 Do I ask members of the public who are leaving the public gallery to please do so quickly and quietly, because we are about to continue with our business? Thank you very much, indeed. The next item of business is a member's business debate on motion 5097. Ahmad Ali-Aubrey Do I please ask for some quiet in the public gallery? Thank you very much. R 오늘은, sidenwag i ddicaf yr ymddol rai i gael i'w fymlo, i gael i'w mwytho i gael i'u gwirionedd mewn. Wcwyddiol o'r ffyrdiad Floma o ddefnyddio i'r ffyrdiad i'w gwirionedd. Rwy'n gweithio i'w gwirionedd ac i roi fynd i'w grwp sy'n ei gael i'w grwp, i fyddwch i'w gwirionedd yn ei fynd i'u gwirionedd. Rwy'n gweithio i'w gwirionedd, rwy'n gweithio i ddydigau cyfleicmeth i'w amser ar yr oedd y Tharfa yn lle'r bwynt, yn arweinydd. Fawr ddweud i'w parlvent Kate Ferrier ac European y See the only cancer caused by exposure to its bestest fibres, i ddim yn ei gweithio'r canslau i'w fitting o gael yn gyntaf i'w ddwylai i'w ffinduste ddim yn cael gwy bubblego a gwithio i'w ddwylai i'w ffinduste ddim yn gweithio'r safon i gwyкиеiniaeth, ac mae'n sisiau gyda'r sydd wedi'u dwylai a gyfnodigol. yn cael ei ddysiannwys iawn, ond mae'n cael ei ddysiannwys iawn yn sicr usiol yng Nghymru yn bethau 20-50 oedd ffwrdd i'r newid ystod o'r bestes o'r ddgynoseis o mysifi lilma. Mae busiol wedi yngrifennu a'r unrhyw prif taethau hyn. Mae'r dd agor ei ridw i'r ddysiannwys iawn, ond dylwn ni'n cyfeiri i ddweithio bod gael eich hynny i dda i gynnwys iawn i ddysiannwys iawn. many cases are diagnosed at a late stage, the cancer having already spread from the lining of the lungs to other parts of the body. Unfortunately at this stage, pallidive care is often known the option. For my time as part of the nursing team at the Samargot Scotland hospice, I saw first hand how this cancer took away so many too soon. I had many heartbreaking conversations with patients about the impact of mycythodoma at the end stage of this disease, including women who had said that they had been exposed simply because of their cleanliness, having got exposure to asbestos for cleaning their husbands overalls. I also heard from patients who had worked in the Turner asbestos cement company in Clydebank and they said that they were given little in the way of protective clothing or masks, and some were actually cleaning out events with their bare hands. Dinary of the NHS hospital, now located on the site of the former asbestos factory, is certainly not lost on my Clydebank constituents. I also remember hospice patients meeting their lawyers about compensation claims to then sadly die before the insurance company settled. Those companies sought out delay and denied what little justice was available to those criminally exposed to asbestos. Fortunately things have moved on in the compensation front, but there is much more to be done, and equality must be given to posthumous claims. Mycythodoma is inflected in much pain and suffering in Clydebank, the time when I was brought up, lived, worked and now have the honour to represent. 26 years ago, Clydebank was described as the mycythodoma capital of Europe due to having the highest death rates. A recent health and safety sector statistics show that, from 1991 to 2019, the local government area covering Clydebank is the second highest male mycythodoma death rate in the UK. The statistics show that we have the highest female mycythodoma death rate in Scotland and the fourth highest in the UK. That is an unwanted legacy of industrial heritage, as well as turners operating in our town between 1938 and 1970, when the Clydebank was employed in the Singer's Sown factory in John Brown's engineering and shipbuilding. Asbestos was used heavily in both those industries, and that is a major contributing factor to the high levels of mycythodoma. To respond to that, in the latter half of the 1990s, the Western Barter Council and the health board set up a groundbreaking partnership to increase awareness of the scale of Asbestos-related illness and improve servities to those exposed to Asbestos. At the heart of the partnership is the Clydebank Asbestos group, and they have been there for 30 years, and they are always there. The group is chaired by Theresa Jones and supported by Vice-Chair Christine Sayer and Secretary Kate Ferrier. They also have hard-working and committed staff in charity coordinator Rachel Gallacher and admin officer Adele Cain. The charity was founded in October 1992 by David Coran and his wife Jean. It is also fitting that, in the year of the group's 30th anniversary, their former chairperson Bob Dickie celebrated his 90th birthday. Bob is still a mentor to the group and is greatly expected for everything that he achieved for the group and the cause of Asbestos victims across the UK. Bob is also known for his part as a shop steward in the upper Clyde shipbuilders working and is part of the delegation to Downing Street to save the yard. Although the majority of the group's clients are from heavy industry backgrounds, they are now seen more clients and more female clients who did not work in heavy industry, but in other sectors such as education, health and clerical occupations. Also, some younger clients are accessing service in recent years. Shockingly, some as young as 30 are being diagnosed with mesiphylloma. That is a worrying development, especially considering how long mesiphylloma can go undetected. Those two issues emphasise my position that everything possible must be done to deal with Asbestos in built environments. That includes the most effective approaches to health and safety and adequate funding to remove Asbestos from public and private buildings. The importance of good support, though. Health and social care is also a factor