The West Highland Way

Skin cancer awareness month

Rossvale FC Women

Children's Hospice Week

Funding to restore the historic Mavisbank building

Imperial War Museums and union derecognition

Penicuik Athletic youth football club and Colin Campbell Sports Cup

Saltire Patisserie, Midlothian and Scottish Baker of the Year Awards

Lanark United, West of Scotland Football League Third Division champions

Phoenix Flames and the Dance World Championship 2024

ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map

100th anniversary of Busby Lawn Tennis Club

Hamilton Academical and the Scottish Championship

Essentials guarantee and minimum income guarantee

Golden Jubilee of St Filan’s Primary School

165th anniversary of Jewish Care Scotland

Thomas Haslam and the Chief Scout’s Commendation for Meritorious Conduct

The Wee Play Place success at the Scottish Hospitality Awards 2024

Midlothian Council Jo Cox civility pledge

Marr College success at Scottish Power's Schools Warrior Rugby Championship

3rd Bo’ness Scout Group

900th anniversary of the High School of Glasgow

Dunterlie Foodshare 5th anniversary

Disciplinary cases at Benton Park View HMRC Office

Return of Tally’s Blood to the stage

Kingdom of Fife highland dancing team success

Gibson's Engineering St Rollox Train Depot in Springburn

Found: Wednesday 13 December 2023 Members present Steve Brine, in the Chair Paul Blomfield Paul Bristow Amy Callaghan

Found: Paul Blomfield MP (Labour, Sheffield Central ) Paul Bristow MP (Conservative, Peterborough ) Amy Callaghan

Found: Paul Blomfield MP (Labour, Sheffield Central ) Paul Bristow MP (Conservative, Peterborough ) Amy Callaghan

Found: Paul Blomfield MP (Labour, Sheffield Central ) Paul Bristow MP (Conservative, Peterborough ) Amy Callaghan

Found: Christine Jardine Stella Creasy Jess Phillips Wendy Chamberlain Dame Caroline Dinenage Amy Callaghan

Found: Christine Jardine Stella Creasy Jess Phillips Wendy Chamberlain Dame Caroline Dinenage Amy Callaghan

Found: making the UK the best place in the world to be a female entrepreneur Kevin Hollinrake 07/05/2024 Amy Callaghan

Found: invite our MP’s and MSPs from the areas we work in and have had good attendance from Rona MacKay, Amy Callaghan

