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The Scottish Government is committed to working across the economy to maximise the opportunities for economic growth in Scotland. Scotland’s economy is one of the best performing in the United Kingdom with GDP per person growing 10.3% since 2007 compared to 6.1% in the UK. Productivity has also grown at an average rate of 1.1% per year compared the UK average of 0.4%.

Our National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) sets out an ambition that Scotland's economy will significantly outperform the last decade, both in terms of economic performance and tackling structural economic inequalities. The recently published Programme for Government lays out the action which we will take over the remainder of this parliamentary term to boost productivity and grow Scotland’s economy. Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy and Green Industrial Strategy identify the sectors that drive economic growth, and the underlying actions required to deliver that growth.

In response to the Independent Skill Delivery (“Withers”) Review and Purpose and Principles, we have committed to take responsibility for skills planning at the national level, while strengthening regional approaches so that we invest in workers and attract talent to address critical skills gaps in the economy.

We are implementing a co-ordinated programme of activity to attract capital investment to the priority areas of net zero, housing, and infrastructure and we will launch ‘Invest Scotland’, a new portal for investors to profile strategic investment opportunities and build on our new National Project Pipeline of strategic investment opportunities.

The successful New Deal for Business programme helped develop a clearer understanding across portfolios, of the need to consider the individual and cumulative impacts of government activity on business and economic growth and committed in the Programme for Government to create better certainty and stability to make it easier to invest and do business in Scotland.

Scottish Government continues to work with ‘NHS inform’ to review and update their cancer information provision to best meet patient needs. Their website contains specific gynaecological cancer information, including cervical, ovarian, vaginal, vulval and womb.

Scottish Government is also committed to ensuring that people impacted by a cancer diagnosis, including those with gynaecological cancers, receive person-centred and holistic care.

We are working in partnership with Macmillan to improve the service we offer patients with cancer through the Transforming Cancer Care Programme (TCC). This joint partnership with Macmillan is worth £27 million and is the first of its kind in the UK, providing specialist key support workers who offer emotional, financial and practical support to people with cancer.

We are also supporting the roll out of the Improving the Cancer Journey (ICJ) model to every Health and Social Care Partnership, ensuring 100% of adults diagnosed with cancer (within agreed criteria) will be invited or referred to an ICJ service to speak to a link officer who will complete a Holistic Needs Assessment and generate a care plan to meet their needs.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37886 on 4 June 2025. 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 refer the member to the question and response to S6W-37656 on 10 June 2025.

As acknowledged, individuals have an opportunity to rate their cancer experiences through the Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey (SCPES). The 2024 survey results highlight that 95% of people are positive about their overall experience.

Whilst this indicates that we are progressing towards our aim and ambition of putting people with cancer at the heart of all decisions and actions involving them, Scottish Government understands that there are still areas in which we can improve further, including for people with gynaecological cancer.

Our Framework for Effective Cancer Management has recently been refreshed to include Patient Voice and User Experience as a key element of the framework ensuring that patient feedback to improve cancer pathways is continuously reviewed.

We continue to invest in initiatives that support earlier and faster diagnosis and drive person-centred and holistic care to improve patient experience. NHS Boards are responsible for the delivery of their services, and we engage on an ongoing basis with them to identify and develop new actions or approaches that will improve the experiences of those diagnosed with cancer.

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

Cross-Party Groups provide an opportunity for MSPs to engage with external stakeholders on a particular subject or issue and many MSPs then raise those in Parliament or with the Government.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of vacancies in local authority planning services. The resourcing and staffing of planning services is a matter for individual local authorities.

Recognising the financial and capacity pressures on the planning system, the National Planning Hub is offering support to authorities including capacity and access to expertise to help them determine applications for renewable energy and housing projects.

Singapore’s economic performance has been strong and it is always useful to look at international comparisons and learn from others. The analysis which the Scottish Government published in June 2022 as part of the first Building a New Scotland paper shows that independent, small Northern European countries are better comparators for Scotland. The evidence in our paper suggests that decision-making at Westminster and a UK economy which does not suit Scotland’s distinct circumstances has led to outcomes that fail to match Scotland’s potential.

In 2022, The Scottish Government published it’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET). This sets out a ten year transformation with the objective of creating a fair, green and growing economy and establishing Scotland as a world-class entrepreneurial nation and ensuring that its businesses, industries, regions, communities and public services are more innovative and productive than they have ever been. In the three years since NSET was published, we have made significant progress in delivering the strategy with 39% of the original action complete including the publication of the Green Industrial Strategy.

The Green Industrial Strategy (GIS) sets out our strategic approach to green growth, offering a clear view of the economic sectors and industries in which we have greatest strength and most potential. Alongside this, Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy identifies the sectors that drive economic growth, and the underlying actions required to deliver that growth.

Transport Scotland is responsible for Blue Badge legislation. However, local authorities are wholly responsible for the scheme from application, administration through to enforcement.

While Transport Scotland does not explicitly define the way in which local authorities must publicise these services, Transport Scotland continues to work closely with local Blue Badge teams and reiterates the need for paper application forms, and for local authorities to raise the awareness of help offered locally to those who may need additional support during the application process.

Latest statistics published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) in March 2025, includes data on cervical and ovarian cancer waiting times, between 1st October and 31st December 2024.

This data shows that 96.6% of women with cervical cancer and 98.4% of women with ovarian cancer are receiving their first treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat. This compares with 94.7% for all other cancer types. This is a median wait of 14 and 13 days respectively, with 4 days being the median for all other cancer types.

51.7% of women with cervical cancer and 73.3% of women with ovarian cancer are receiving their first treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral of cancer. This compares to 73.5% for all other cancer types. This is a median wait of 62 and 50 days respectively, with 49 days being the median for all other cancer types.

Scottish Government is continuing to take action to improve waiting times, with £14.23 million of the £106 million planned care funding made available in 2025-26 across NHS Scotland, directed towards Cancer Waiting Times.

The Scottish Government’s Land Use Strategy supports our ambition to achieve sustainable land use, while reducing greenhouse gas emission and maintaining globally renowned food production in Scotland. Through the strategy we are seeking to support communities and agencies to contribute to the achievement of this ambition.

The National Planning Framework (NPF4) is a long-term plan looking to 2045 that guides spatial development, sets out national planning policies, designates national developments and highlights regional spatial priorities. NPF4 places climate and nature at the centre of our planning system, supporting the achievement of a net zero Scotland by 2045.

Planning authorities are preparing new local development plans, and they will be instrumental in taking forward NPF4 in different parts of the country, in a way which responds to each of their unique challenges and opportunities.

Aligned with the Verity House Agreement, the Scottish Government has worked closely with COSLA to develop a Climate Delivery Framework (CDF) between national and local government. The Framework will enable better alignment of national and local targets and pathways, agree shared approaches to climate action, and jointly address challenges and barriers to delivery.

The Climate Delivery Oversight Group (CDOG) is co-chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy and Cllr MacGregor, and demonstrates the shared commitment to collaborative working.