here. Also, there have been significant improvements in the package of help and treatments available, and we must ensure that they emerge well from Covid. They are available to the younger age group, which is highlighted by the Climank Asbestos group's caseload. Finally, the group developed a good relationship with the industrial industries disablement benefit office in Barrow. Mesiphylloma is a prescribed disease with industrial injuries disablement benefit scheme, which provides no fault state compensation to employed earners for occupational diseases. Claims on mesiphylloma are prioritised within the scheme and are automatically assessed at 100 per cent disablement, given the severity and poor prognosis. As this benefit transfers over to Social Security Scotland, I want them to work with the group to ensure that the right support is given and quick decisions are made. In conclusion, I thank all those who are taking part in action in Mesiphylloma Day to raise awareness. Members will be clear why I secured this debate. Mesiphylloma is an important issue for my constituents and I welcome this opportunity to increase awareness and highlight the issues. I am finally on the side of Climank Asbestos group and congratulate them on their 30th anniversary. I first call Stuart McMillan to be followed by Pam Gozo up to four minutes please. Thank you very much. First I would like to congratulate Mary McNair on securing this important debate and to refer members to my register of interests. Mary McNair's motion is important to remind the current population that mesiphylloma is not a disease of the past but is still a present. Inverclyde, like Climank and other parts of the Clyde, have had that long tradition of shipbuilding and heavy engineering. There are many legacies from those industries, including sadly Mesiphylloma being one of them. Health and safety of the past was scant in comparison to today and year after year people succumb to asbestos-related conditions with 200 per year as the motion indicates in Scotland. We cannot change the past. We can learn from it however and health and safety at work will clearly have been one of those lessons that we have learned over that period of time. The Parliament has legislated in asbestos conditions in the past and it will do so in the future. The Scottish Law Commission launched their discussion paper on 23 February on damages for personal injury and that discussion paper closes today. The discussion paper covers four topics, the law relating to damages for services, deductions from damages, provisional damages and asbestos-related disease and management of children's awards of damages. In particular, it explores whether reforms needed to reflect the social, legal changes and developments. Questions 17 to 22 cover the asbestos-related matters. Questions 20 to 21 refers to Mesiphylloma and the issue of time barring, which has been a long-standing issue. In my submission to that particular consultation, in particular referring to questions 20 to 21, I state that a person who is diagnosed with pleuro plaques but does not go on to develop a more life-threatening illness can still claim for damages. Clearly, many people who are diagnosed with pleuro plaques do not often realise that they are right to claim damages, so keeping the time bar could still prohibit injured persons from making claims. I have raised the issue of pleuro plaques before in the Parliament, where you can of course claim for damages if you get pleuro plaques, but if you make a claim based on that understanding, should you go on to develop mesiphylloma, you therefore cannot have a secondary claim. There is a bit of a gamble to take a low-level settlement for your injury, but you head off at the past that additional payment should you develop mesiphylloma. Is that something that we should tackle in this place? I know it is complex, but it is something that we should tackle. I agree with Mr Dorison that we have had various debates and discussions in this chamber, and I am certain that the legislation regarding the pleuro plaques passing in the past is certainly under the SNP Government and the previous Labour-led DEM administration, and that is certainly why the paper that has been brought forward by the Scottish Law Commission is hugely important. Mesiphylloma will be with us for decades to come, and it is important that people who are diagnosed with it have the right healthcare, the right financial support, the right emotional support and also the right not to be hampered by the time bar. I welcome the Scottish Law Commission's discussion paper and look forward to the recommendations. However, I also acknowledge that more people will be diagnosed with mesiphylloma and lose their lives before legislation is introduced into this Parliament. I have been contacted by constituents in the past and recently by another, raising the issues regarding the time bar and mesiphylloma. Support the aspect of the law being amended so that Scots and as the motion indicates, over 200 per year in Scotland can have that chance to have a more comfortable life after diagnosis. National Mesiphylloma Day on 1 July is an important day. Society must remember those to help build the economy and the society that we have today. Mesiphylloma will affect many more families in the years to come. We have a job to highlight the disease to the wider public in addition to helping people with mesiphylloma. Once again, I thank Mary MacNeill for bringing this important debate to the chamber. I welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives today. I will begin by extending my thanks to the member, Mary MacNeill, for bringing forward this important topic for members' business. I would also like