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The Scottish Government expects the Scottish National Investment Bank’s gender equality strategy to be published shortly, following approval from the Board when it meets on 3 March 2022.

The gender equality strategy was last discussed by the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Investment Bank on 14 December 2021.

The Bank’s recruitment policies and procedures pre-dates development of its gender equality strategy, and please see the answer to question S6W-06789 on 8 March 2022. 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 have also asked the Scottish National Investment Bank how it has utilised its gender equality strategy in Bank recruitment policies and processes, and the Bank has provided the following:

"Recruitment of the Scottish National Investment Bank has been ongoing since prior to the launch of the Bank in November 2020.

“The Bank has established a number of guiding principles within its recruitment policy and process to ensure Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Fair Work practices.

"With regards to gender equality specifically, the Bank worked closely with its Recruitment Partner to ensure all adverts reached the widest available candidate pools with flexibility at the heart of our attraction strategy. Gender balance was a key requirement for the Recruitment Partner to ensure balanced applicant pools (where possible and based on candidate availability).

“The Bank set a gender balance target for candidates shortlisted for interview of 50:50, with a minimum threshold of one third candidates being presented for interview being female. Where applicant pools did not meet the basic threshold, further search was undertaken.

“All interview panels are gender balanced, further helping to ensure that appointments are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.”

The Scottish National Investment Bank has provided the following information about who it consulted with and the feedback received during development of its gender equality strategy:

“In developing its Equality Strategy, the Bank sought input from a wide range of organisations. This was facilitated through written feedback and direct discussion. Organisations consulted included:

Women on Boards

Women’s Enterprise Scotland

Abrdn

Engender

Close the Gap

IoD

Black Professionals Scotland

British Business Bank.

Feedback from respondents was considered and incorporated where appropriate.”

Decisions on lending and investment are a matter for the Scottish National Investment Bank. I have asked the Bank about how their lending in 2021 aimed to benefit women’s equality in Scotland, and their response is as follows:

“Due diligence of all potential investments includes consideration of gender balance across workforce, management and Board.

“The Bank engages with investees on representation and equality issues, and has required reporting on gender balance (and pay gap) where practical. Moving forward the Bank will aim to have gender equality and gender pay gap reporting for all investments. Where appropriate, the Bank will also consider engagement with investees to enhance opportunities that increase gender equality opportunities in Bank investments.”

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06789 on 8 March 2022. The Scottish National Investment Bank’s forthcoming gender equality strategy will include information on how it intends to collect data. 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 answer to questions S6W-06788 and S6W-06789 on 8 March 2022. 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 answer to question S6W-06788 on 8 March 2022. 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 .

An overarching Detect Cancer Early social marketing campaign 'Survivors' was launched in 2018. The campaign, developed in close consultation with the Scottish Cancer Coalition, aimed to reduce fear around cancer and empower people to take early action, be it visiting their GP practice or attending screening when invited. To coincide with the campaign, a symptom-checker tool was developed on DCE’s website (getcheckedearly.org) to raise awareness of the early signs and symptoms of cancer, including those that are indicative of blood cancer.

A new Early Cancer Diagnosis Programme Board has been formed, Chaired by Dr Catherine Calderwood, National Clinical Director at the Centre for Sustainable Delivery. This group will be responsible for shaping and supporting the delivery of Scotland’s early diagnosis agenda over the coming years, including any additional public awareness campaigns.

The NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 – published August 2021 – commits an additional £20m for our Detect Cancer Early Programme, providing greater public awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer and supporting the development of optimal cancer pathways to improve earlier diagnosis rates. Research will be undertaken in the coming months to better understand the possible barriers and levers to early diagnosis that any new awareness campaigns should focus on.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) previously considered Kuvan ® (the branded version of sapropterin) in August 2018 and the medicine was not recommended for use in NHS Scotland because the submitting company’s justification of the treatment’s cost in relation to its health benefits was not sufficient; in addition, the company did not present a sufficiently robust clinical and economic analysis to gain acceptance by the SMC. The SMC would welcome a resubmission of this medicine, the submitting company (BioMarin).

The first generic version of sapropterin has recently received a Marketing Authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and we are currently considering how best to provide advice to Health Boards on whether it should be made available for routine use in NHS Scotland, based on the latest available evidence. Meantime, doctors can request access to medicines that are not generally available on the NHS on an individual case-by-case basis through the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) Tier Two process, where the treating clinician considers there would be a clinical benefit for their patient.