully committed to taking action to prevent deaths from non-communicable disease. Work is underway to deliver a range of measures to target harmful health behaviours such as smoking, unhealthy diet and obesity and alcohol misuse.

We published our out of home action plan in September last year.
On 03 Feb 2022 we launched our consultation to introduce regulations on the domestic advertising of e-cigarettes.
We are taking a range of actions to reduce alcohol-related harms including consulting on potential restrictions on alcohol advertising this year, reviewing the level of the minimum unit price and improving health information on product labels.
Our Programme for Government committed to introduce a Public Health Bill that includes restrictions on unhealthier food and drink promotions during the course of this parliament. Government officials are working on this and other policy proposals for the Bill and will be consulting on them throughout 2022. We will continue to engage stakeholders as proposals develop.
We are undertaking a range of work to ensure that weight management, alcohol treatment, and smoking cessation services can be accessed when needed.

Question reference: S6W-06041

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government has met the leader of Perth and Kinross Council since May 2021; what was discussed at each meeting, and what the agreed outcomes were.

I regularly meet representatives of all Scottish local authorities, and their national body COSLA, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website. The spreadsheets include a wide-range of information including details of the organisation / individual I met along with the subject discussed.

Question reference: S6W-06025

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government has met the leader of East Lothian Council since May 2021; what was discussed at each meeting, and what the agreed outcomes were.

I regularly meet representatives of all Scottish local authorities, and their national body COSLA, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website. The spreadsheets include a wide-range of information including details of the organisation / individual I met along with the subject discussed.

Question reference: S6W-06027

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government has met the leader of Falkirk Council since May 2021; what was discussed at each meeting, and what the agreed outcomes were.

I regularly meet representatives of all Scottish local authorities, and their national body COSLA, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website. The spreadsheets include a wide-range of information including details of the organisation / individual I met along with the subject discussed.

Question reference: S6W-06035

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government has met the leader of Inverclyde Council since May 2021; what was discussed at each meeting, and what the agreed outcomes were.

I regularly meet representatives of all Scottish local authorities, and their national body COSLA, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website. The spreadsheets include a wide-range of information including details of the organisation / individual I met along with the subject discussed.

Question reference: S6W-06024

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government has met the leader of East Dunbartonshire Council since May 2021; what was discussed at each meeting, and what the agreed outcomes were.

I regularly meet representatives of all Scottish local authorities, and their national body COSLA, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website. The spreadsheets include a wide-range of information including details of the organisation / individual I met along with the subject discussed.

Question reference: S6W-06164

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to creel fishermen, in light of the planned removal of customary exemptions to a seasonal ban on white fish catches, which is expected to come into force on 14 February 2022.

In line with Scottish Government policy, we will not provide financial compensation to fishermen for areas closed in order to protect fish spawning, such as those in the Firth of Clyde. This approach is consistent with that take in respect of similar management measures, including the National Cod Avoidance Plan and MPAs.

Whilst we fully understand that the non-continuation of the exemptions may come with short term costs, this seasonal closure covers a short period of 11 weeks, during which vessels may fish in alternative locations, which the vast majority regularly do. This is a more targeted closure than in previous years; the overall size of the closure compared to previous years has been reduced by 28%. The closure will not affect quota and should not affect the overall volume of fish that fishers are able to catch over the year. Moreover, cod and potentially other stocks, should benefit from the closure period, allowing greater fishing opportunities on the reopening of the seasonal closure.

Question reference: S6W-06021

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government has met the leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council since May 2021; what was discussed at each meeting, and what the agreed outcomes were.

I regularly meet representatives of all Scottish local authorities, and their national body COSLA, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website. The spreadsheets include a wide-range of information including details of the organisation / individual I met along with the subject discussed.

Question reference: S6W-06045

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government has met the leader of Shetland Islands Council since May 2021; what was discussed at each meeting, and what the agreed outcomes were.

I regularly meet representatives of all Scottish local authorities, and their national body COSLA, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website. The spreadsheets include a wide-range of information including details of the organisation / individual I met along with the subject discussed.

Chamber and committees