to welcome the Clydebank asbestos group and thank them for all the work that they have been doing for the past 30 years. As the member rightly acknowledges in her motion, Action Mesiphylloma Day is a national campaign to raise awareness of the disease and dangers of asbestos. Despite decades having passed since asbestos was found to cause fatal disease, there is still much work to be done to exaggerate asbestos from public buildings, but there remains a critical lack of awareness about the risk posed by hazardous substances such as asbestos and just how devastating an impact it can have on lives. A United Nations campaign has gone above and beyond this year to get local areas involved up and down the UK using the go blue for meso campaign. The campaign has seen local homes and landmarks lit up in blue to raise awareness of the asbestos-induced cancer. It is not a disease of the past and it did not disappear when asbestos produced seeds. In fact, it still affects people of all ages from as young as 14 to 90, but it is a welcome news that the health and safety executive predicted that the annual deaths from the illness were both men and women would start to decline by 2020. In addition to that, there is new research and development into the disease, but as of yet there remains no known cure. Sadly, in my region, West of Scotland, both West and Bartonshire and Inverclyde are host to some of the highest number of individuals suffering with and dying from it due to the region's industrial past. However, as the member states in her motion, the Clydebank asbestos group has played a vital role in supporting the individuals and families affected by it through offering invaluable support and advice in addition to helping individuals navigate their way through legal frameworks and forms to ensure that they get what they are entitled to. Of course, compensation will never equate to the health and wellbeing or even the life of a loved one, but the added stress can be a burden on the families that are already suffering. I would like to give thanks to those organisations and individuals who work tirelessly to raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos and support those affected by it. A huge percentage of public buildings and homes still contain asbestos, but the exact figure is unknown, which presents a key challenge going forward, but the mass retrofitting of homes and public buildings with new insulation and low-carbon heating systems is an opportunity to address that issue. The risk of exposure to asbestos means that that must be done with caution. The health and safety executive has made commitments that the future research will address the number of business premises containing asbestos, and the five-year review to be published this summer is expected to include estimates about the number of premises containing asbestos to conclude, Presiding Officer. The hard work and the dedication of organisations, charities and support groups committed to supporting those affected by mesiolemia and asbestos is indispensable and remains critical, including the Clydebank asbestos group, from whom I have heard first-hand about the incredible work that they do. It is important that we as politicians raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos and asbestos-related illnesses and encourage those who do come in to contact with asbestos to contact the relevant local authorities to ensure the safe removal of asbestos. As we have heard from other members, mesiolemia is a cool and painful condition that often takes hold years before it is diagnosed. Health and safety executive data shows that the disease was responsible for 78 deaths in my local area of East Ayrshire between 1981 and 2019. Of those, 19 occurred between 2015 and 2019, which suggests that a disease is taking hold of a particular generation in a much more decisive way as time goes on. Of course, those are 19 families very recently who have had someone stolen from them and it causes lasting pain to families and to communities. We can see from that that mesiolemia is a growing problem and one that we must face up to as other members have said in particular to raise awareness so that anyone who may have been exposed to asbestos can be diagnosed as quickly as possible. Alongside that, there must be a greater focus in general on the hidden dangers of lung cancer, which is taking the lives of so many, particularly in areas such as my own, with x-mining communities and particular men who have worked in those heavy industries year on year across areas such as the south of Scotland. That is far too often work-related and it must be recorded as such. Beyond the physical effects of those conditions, the pain to society is acute, particularly because it would be so easily avoided if some of the decisions that were all made in the past—so many people are becoming sick because of what we perhaps did not know, but their lives were taken at an early stage because of the work that they were undertaking. I have had the opportunity with the Delegate to Personal Law Reform Committee to visit the Scottish Law Commission to discuss some of the work that it is doing on the issue. One of the things that was raised was the fact that, although people working in manufacturing and construction industries were heavily affected, people living in the household could also pick it up from the clothing, so it was a very insidious killer and that is something that we need to take nice and soft as well. It was well raised as was raised about the fact that the condition is seen in men in heavy industry, but there are women and others because of the issues that we must be aware of. So many people who suffered exposure to us best during their