Scottish Parliament e-Brief, Issue 264

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

Parliament is in recess.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

Funding for home reading projects
Over 300 Scottish schools, nurseries and community groups are set to get home reading projects off the ground - thanks to a cash injection from the Home Reading Initiative Small Grants Scheme.

The groups, who all applied for a share of the Ł300,000 worth of grants to support reading projects as part of Read Together, the Scottish Executive's home reading initiative, have all demonstrated that their particular schemes are sustainable. They will encourage parents and carers to read with their children in the home from a very early stage.

The Executive is also distributing a new interactive CD-Rom to nurseries and libraries throughout Scotland. The CD, entitled Read Together! Open the door to reading with your child, augments the well-established Read Together website - www.readtogether.co.uk - and aims to answer some of the many questions parents and carers may have about reading with their children. The CD-Rom, designed to appeal to children and adults, contains information, advice and games for parents and children to enjoy together.

The Executive's Home Reading Initiative Small Grants Scheme was this year administered by Learning and Teaching Scotland. Research into the Read Together advertising campaign showed that 85% of those surveyed thought the campaign had made them think more about the value of reading with their children, while 56% said it had encouraged them to read more with their children.

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New cancer imaging equipment
Brand new state-of-the-art cancer imaging equipment has been announced for the new West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging allows consultants to determine whether a cancer is spreading, whether a patient is responding to treatment and assists greatly in the planning of treatment.

This PET equipment - along with a replacement machine in Aberdeen - will link back to the other cancer centres in Scotland, allowing clinicians to see the results instantly and planning treatment immediately.

GE Healthcare Technologies has been selected as the preferred manufacturer for the supply of the scanner for NHS Greater Glasgow and the details of the contract are in the process of being finalised.

In March 2003, Ł5m capital investment from 2004-05 announced to support the development of PET services in Scotland. From 31st December 2005, no patient urgently referred for cancer treatment should wait more than 2 months.

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SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

Parliament is in recess.