Topical questions will feature the issues of the 50% increase in households requesting financial assistance to pay fuel and heating bills and the productivity of the Laggan and Tormore fields west of Shetland. 

The Transplantation (Authorisation of Removal of Organs etc.) (Scotland) Bill will be debated for the first time. 

Image source, bbc

The legislation calls for a soft opt out organ donation system, but has been rejected by the Health Committee, which backs the aim, but not the detail, of the bill.  

The Public Audit Committee will then lead a debate on the debacles at North Glasgow College in 2012-13 and Coatbridge College in 2013-14 and on an overview of Scotland's Colleges in 2015. 

 Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott will then lead a member's debate on broadband and mobile phone coverage in rural and island communities.

The Health Committee now moves into private session. 

Finally the committee will take evidence on petition PE1492, external, by Alan Kennedy ,on co-location of GP practices and community pharmacies.

MSPs agree to close this petition.

The committee agrees to make no recommendations on any of the negative instruments. 

MSPS will now consider the following negative instruments:

• SSI 2016/15: The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Prescribed Health Board Functions) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations; 
• SSI 2016/23: The National Assistance (Sums for Personal Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2016; 
• SSI 2016/24: The Products Containing Meat etc. (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2016; 
• SSI 2016/25: The National Assistance (Assessment ofResources) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2016

Conservative MSP Nanette Milne says there has been much frustration at the small number of case studies looked at by Penrose.

Health Secretary Shona Robison says this was a matter for Lord Penrose. 

Normally inquiries would try to get a range of cases to highlight different circumstances, but the independence of the inquiry leaves it to the inquiry to determine that.

She says she understand the frustration of victims.

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant asks about blood and tissue samples held which are being used for research without consent. 

Gareth Brown says the Scottish government is not aware this is a big problem, but there are governance arrangements in place requiring informed consent. 

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant asks about Professor David Goldberg's short-term working group and if it has only met once how can it report soon.

Prof. Goldberg says pieces of work were commissioned at the last meeting, including from the Scottish Blood Transfusion Service.

He hopes that agreement will be reached at the next meeting in March or early April.

The professor hopes the final report will go to government shortly thereafter.

Health Secretary Shona Robison says the emphasis is on trying to identify people with Hepatitis C regardless of how they contracted the infection.

Health Secretary Shona Robison says the review group recognised the needs of widows and widowers.

Ms Robison says one recommendation is that the support given to the person concerned would continue after their death. 

Gareth Brown from the Scottish government says there is discretionary funding available to widows and widowers in the current UK schemes, but that is difficult to access according to reports.

Health Secretary Shona Robison says the campaigners, with severe health needs themselves, should be thanked for their efforts.

Ms Robison says they grabbed the attention of this parliament and led to the Penrose Inquiry.

She says an announcement on the new financial arrangements will be made before the end of this parliamentary session.

Prof. Goldberg says the great majority of those infected before 1991 and alive probably have been diagnosed as so much time has passed. 

He says a report is in preparation and will be ready by the end of this month to be circulated amongst the working group.

The report will finally be submitted to the Scottish government for consideration thereafter, he says.

Professor David Goldberg from Health Protection Scotland is reviewing the single recommendation from the Penrose Inquiry - that anyone in Scotland who had a blood transfusion before 1991 should be tested for Hepatitis C if they have not already done so.

Prof. Goldberg says his team is looking at what more can be done and the impact of the publication of the Penrose Inquiry.

He says there was a serious impact with several hundred people coming forward for testing in the first week after the inquiry.

The short life working group he chairs is looking at blood transfusions before 1991, around 100,000 people remain alive.

He says the group does not think many of these were infected and he thinks around 20-40 people may be infected that have not been tested. 

Until 2005, the main statutory provision for setting up inquiries was the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921. 

This legislation was replaced by the Inquiries Act 2005, external.

The Act provides a statutory framework which may be used by ministers wishing to establish an inquiry with full powers to call for witnesses and evidence. 

The Inquiries Act 2005 came into force on 7 June 2005.

Labour MSP Malcolm Chisholm asks if the government is looking at all inquiries after the criticism the Penrose Inquiry has faced.

Ms Robison says there is no review of the Inquiries Act at this time. 

Labour MSP Malcolm Chisholm asks if there are any other issues around the financial report.

Ms Robison says she is very sympathetic to the recommendations of the review group.

The health secretary says she wants assurance enhanced payments will be tax free and have no impact on benefits.

She says the preference is for a Scottish scheme, saying many people have had negative experiences accessing the existing schemes.

Ms Robison says Scotland pays into the Skipton/Caxton fund to be given to victims, but it is administered on a UK basis.

Image source, PA

The enhanced payments given to UK schemes, in line with the review group recommendations, will come back to victims, as the Scottish payment schemes are developed, she says.

The health secretary says Scotland will have to pay for any enhancements. 

The Caxton Foundation (Caxton) , externalis a registered charity that was set up in 2011 by the British Government to provide financial and other assistance to individuals who have been infected with the Hepatitis C virus as a consequence of receiving NHS treatment using contaminated blood, blood products or tissue. Caxton is funded solely by the Department of Health but as a charity is run by a board, external independent of the Department.

Image source, Caxton Foundation

Caxton provides a broad range of support, external to its beneficiaries, including through grants, winter fuel payments, and financial support whilst people undergo treatment for Hepatitis C, as well as by enabling people to access specialist benefits and debt/money management advice, and counselling.

To be eligible for support from the Caxton Foundation, you, or a close relative who has died, must have received a stage 1 payment from the Skipton Fund, external. 

Health Secretary Shona Robison says if she accepts the recommendations of the review group in the short term the payments will have to be paid through the Skipton and Caxton schemes.

Ideally she wants to get the additional resources into the hands of victims as soon as possible.

The Scottish systems will be set up as the existing schemes are used to get the cash to people. 

The Skipton Fund, external is a UK-wide ex gratia payment scheme to make payments to certain people who were infected with hepatitis C through treatment with NHS blood or blood products prior to September 1991 and other persons eligible for payment in accordance with the scheme's provisions.

Image source, Skipton Fund

The History of the Skipton Fund:

The Skipton Fund was established on 25 March 2004 by the Department of Health (England), acting for and on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health, the Scottish Ministers, the National Assembly for Wales and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Northern Ireland) (together "the UK health administrations"), to administer the scheme and make payments to relevant claimants on behalf of each of the UK health administrations.

Scottish Ministers have adopted the Skipton Fund as a scheme under section 28 (Infection with hepatitis C as a result of NHS treatment etc) of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005.