working life have never received any serious compensation. We have touched on that in the debate so far, often due to employers jumping through hoops to claim that the cause of their cancer could not be proven. During a time when the rights of workers are back on the agenda in a big way, it seems appropriate to renew the call for those people to be fairly compensated. I know that deep down, can you really compensate someone for such horrendous injuries in the workplace, but we all agree that that must be pushed forward and we must make sure that people get what they are absolutely entitled to. As people have said, despite that, asbestos is still mind in certain parts of the world to this day and people with significant interests in the UK are profiting from that process. For me, that is ideologically and morally wrong and in Scotland we must be clear in our opposition to this trade and this Parliament should be vocal in condemning any of those practices. In Scotland there are nearly 200 new cases of mesothelioma a year and yet we are still hearing about cases coming forward. In terms of time I'll just go to closing. In closing, can I thank as always the groups who raise these issues, such as the Clydebank asbestos group, it's lovely to see you here. My dad actually grew up in Clydebank and I've had many stories about the mountains of asbestos that were around in his childhood. I can also thank the Scottish Network for keeping this debate alive and I believe that we have a collective responsibility to maintain this issue and so I thank Mary McNeill for bringing this to the chamber. Thank you Ms Morgan. I now call Bill Kidd, followed by Richard Leonard. Richard Leonard will be the last speaker in the debate before I call on the minister to respond. Up to four minutes please Mr Kidd. Thank you very much. I would like to congratulate Mary McNeill on securing this very important debate to recognise the action of mesothelioma day taking place tomorrow and as others have said also to welcome the Clydebank asbestos group in the gallery. The dangers of asbestos were first discovered as early as 1906. Much later in medical reports linking asbestos to lung cancer and mesothelioma and other diseases were produced in the 1950s and 60s and the importation and sale and distribution of asbestos containing materials was finally banned in 1999. However, despite more than a century-long history of tracking the disease and passing laws to stop its use, asbestos and mesothelioma don't exist as an issue of the past. Very sadly, this disease and harm is often missed and not diagnosed for many people until later in life. Many tradesmen who worked with frequent exposure to this harmful carcinogen prior to its ban are still experiencing or even becoming ill by its impact only now. Importantly, the families, as has been said, of those affected at work have also been affected by this dangerous element. Moreover, this material still exists in many buildings that were built or refurbished before the turn of the century. That includes public buildings such as schools and offices, so there is an absolute imperative that we do not let public awareness subside on this issue over time, as the remaining asbestos still needs to be dealt with over a period, a long period probably, to come as refurbishments, repair works and demolition of buildings takes place. That is confirmed by the health and safety executive, who tells us that 1.3 million tradespeople are at risk of exposure and may yet come into contact with asbestos over 100 times a year without their knowledge. Risks still exist for tradespeople, homeowners, tenants and so many others today. We must remain vigilant to the dangers of asbestos and keep raising awareness of this issue with the public to ensure proper precautions continue to be taken. Risks must be mitigated against through proper training and rigorous health and safety standards. We know that across the UK over 2,700 people are diagnosed with mesocelioma every year, including 200 in Scotland, and that, as Marie's motion highlights, this is the highest number of annual diagnoses in Europe. Exposure to asbestos is responsible for up to nine out of 10 mesocelioma cases, and this form of cancer is most common amongst men. Shockingly, the health and safety executive tells us that asbestos causes over 5,000 deaths a year and around 20 tradesmen die each week as a result of past exposure. Those figures are truly saddening and tell us of the many who worked through generations built the economy and infrastructure of the nation. It was in this process that tradesmen used this material then, thought of as a miracle material for its cheapness and versatility in the post-war economy. However, it became clear that this miracle material was no miracle at all. Rather, asbestos is acutely dangerous and such frequent exposure left tradesmen and often their families disproportionately affected by the harms and illness caused by this material. Action mesocelioma day is of particular relevance to my constituency of Glasgow Annesland. Annesland has a proud history of shipbuilding and heavy engineering. However, this has unfortunately meant that many families in the area have been affected by this issue. I would like to end by highlighting the brilliant work of action on asbestos in industrial injury and disease, otherwise formerly known as Clyde-side action on asbestos. This brilliant organisation has provided invaluable information over the years to MSPs and support to people across Scotland, including many people from Glasgow Annesland, who have been affected by mesocelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and all other asbestos-related diseases. I now call Richard Leonard, who, as I have