 those to the chamber to please do so quietly? Thank you very much. The final item of business today is members business debate on motion number 860 in the name of Jeremy Balfour on Glow, Gold, September. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put. Do those members who wish to speak in the debate to please press their request to speak buttons now? I call Jeremy Balfour to open the debate around seven minutes, please, Mr Balfour. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank all members from different parties who supported the motion in my name? Can I welcome some members from the Glow Gold Scotland team to the Parliament today, who are sitting in the public gallery listening to this debate? Can I congratulate them on all that they have done in the last few months? Glow Gold Scotland was only set up in February of this year for the purpose of campaigning and to highlight the awareness of childhood cancer. While I was growing up, cancer was a word that people didn't really use. People were reluctant to use it. However, I am pleased that, over the past few years, charities working in the sector, Governments from all parties and the media have raised the awareness of cancer in Scotland, and people are far more willing to talk about it now. Sadly, the same cannot be said for childhood cancer. Too often, people do not want to talk about it or are scared to think about it. Glow Gold Scotland team came together to raise awareness of this issue and to persuade charities and others to come together to make this month the month that we remember and raise awareness of childhood cancer. At the start of this month, many buildings across Scotland were lit up in gold as a memorial to children who have sadly died from cancer. For example, here in Edinburgh, the Castle, the Edinburgh Royal College of Physicians, in Inverness, the Ness Bridge, the Fforkirk wheel and the Custom House in Stranra, just to name a few examples. Here in Edinburgh, Lothian buses painted a bus gold, and it used to take people around the city to show them the buildings that had been lit up. This is a remarkable campaign, run by a small number of volunteers, and I am sure that it will grow in strength over the next few years. Fortunatly, cancer is rare in Scotland, but it is still the biggest cause of death in children under 16 in the UK. Around 130 children aged 0-14 are diagnosed with cancer in Scotland. Around 60 children under the age of five are diagnosed with cancer every year. Survivor is improving. Three quarters of children diagnosed with cancer in the UK will now survive beyond 10 years, compared to only a third back in the 1970s. However, there is still a need to raise awareness about what cancer does and how it comes about. I believe that parents need to be given more information about childhood cancer, both when a child is born and also as the child grows up. As many of us should be aware, lots of information is given to parents about different conditions and about different things that might phase their child, but my understanding is that little, if anything, is given about childhood cancer. I believe that that needs to change and I believe that appropriate information needs to be given to parents, but not just to parents but also to general practitioners as well. Clearly cancer is rare and often GPs will be slow to diagnose it because they think that it is some other condition. I believe that more training needs to be given to doctors both who are training to be GPs but also those who are in GP practices to be reminded of what to look for. Children's cancers are biologically very different from adult cancer. Cancer normally affects older people because of the genetic errors that come about in healthy cells. Sadly, for children, acute leukemia is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in children. Brain tumours and cancers of the spinal cord account for around a quarter of children's cancers. Where as the number of children surviving cancer has improved, there does need more research and work done on those children and the effect that it has on them later in life. There has been a huge progress into the genetic understanding of children's cancers. Technology has improved, but I think that we as a Parliament and as a nation need to commit to more funding to go to charities looking at this. We cannot simply concentrate on adult cancer and forget about children's cancer. I was honoured a couple of days ago to attend a dinner organised by a family who lost their first child to cancer. The child was born with a tumour and sadly the child died just after a few months. Out of this tragedy and sadness, this family has gone on to raise a fantastic amount of money. That money is given to support families across Scotland but as importantly they are now funding two PhDs into this area. They, as a family, are committed for the next four years to raise money so that one PhD student can complete more studies into childhood cancer. Child children's cancer is, on a small number, that means that medicines need more testing, clinical research is harder and often adult medicines that are used in cancer simply do not work effectively for children under 16. To lose a child is the worst thing a parent can ever go through. To lose a child to cancer often brings about turmoil and hardship within a whole family. For a mother or father to see a child suffering and know they cannot do anything about it, often that suffering will go on months if not years. We need to raise the awareness that cancer should be diagnosed at the earliest possible moment. At the dinner that I referred to, a consultant here at the Sick Kids inspired me and all those in the room about the commitment that most certainly and intellectually they are given here in Scotland and it is an example to us all. More research needs to be done. A greater awareness of the issue here in Scotland needs to be raised and I am sure that over the next few years more and more people will become aware not just of this campaign but more importantly of the issue behind it. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Thank you, Mr Balfour. I now move to the open debate. First of all, I will call Stuart McMillan to be followed by Brian Whittle. Speeches of around four minutes please. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. First of all, I want to congratulate Jeremy Balfour on securing this debate. As we know, September is childhood cancer awareness month and it is a particularly poignant time. Just weeks prior to children going back to school after a fun summer for other young children, they will be starting school for the first time. At every school gate, parents will be waving their kids off to school on their first day and social media is covered in pictures of proud children and proud parents. It certainly is a wonderful day for most families. Unfortunately, this is not the case for so many. With just under 12 children being diagnosed with childhood cancer every day, so many families will have a very different start to the school year and if these children diagnosed every day, three will die. Childhood cancer remains today the biggest killer of children and young adults after accidental injury. This is an eye-opening statistic with one in every 285 children and young people being diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday. In the last 20 years, there have been only three medications licensed for childhood cancer compared to over 80 medications in the last five years for adult cancers. This gives an idea of the void of research funding that childhood cancer faces and is the reason why the Global Old in September awareness campaign restarted. This year, there is a new and growing campaign called Global Old in September for childhood cancer. It is working as part of childhood cancer awareness month to encourage iconic global buildings to light up gold for childhood cancer. It is a grassroots campaign, which is having a global impact. I have generally been remarkably impressed by how many major landmarks are lighting up around the world, as well as, including in my constituency, the Beacon Art Centre, the Victoria Tower and the Custom House, to name just three. In my constituency of Crenwick and Inverclyde, an inspirational story is happening. Gillian Mout is currently running the local campaign appealing to the whole of Inverclyde to light up gold in a visible show of support in September for all childhood cancer patients. Gillian and her husband Paul were devastated when Nathan was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia just before his fourth birthday. Nathan immediately had to undergo life-saving chemotherapy treatment and also spent weeks in hospital. Since then, he has undergone hours of treatment with chemotherapy to blast the cancer of cells and he faces another two years of maintenance treatment. As a result of this, he has got no way of fighting infections and has to be rushed to hospital if he has any spike in temperature. Even a cold could have a devastating consequence for Nathan, so everything needs to be monitored. Gillian is bravery throughout all of this as a parent. She has spoken candidly about the impact Nathan's fight has had on her and her family's life. And especially her three-year-old daughter Annabelle. Gillian has touched the hearts of the people of Inverclyde, which has spoke about their deal after a little Nathan was diagnosed with the disease. The community has been 100 per cent behind Gillian's campaign with the Greenert Morton Football Club in writing Nathan to be a mascot in the last day of the season in May. Fans held up cards to show the support for the global campaign. As I mentioned a few months ago, the Beacon Arts Centre and the Greenert Waterfront, Sean Gold on September 1, was at their launch that particular evening. I am proud to support the Inverclyde mother, Gillian Mout and her family, her son Nathan and the wider global campaign. I would like to thank them personally for doing such great work in highlighting the issue of childhood cancer to a wider public. Although the number of children's surviving cancer has improved, it is crucial that we research the long-term effects of the treatments on their health and wellbeing. A recent study showed that, while many survivors of children's cancer do have healthy lives, a number of children are faced with long-term health issues such as disability and reduced immunity. Huge progress is being made in the genetic understanding of children's cancers, as well as in advances in technology, as Jeremy Balfour touched upon, and the development of personalised medicine. Children in our future need us to fight for them, as they are not yet old enough to fight for themselves. They are the doctors, teachers and scientists of the future, so we all need to do our bit to give them the chance that they deserve. Therefore, I support the global campaign and I support the calls for increased funding for research into looking into children's cancer. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in the chamber in support of the motion brought forward by my colleague Jeremy Balfour. What is a very emotive topic? It has to be one of the scariest words in the human language, cancer. To me, diagnosed has to be every person's nightmare or to hear that a loved one has this terrible condition is something that too many of us have had to endure. I am most certainly not alone in having to deal with the shock of a family and friends being diagnosed with cancer. However, to be told that your child has cancer or even having been born with cancer is a burden that none of us can contemplate bearing or at the very least hope that we never have to. I have spoken several times recently in this chamber advocating the need for us to focus on more preventable disease. Most members know my belief that encouraging an active healthy lifestyle through education will go a long way to tackling the majority of Scotland's health issues and relieve some of the pressure on our health service. Although there is strong evidence to suggest that having an active healthy lifestyle can in some cases help to prevent certain types of cancer and will certainly help on the treatment and rehabilitation from cancer, there is a long way to go before we understand the causes of early childhood cancers and the potential early indicators. I recognise the distinction that has to be made here and that distinction is important as we endeavour to support the patients and their families during this difficult time. There is no understanding as to why you or me or anyone else who has to face this. Importantly, the really positive news is that, with the work from the likes of the cancer charities, funding research and the university's research, cancer survival rates continue to grow with her real ambition of eventually eradicating