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The Scottish Government has not provided any advice to GPs regarding women who have been potentially exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES).

The regulation for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. They are responsible for investigating any safety concerns regarding the licensing of diethylstilbestrol (DES). Scottish Government officials meet regularly with the MHRA to discuss known medicine safety issues and to agree required actions.

The most recent guidance published by the Department of Health, which also applies in Scotland, advises that daughters of individuals exposed to DES in utero are at an increased risk of clear cell cancer of the cervix and vagina but no other forms of cervical cancer and that local arrangements should be made for the follow up of individuals who are DES daughters and have the stigmata of DES exposure. This would usually be via annual colposcopy.

The LVA research reported in General Psychiatry volume 37, issue 3 is a single case study rather than a Clinical Trial or series of Clinical Trials

The Scottish Government works in partnership with the NHS Boards through NHS Research Scotland (NRS) to deliver high quality research studies in the NHS across the spectrum of disease and clinical need. This includes the NRS Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network which supports a wide range of research conducted within the NHS and Care Home settings Neuroprogressive and Dementia | NHS Research Scotland | NHS Research Scotland

The NRS Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network is available to support the delivery of any eligibly funded Alzheimer's Disease study (including in cervical lymphatic-venous anastomosis) that is open to patient recruitment in the NHS in Scotland

The Scottish Government’s HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan sets out our approach to ensuring that people living with HIV have equitable access to high quality care and treatment to support them to live well.

We are aware of the recent HIV Outcomes Beyond the Virus report and will be working with the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Implementation Group and the Scottish Health Protection Network’s HIV Clinical Leads Group to consider its recommendations and ensure that psychological support for adults living with HIV meets the high standards we would expect.

The Scottish Government is also providing NHS Education for Scotland with around £30 million in 2024-25 to deliver multidisciplinary education, training and workforce expansion for staff supporting adult and children’s mental health and psychological wellbeing. In September 2023, the Scottish Government published the National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions and the Core Standards for Mental Health. These set out the standards to which we expect psychological therapies and mental health services to be delivered, including appropriate staffing.

In the context of the Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF), ‘reasonable overnight accommodation’ is defined as the most cost effective accommodation available. Health Boards have flexibility in relation to how much should be provided in each case but the costs provided should be reasonable in the circumstances.

In an effort to ensure claimants don’t routinely have to provide large amounts of money upfront to cover accommodation costs, the YPFF terms and conditions direct claimants to access Health Board visitor accommodation in the first instance. Where this is not available, private accommodation (e.g. hotel) can be booked and the fund’s terms and conditions direct the Health Board to book on behalf of the claimant where this is possible.

The Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland (PHS) are finalising the scope of the review of the evidence to support decisions on potential proposals in relation to alcohol marketing and promotion that may be taken forward in future, under devolved powers to ensure it delivers. The commissioning document, including timelines and scope of that review, will be published imminently.

PHS’s review will be delivered independently and will deliver its conclusions solely on the basis of its assessment of evidence.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31648 on 4 December 2024. 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

Following the Bayoh family’s request to extend the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference, the Government started the process of gathering views, including consulting with the Chair of the Inquiry.

All relevant matters will be given full and careful consideration in order for a decision to be made. This work is ongoing and a decision will be made as soon as possible.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body supports the reimbursement of pedal cycle mileage expenses for MSP staff in relation to business travel as part of its commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly travel options.

Members may also claim for reimbursement of pedal cycle mileage expenses that occur because of their parliamentary work. The reimbursement rate for bicycle travel is set at 20p per mile which is in line with current HMRC approved mileage rates. This policy aligns with broader efforts by the SPCB to promote green initiatives and supports MSP staff in making environmentally friendly travel choices.

The SPCB can confirm that temperatures will be maintained to allow building users to work comfortably within their specific work areas.

We are aware that the temperature in the building recently was below comfortable levels.

We are currently undertaking a major replacement project for the Building Energy Management System (BEMS) which controls and monitors the heating, ventilation, and cooling throughout the building. The outside temperature had taken a sudden dip; this was the first time the new controls were stress tested. We had expected the building to react more quickly to the drop in temperature; clearly this was not the case. The parameters have now been adjusted to take this into account and a faulty external sensor has been re-calibrated.

In order to manage resources across parliamentary staff teams and the campus on busy business nights – as well as the impact on Members’ diaries – agreement was given by the Corporate Body to limit the number of Member-sponsored events accordingly.  The Events and Exhibitions Team currently deliver and support a maximum of between nine and ten Member-sponsored events weekly on behalf of Members, with two of those slots being for Thursday lunchtime events.