said, will be the last speaker before I ask the Minister to respond up to four minutes. I begin by reminding members of my register of interests and I also thank Maureen Macnair for bringing this motion to Parliament. It is fitting that the constituency representative for Clydebank is opening this debate. The campaign for action on asbestos has been led by a movement of grass-roots campaigners right across the country, but none have been more prominent than those from her constituency. It is fitting, too, because she is following in the footsteps of her predecessor Des McNulty, who campaigned tirelessly inside and outside Parliament on this issue. Labour's record on securing justice for asbestos sufferers and their families in this Parliament is a good one. Bill Butler's Damages Scotland Act 2011, Des McNulty's Asbestos Improved Compensation Bill in 2006, which became the ranks of relatives to damages mesocelioma Scotland Act 2007, which was taken through Parliament by people like Hugh Henry, Cathy Jamieson and Joanne Lamont. There has been cross-party support, too, when it was demanded like the damages asbestos-related conditions Scotland Act 2009, but there remains outstanding work to be done. It cannot be right that a failure to logic claim for plural plaques within a three-year time limit bars any subsequent claim for a more serious disease like mesocelioma. It cannot be right that this so-called single action rule is applied to asbestos sufferers and their families. It cannot be right, as the trade union lawyers Thompsons put it, and I quote, that individuals should not be disproportionately penalised for failure to raise court proceedings for a relatively minor injury when they later go on to develop a serious and potentially life-threatening illness as a result of the same negligent act. It cannot be right, and we should resolve today to use this Parliament to change this law to right this wrong. My own personal involvement with the issue goes back almost four decades to my time working for Alex Falconer, a politically principled socialist, a man of great integrity, a man of humanity who, before he was elected to the European Parliament in 1984, was a transport and general workers union shop steward and a lager at Rossife dockyard. For the avoidance of doubt, that meant 20 years lagging pipes with brown and blue asbestos, monkey dung, as they called it, in the confined spaces of naval ships and submarines. In the 1980s, he was diagnosed with pleuro plaques on his lungs. He won a test case at the High Court back by his union to secure damages and the right to return to claim further damages if he needed to. He did need to, and 10 years ago this August, my old friend, my old comrade, died of lung cancer. In death, as well as in life, Alex Falconer reminds us about the balance of power between big employers, their millionaire insurers and the people who work for them. A reminder that there is a class system, this is a class-based society and that this Parliament needs once again to be on the side of the working class, because the toll of deaths caused by work-related exposure to asbestos is far from over. All those asbestos boards and sheets that the industry always knew were dangerous are still present in the walls and ceilings of our schools, offices, public buildings and factories. So let us make it our mission in this Parliament to rediscover our sense of injustice, to reawaken our spirit of audacity and act in the words of the rallying cry of our international workers memorial day to remember the dead but to fight for the living. I now call on Minister George Adam to respond to the debate up to seven minutes, please minister. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can I take this opportunity to thank Mary McNair for bringing this very important debate to the Parliament and also take this opportunity, like others have, to welcome the representatives from Clive Bank asbestos group? I am aware of many of the issues in this because, ironically, an interesting side note to the debate is that my very first debate as a councillor and a remissure councillor was on this issue. It was brought by Clyde Side Action on asbestos and I think it was part of one of Stuart McMillan's campaigns that he inevitably ended up at remissure councils. I am aware of this issue and have been for quite a while. One of the things that I can say at this point is that I have just heard that the Scottish Government buildings will be lit up blue tomorrow to support the raising of awareness of this issue as well. I welcome the opportunity to close this debate today. The Scottish Government recognises the damaging impact of all cancers on individuals and their wider support network and families. That is particularly evident for Mr Thileoma, where the available treatments are limited. However, we also recognise the significant progress that has been made over recent years. More people are now being treated more effectively, more quickly and more safely, and more people are also receiving care at home. That is a great improvement and is thanks to the efforts of people across the NHS in primary care and acute care and oncology, social care and third sector. With regard to Mr Thileoma, we have strong clinical leadership with the establishment of the Scottish Mr Thileoma network in 2019. The network strives to improve outcomes for patients through a collaborative approach across Scotland and various professions. That means that all patients in Scotland can access the very best expertise and care they deserve, no matter what health board they happen to live in. The network recently created the first set of national quality performance indicators, and although we are not achieving all those