cancer deaths. Once the initial shock of diagnosis subsides, the recognition of the success rates that modern treatments can give must allow a certain comfort and that the diagnosis is not the likely sentence that used to be. That said, it is crucial that the work on cancer treatments and the prevention continues at pace if we are to realise the dream of 100 per cent rehabilitation from a cancer diagnosis. There are some amazing people out there who are doing incredible work and we must keep their efforts at the forefront of our minds. Everything from seeking sponsorship for fun runs and events and just for clarity, I am not volunteering myself here. I think the fallout from the NHS cost would be more than I could raise through to the raising of the issue today in the Scottish Parliament. We will endeavour to highlight the work being done in seeking a cancer cure and help to maintain the spotlight on that work until the day that the word cancer no longer holds the dread it once did. I am delighted to support this motion and delighted to bring continued publicity to the glow gold September campaign and the continuing work in this field. I congratulate Jeremy Balfour on bringing forward this debate and indeed for bringing forward the motion in the first place and also to pay tribute to all the campaigners and organisers of the glow gold campaign. Thank you for your hard work and your efforts and highlighting this really, really important cause. I welcome the opportunity to speak in support not just of this awareness campaign but actually on the issue of childhood cancer. In recent years we have seen the development of campaigns that have really touched the consciousness of everyday lives of everyday people. The pink ribbon of breast cancer, Macmillan's coffee mornings or World AIDS Day being just a few examples. I hope that seeing iconic Scottish buildings such as the Kelpies or Edinburgh Castle going gold will similarly place at the forefront of our minds the issue of childhood cancer. Every year around 1,600 children across the UK are diagnosed with some form of cancer. That's 1,600 children and their families living every day with the consequences of a cancer diagnosis. Five children every day diagnosed with cancer. That's one in every 500 children up to the age of 14. And while mercifully, relatively rare, it is still the biggest cause of death in children in the UK. And as a parent I can only imagine the emotions and challenges families go through in these really difficult circumstances. It can't be easy, deputy praising officer. That is why we have to do what we can to help. It's vital that the children get the clinical support they need but as we heard so powerfully at First Minister's questions there is a postcode lottery on access to new medicines. So too in Scotland with children with cancer. Where access to innovative medicine is a key issue and one that the Scottish Government has to address. I think that we all have a responsibility to address. But it's also important for families to get emotional support. It's easy just to think of the patient. This will have impact on fellow siblings or indeed the family, be it the parents or the wider family. And I believe that a big part of that is seeing others in their corner fighting to highlight the issue and raise awareness more widely. And seeing Edinburgh Castle or the Kelpies magnificent as they even are, going gold in support of childhood cancer awareness will sound a powerful message to those affected families that we are with them as they fight this terrible disease. The debate today highlights the fact that we take that issue so importantly. And importantly, with increased public awareness, we would hope that there follows greater resource and research into better and more effective medical treatments. Indeed, given that the children's cancer risk factors are not well understood, in part because this group of cancers are thankfully relatively rare and diverse, increased research into causes and treatment of childhood cancers is essential. Research that one day, I hope, will help riddus of this terrible disease. Now, I'm surprised that our fellow Parliamentarian Jeremy Balford didn't use the opportunity of the debate to make a direct request for us to glow the Parliament gold as an opportunity. That's our request. I'm putting to you directly, Deputy Presiding Officer. I hope that you'll take that up with the Parliamentary Bureau. Perhaps we can do that as part of next year's campaign that we can send a symbol from this Parliament to all those families that we take this issue very, very seriously. I know that we are all proud to wear our badge today. I know that we are all proud to support this campaign. I want to thank the campaigners again for their incredible work. I hope, at least in my lifetime, that we can find a cure to this terrible condition. Now, we move to the closing contribution from Aileen Campbell. Minister, around seven minutes please. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I, too, add my thanks to Jeremy Balford for securing this debate during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I also want to pay thanks to the glow gold campaigners who are here in the Parliament this afternoon. Jeremy Balford's motion today gives us an opportunity not just to acknowledge the great work that is done by volunteers to raise awareness, but to pay tribute to the children and the young people who are dealing with a diagnosis of cancer and their families. I would also like to thank Stuart McMillan for raising the inspirational work of his constituent, Gillian Mout, and the story of her son, Nathan. I am sure that we all want to ensure that Nathan receives our very best wishes from across the Parliament chamber. As others have said, thankfully cancer is rare in children and young people in Scotland with less than 1 per cent of all cancers being diagnosed in children, but any diagnosis of cancer is absolutely devastating and it seems particularly cruel when it is faced by our most young in society, by our children. Early diagnosis is critical with all cancers, regardless of age, and raising awareness is so important to getting to that early diagnosis. An important point that was underpinned throughout Jeremy Balford's contribution. To support GPs to refer and diagnose cancer as early as possible, we commissioned a full review of the Scottish referral guidelines for suspected