<p>Although skin cancer is treatable and the survival rate is very high and improving, over 2,000 people will still die each year across the UK; that’s more than six people every day. It’s essential, therefore, that people try to reduce their risk in the first place, and that is why the Welsh Government really need to have a focus on that preventive approach. As with many health issues we discuss in the Siambr, I would argue that we need a better focus on prevention. Because exposure to the sun is the primary cause, most skin cancers are completely preventable through small behavioural changes and protective measures. Just by spending some time in the shade, especially when the sun is at its highest and hottest, wearing light, baggy clothing, wide brimmed hats, UV-protection sunglasses, as well of course as generously and regularly applying at least SPF 30 sun cream with a four-star or above UVA protection rating, we could significantly reduce the incidence of skin cancer.</p>
<p>And I believe our schools can play a vital role in promoting greater awareness of the dangers of sun exposure and the simple measures like these that can be taken to reduce risk. The World Health Organization recommends sun safety in schools, calling it a cornerstone of skin cancer protection. In England, schools are required to ensure that pupils can, by their final year of primary school, know about safe and unsafe sun exposure, and how to reduce the risk of sun damage. The charity Skcin—which is spelt S-K-C-I-N—offers an accreditation programme that provides primary schools free resources to assist them in their duty of care to safeguard children against UV and prevent skin cancer. There has been limited roll-out in Wales, but the schools that have made use of these resources have praised them for the way they've helped increase awareness amongst pupils and staff.</p>
<p>In terms of what we are doing here, sun safety is recommended as part of Public Health Wales's network for healthy schools scheme, although this is not enforced. ‘A Cancer Improvement Plan for NHS Wales 2023-2026’ states that between 30 per cent to 50 per cent of cancers occur as a result of exposure to avoidable risks, and then prevention will be a key area of focus.</p>
<p>Twelve years ago, following a petition by Tenovus for all children under the age of 11 to be provided with free sunscreen, the Children, Young People and Education Committee of the Senedd conducted an inquiry into school sun protection policy. At the end of the inquiry, they made several recommendations, including that schools should be required to have a document setting out the school's approach to a range of environmental factors that might affect children during the school day, such as including sun protection and shade requirements; consideration should be given to the equipment provided to, and the school requirements for, children in the foundation phase to ensure that they are suitably protected to be outside in a range of weather conditions; the Welsh Government, Welsh Local Government Association, schools and third sector organizations should continue to work together to deliver sun protection education to children.</p>
<p>Sadly, despite 12 years passing since the committee reported back, and an initially encouraging response from the Welsh Government, a research project at Swansea University has found that several recommendations have not been upheld. That research project, Sunproofed, led by Dr Julie Peconi of the School of Medicine at Swansea University, funded by Health and Care Research Wales, found that only 39 per cent of schools that responded to their survey had a sun safety policy, and that not all schools with policies actually enforced them. Schools with higher percentages of children entitled to free school meals and with lower attendance were less likely to have a policy. Only 29 per cent of schools teach sun safety as a part of the curriculum in every year group. Only 5 per cent of schools had sufficient shade for most active outdoor pursuits. Only 8 per cent of schools include sun-protective hats as part of the school uniform. Welsh-medium schools and schools in north Wales were more likely to have a policy, which I believe demonstrates the fact that sun safety is not being taught in a consistent way across the Welsh education sector and local authority areas.</p>
<p>Schools that did have a formal sun safety policy or procedure were over six times more likely to liaise with school governors regarding sun safety; over five times more likely to include sun awareness guidance in their staff manual; over three times more likely to send out communications to parents regarding sun safety; and over twice more likely to include sun protection as part of the curriculum in every year group than to include it in some year groups only and discuss in an assembly as the need arose only. And also, they were more likely to encourage staff to model sun safe behaviours for students, to have spare hats that pupils could borrow and were more likely to schedule outdoor activities to minimise time outdoors between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the summer term or when the UV index was above 3.</p>
<p>This extremely revealing and important research also included sun safety quizzes with pupils in years 3 to 6 in five primary schools in south Wales. It found that only 5.7 per cent of those pupils were aware that sun protection is needed when the UV index reaches 3, and only 36 per cent knew they could get sunburnt on cloudy days.</p>
<p>I understand that the Cabinet Secretaries for education, climate change, and health, as well as the Chair of the current Children, Young People and Education Committee have received a letter from Dr Peconi regarding the findings of her research. In light of the previous inquiry and this more recent research, I would therefore be keen to learn what steps the Welsh Government are taking to advance sun safety education in our schools.</p>
<p>Education will go a long way towards reducing skin cancer rates, but awareness and understanding are not the only challenges we face, of course. The cost-of-living crisis pushed up the prices of all household essentials, including sun protection. A recent analysis of ONS data has shown that in the last two years, the cost of sunscreen has increased by almost 30 per cent, while recent sales figures suggest that there may be some impact on the number of sun care products purchased.</p>
<p>Dr Bav Shergill of the British Association of Dermatologists said that:</p>
<p>'As sunscreen prices go up there's a distinct possibility that people will use it less, which could put them at great risk of cancer.'</p>
<p>This point is reinforced by a survey from last year, undertaken by Melanoma Focus, which found that nearly half of respondents thought sunscreen was too expensive, and Tenovus Cancer Care raised concerns that sun protection would be left off the list of household priorities. Most worryingly, 10 per cent of respondents said they never wear sunscreen.</p>
<p>Even with those who do purchase sunscreen, concerns over costs may be encouraging them to use less therefore than they should. We know that prior to the cost-of-living crisis most were not applying enough sunscreen, and this situation is unlikely to have got better, of course, as the price has gone up. As a guide, adults should be aiming to apply around two teaspoons of sunscreen if you're just covering your head, arms and neck, or two tablespoons if you're covering your entire body while wearing, for instance, a swimming costume, because if applied too thinly, the amount of protection provided is greatly reduced. And, of course, it should be re-applied every two hours.</p>
<p>Despite its essential role in protecting our health, sunscreen is currently classed as a cosmetic product and subject to the full rate of VAT. Amy Callaghan, who until recently was an MP for East Dunbartonshire, launched a campaign to have VAT removed from sunscreen as it is in many other countries. This campaign is supported by a number of charities and has also received cross-party support in the House of Commons. I know, of course, we don't have the power to vary VAT, but I would be keen to know whether the removal of VAT on sunscreen is something this Government would support and will take up with the next UK Government.</p>