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Details of defence programme contractual arrangements, including associated jobs, are a matter for individual companies. Information on contracts awarded through the UK Government Ministry of Defence are published and publicly available.

The Scottish Government do not currently provide means-tested benefits, although certain benefits, notably 5-family payments, are targeted to those in receipt of relevant qualifying reserved benefits, and Carer Support Payment is available to eligible unpaid carers with an income below a threshold of £196 per week. Over 80% of devolved benefits expenditure is currently provided to disabled people to help them meet the costs for their disabilities.

Social Security Scotland does not hold information on whether its clients are subject to active employment support requirements, as there is no eligibility need to collect or retain this data.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40280 on 16 September 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 will give careful consideration to NHS Highland’s response.

The decision taken in 2016 by NHS Highland to move to a midwife-led unit at Caithness General Hospital was made on the basis of safety. This decision was taken in line with NHS Boards’ responsibility to design and deliver services which deliver safe, high-quality care to meet the needs of their local populations and geographies. Safe maternity care delivered as close to home as practicable is vital and the safety of pregnant women and babies must be central to this.

The model of care in Caithness is the same as that which operates across all rural areas in the NHS Highland region. NHS Highland understands the need to continually review its service models to ensure they are safe, effective and fit for the future.

I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-40280 and S6W-40281 on 16 September 2025. I will give careful consideration to NHS Highland’s response. 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.

Scottish Enterprise recently provided a £7.4 million Research and Development grant and a £1.8 million Training Aid grant to BAE Systems to help them maximise skills development and support the establishment of a collegiate training facility which will provide access to the broader industry through the Applied Shipbuilding Academy, which is overseen by BAE Systems as custodians of the Glasgow shipyards.

Details of defence programme contractual arrangements, including associated apprenticeships, are a matter for individual companies. Information on contracts awarded through the UK Government Ministry of Defence are published and publicly available.

Social Security Scotland has a statutory responsibility under the Scottish Public Finance Manual to ensure public resources are used economically, efficiently and effectively. The agency has developed a Debt Management Strategy to guide its approach to recovering overpaid benefits, with respect for clients’ dignity at its core.

All cancers, including Sarcoma, remain a priority for the Scottish Government and wider NHS Scotland.

The Scottish Government published our Cancer strategy 2023 to 2033 - gov.scot along with an initial three year Cancer action plan 2023 to 2026 - gov.scot in June 2023.

Our strategic aim is to improve cancer survival and provide excellent, equitably accessible care. The strategy and plan take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care and will focus on reducing inequities in access to cancer care and cancer outcomes. This means treatment and care will be equally good for everyone, including for those with Sarcoma and we are taking action to achieve this.

For example, on 6 August we published the clinically reviewed Scottish Referral Guidelines for Sarcoma to help ensure the right person is on the right pathway at the right time. These guidelines support primary care clinicians to identify those with symptoms suspicious of Sarcoma and identify those who require urgent assessment by a specialist.

We do not expect to conduct a specific review for sarcoma care and treatment at this time.

We continue to consider the findings of Sarcoma UK’s recent report and recognise the recommendations made within it.

We are working to improve access to timely and accurate diagnosis and on improving referral pathways to specialist care. We published the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Sarcoma on 6 August. These support primary care clinicians to identify those with symptoms suspicious of Sarcoma and identify those who require urgent assessment by a specialist.

Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services are a useful addition to how cancer can be diagnosed in Scotland. They provide primary care with access to a new fast-track diagnostic pathway for people with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer, such as weight loss and fatigue, important for those with Sarcoma. We introduced another RCDS this year, situated in NHS Forth Valley.

We are investing in research and clinical trials. The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) directly funds research projects and fellowships. All funding decisions are made based on an independent expert review process and we welcome applications for sarcoma-specific research.

The CSO also provides funding for NHS Research Scotland (NRS) whose role is to facilitate and develop the capacity of the NHS to support clinical research.

The Scottish Government is further committed to supporting patients to deal with the financial, emotional, and physical health effects of cancer.

We are currently 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. The programme ensures that people affected by cancer in Scotland have access to a specialist key support worker, who can provide financial advice and emotional and practical support.