QPI's to us yet, it is a great first step in tracking our progress to continue to drive for further improvement. I commend the work of the network and acknowledge our recent award for innovation at the recent Scottish Health Awards. In addition, the work of our third sector partners, such as Clydebank asbestos group, should be acknowledged. Their work and support for not only individual's physical needs, but their emotional and mental wellbeing are immensely important and one that we could not do without in the health sector. It is the work of our various partners in the community that are helping us to be able to support those individuals, especially over the past couple of years. As we are all aware, the pandemic has had a significant impact on all aspects of our lives with a significant impact on health services. In December 2020, we published the national cancer plan, which set out a response to the pandemic for cancer services and how we plan to recover and redesign those services to ensure future resilience. Although the cancer plan did not specifically mention mesothelioma, that should not be taken for a moment as a sign that improving the outcomes of people with mesothelioma have not been considered and ultimately influenced our strategic plans. Under one of our flagship actions, the establishment of the Scottish Cancer Network, the Scottish Mesothelioma Network has been picked up and will directly funded by the Scottish Government. Additionally, the Scottish Government is acutely aware that early detection of all cancers is crucial. That is why we continue to invest in initiatives such as the Detect Cancer Early Programme and the three early cancer diagnostic centres. Alongside those initiatives, we have refreshed the Scottish referral guidelines for suspected cancer 2019. The guidelines support primary care clinicians in ensuring that those with symptoms, suspicious of cancer, are put in the right pathway at the right time. Those guidelines include a specific section on mesothelioma and should help clinicians to identify patients most likely to have cancer and require urgent assessment by the specialist. Under our current plan, we are also investing in a single point of contact that will help cancer patients along their journey. Those points of contact will be available to discuss questions of anxieties related to their clinical area and will help to manage some aspects of their condition. Now that when it comes to mesothelioma specifically, we are aware that 9 out of 10 are directly linked to exposure of asbestos. As we all know, the material was previously commonly used in construction in other industries. Due to the limited curative options available for patients, it goes without saying that prevention is the best policy and the use of asbestos in the UK has been banned since 1999. Where exist in asbestos remains, there are licences required to work with it and to use the strict control measures, including personal protective equipment such as respirators, as well as seeking to prevent exposure to asbestos and to provide appropriate medical care for those who have been affected by it. There has been good work to ensure appropriate rights to compensation. The Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament have a strong record of supporting those who have been negligently exposed to asbestos. Significant provision regarding the law on damages for personal injuries has been made, including introducing the rights of relatives to Damages Scotland Act 2007 and the damages asbestos-related conditions of Scotland Act 2009 and supporting the Damages Scotland Act 2011. Although those preventative policies are welcome, there is a reality that many individuals will continue to present with the mesothelioma due to its long latency period and extensive use until the late 90s. In conjunction with that, unfortunately, that can be difficult to treat. Nearly all treatment is aimed at controlling the disease for as long as possible and keeping symptoms under control. Doctors and researchers are working to improve the treatment all the time, and I am delighted to say that very recently, in February, the Scottish Medical Consortium approved the use of a new combination of drugs as a first-line treatment for adults. That is the first new treatment for mesothelioma in 14 years. That new treatment would not have been possible without clinical trials, and the Scottish Government encouraged clinicians to ensure that many patients as possible are included in relevant and appropriate clinical trials. There is significant evidence that outcomes are improved for those patients treated in environments where research is the norm for those patients who are involved in cancer trials. Within wider research, the Scottish Government is supporting a post-doctoral clinical lectureship to investigate a new avenue for potential treatment and is co-funding a medical research charity to evaluate compounds to see if they should be developed further as potential treatments. In closing, I would like to offer my thanks to the members for their contributions today in this debate. It has been a wide ranging and has underlined all the participants across the chamber are united in a desire to help those affected. We have seen significant progress in relation to cancer already, however, despite everything that we have achieved, we know that we must keep looking at how we can do better. That is why we are committed to publishing a 10-year cancer strategy that will look at our longer-term goals as a nation to improve patient outcomes and experience. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Thank you, Minister. That concludes the debate, and it's time to move on to the next item of business.