Chamber and committees

A working group comprising Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Transport Scotland, the Road Safety Programme and the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service is developing the infrastructure and guidance for the possible introduction of Speed Awareness Courses. The work of the group was paused due to the pandemic response but has recommenced.

The scope of the work means that it is not possible to provide a specific timescale for any final decision on speed awareness courses and their implementation.

We have announced dedicated support for the culture and heritage sectors of £96.47m, comprising:

• £12.5 million for Performing Arts Events Venues Relief Fund (added to £10 million already made available by the Scottish Government, announced 3 July and fully distributed)
• £2.2 million for Grassroots Music Venues (10/07)
• £4 million for Museums Recovery and Resilience Fund (25/07)
• £10 million for the Events sector (26/07)
• £3.8 million for National Trust for Scotland to protect jobs (16/08)
• £15 million for a Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund (28/08)
• £21.3 million for Historic Environment Scotland (28/08)
• £5.9 million to support heritage organisations (28/08)
• £270,000 for the New Lanark Trust (28/08)
• £5 million to address hardship faced by creative freelancers (28/08)
• £5 million to support artists developing new creative work that will make a significant contribution to Scotland’s recovery from Covid-19 (28/08)
• £3.5 million for independent cinemas (28/08)
• £3 million of youth arts, including the Youth Music Initiative (28/08)
• £4 million for historic environment sector recovery (17/09)
• £1 million to support Scotland’s Science Centres (17/09)

Further announcements will be made shortly for the remaining funds available from the £107m which the Scottish Government has allocated to the culture and heritage sector. This may include the options of supplementing some of the funding already announced. We are in close dialogue with the culture sector to ascertain their needs so we can respond accordingly.

NHS sites do not routinely store waste, waste that is generated on site remains on site until the next scheduled collection.

Further to the answer given in S5W-30775 on 30 July 2020, we can confirm that the Scottish Government Capital Investment Group has now received the initial agreement from Edinburgh Cancer Centre.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The Scottish Government Recognises the importance of cancer awareness - including that of bladder cancer - and have undertaken a number of actions to support this, including:

• A clinical review of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer, was completed, with updated guidance published early 2019. Eight pathways were included in the refresh including urology, which bladder cancer forms part of. The Guidelines support GPs in identifying patients who are most likely to have cancer, and therefore require urgent assessment by a specialist. Education events were held across Scotland, with support from Cancer Research UK & Macmillan Cancer Support, to raise awareness of the Guidelines and share referral best practice amongst clinicians.
• Through the Scottish Government’s £44 million Detect Cancer Early Programme a new social marketing campaign – entitled Survivors - was launched in September 2018 to raise awareness of potential cancer symptoms, including those of bladder cancer. A symptom-checker tool was developed as part of the campaign to increase awareness and education of possible signs and symptoms.
• During the COVID19 outbreak there were concerns that the public were staying at home with potential symptoms of cancer and other serious disease. The NHS is Open campaign, launched 24 April and concluded on 7 June, urged people to contact their GP or local hospital if they have urgent health worries.
• A new Cancer Recovery Plan is being developed, with patients’ experience at the core, and is due for publication in Autumn. The plan will have an operational focus on diagnosis and treatment in cancer services, and will also focus on reducing the inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic, ensuring patients are receiving treatment equally across Scotland using a ‘Once for Scotland’ approach.

Through the Scottish Government’s Detect Cancer Early (DCE) Programme a social marketing campaign – entitled Survivors - was launched in September 2018, to raise awareness of potential cancer symptoms, including those of bladder cancer. A roadshow also visited around 30 locations across Scotland in 2019 to engage people face-to-face and raise awareness of potential symptoms, including bladder cancer.

In 2013, the DCE Programme Board – a multi-disciplinary group from across NHS Scotland - considered how new tumour types might be introduced to the Programme. It was agreed that this would best be achieved by developing and applying a set of criteria against which additional tumour types could be scored objectively, based on evidence. This included evidence that early detection would improve 1 year and 5 year survival; ease of diagnosis; cost effectiveness of early detection; and the chance to improve quality of life, living well after treatment. Stakeholder engagement and clinical input to this process was key.

Detect Cancer Early (DCE), has traditionally focused on Scotland’s most common cancers – bowel, breast and lung – but has more recently supported innovative tests-of-change in melanoma and head and neck pathways following a robust options appraisal exercise.

The Scottish Government is committed to continuing to improve the survival rates of all cancers, including bladder, and will continue to work closely with the third sector to inform and shape future activity.

The Scottish Government occasionally receives allegations of bullying and harassment within local government from individuals. However, as councils are independent corporate bodies responsible for the management of their workforces we have no power to investigate such allegations ourselves. Officials will refer those individuals to appropriate organisations for assistance. On rare occasions and, if the allegations are anonymous, details of an allegation may be referred to the Accounts Commission to consider in its scrutiny role and the council notified to ensure it is aware and takes appropriate action through their policies and practices.

We receive very few allegations and have no evidence of an endemic problem in local government. Where we are legally able to do so and have evidence of the need to intervene the Scottish Government will do so, such as amending the Councillors’ Code of Conduct to emphasise that bullying and harassment by Councillors is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

We are continuing to engage with Midlothian Council on further analysis of options aimed at reducing conflict at the A702/A703/Old Pentland Road junction. These potentially involve prohibition of certain movements and / or traffic signalisation, and we are currently discussing the output of traffic modelling with the council prior to finalising a preferred option.

The Scottish Government is committed to introducing a thrombectomy service and recognises that thrombectomy procedures can significantly improve outcomes and quality of life for some people who have suffered an ischaemic stroke by avoiding or reducing the level of disability.

That is why the Programme for Government 2020 reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that a national planning framework is in place for a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service.

As set out in the Programme for Government, we expect a fully operational Thrombectomy service on the Little France site by 2023.