cancer. The review, led by Healthcare Improvement Scotland in 2014, includes specific guidelines for identifying suspected cancer in children, teenagers and in young adults. Those guidelines have been supported by the distribution of over 16,000 copies of the quick reference guide, and in February this year an app was launched. I hope that that goes some way to provide some reassurance to Jeremy Balford and others that raising awareness amongst our GPs is something that we are actively working on and want to work to continue to improve, to ensure that, when parents present at a surgery, their concerns are acted upon with a complete knowledge and understanding by the GP that they are going to. Diagnosis is only ever the first step, and cancer services need to ensure that the right treatment at the right time is delivered to every child, regardless of their diagnosis or location. In recognition of that, we set up the managed service network for children and young people with cancer in 2011. As many of you will know, it is charged by the Scottish Government with bringing about improvements to the treatment, to the care and to the support of children and young people with cancer up to the age of 25. Their second cancer plan was launched in February this year, with an ambitious programme of work for the next three years. I wish to recognise here the good work that that network has achieved since its formation, bringing together different members of the cancer community with the same aim of ensuring that Scotland's children get the best possible treatment and that children are at the heart of all their services. We know, though, that cancer poses a significant challenge for all of us now and in the future. There is also good news, more people than ever before are surviving after cancer. That is very welcome, but we must always strive to do better. We want to be amongst the best in the world, and that is why we have put in place our new cancer strategy. Beating cancer, ambition and action in which the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport launched earlier this year will help us to meet some of those challenges. We have set out a range of ambitious actions to improve the prevention of cancer, as well as the detection, the diagnosis, the treatment and the aftercare of people affected by cancer. That strategy is our blueprint to help to reduce health inequalities, to improve experiences of care and, ultimately, of outcomes for people with cancer. We have backed up the strategy with investment of more than £100 million over the next five years. The investment includes funding up to £2.5 million over that time period to enable the managed service network for children and young people with cancer to lead and deliver the improvements that are set out in their work plan. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport is due to meet the co-chairs of the managed service network next month to discuss the progress and the network's priorities for the next year. The network works closely with the third sector organisations in this area and has children and families represented on its board. We are always keen to do that across the Government to ensure that the voices of children are heard at every level. That gives valuable insight into how cancer care is delivered across Scotland and how it should be delivered in the future. For instance, I am really interested in how we support the siblings of the children with cancer. I met, when I was first elected back in 2007, some child who is survivors of cancer. That meeting has always stayed with me and the messages that I got from them. I was moved by a presentation of a sibling who had lost his sister to cancer and his very candid emotions of devastation at his sister's diagnosis, the feelings of jealousy of his sister being given all the attention, the guilt that he felt over that jealousy, the loneliness, the sadness and then the utter grief over his loss. It is that holistic look at the whole family that we need to be mindful of when we are treating a child with cancer. A point that has been made well by Stuart McMillan, Jeremy Balfour and others who have contributed today. In fact, I just wanted to pick up on some of the points that Jeremy Balfour made about bereavement. That is an area that we probably need to do a bit more of. To be a bit more open in Scotland about how we talk about grief and how we talk about loss. I also, for me, underpin some of the discussions that we have had today. The need to ensure that the principles of getting it right for every child are understood by everybody who has a role to play in the good care of our children. For instance, in helping with the education that has been missed by some of the children who are undergoing treatment to get over their diagnosis. Through our detect cancer early programme, we have also provided the teenage cancer trust with funding to support and extend the charity's work delivering free cancer awareness sessions in schools, colleges and universities. This education programme provides information to encourage young people to give their older family members a nudge to make sure that they know the benefits of early presentation. I am pleased that, among the list of iconic buildings across Scotland that are glowing gold this month, the Scottish Government is also playing its part with our buildings of St Andrew's House and Victoria Key lit up gold to mark the campaign that we are here to celebrate and support today. I will be wearing my pin not just to raise awareness but also to salute those brave children who are undergoing treatment as we speak. I know that everyone here will wish them all the very best on their journey and my thoughts are with them and their families. To conclude, I just want to say many thanks to everyone participating today in today's debate. Jeremy Balfour for raising it, Stuart McMillan, Brian Whittle and Anna Sarwar. Parliament, I think, is at its strongest when it unites behind a common goal. In this case, it is ensuring the very best for our children and raising awareness of cancer in childhood. We are also united in our support to the campaigners and their selfless work. Again, thank you to Jeremy Balfour, thank you to everyone who has been involved in raising awareness and thank you to everyone who has positively and constructively contributed to this very unifying campaign debate today. The meeting is suspended until 2.30pm.