Green MSP Andy Wightman calls for second and holiday homes to be subject to planning consent.

The minister agrees there are issues around second and holiday homes, but he argues it brings in income to these areas.

We need to ensure more homes overall are delivered, he adds.

Image source, bbc

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart says there have been, between April 2007 and December 2017, a total of 72,462 affordable homes delivered.

Of these, 53,465 are newly built, he says.

Mr Stewart is confident the target of 50,000 affordable homes by 2021 will be met.

The next quarterly update will be published on 12 June, he confirms.

We expect to deliver on our ambitious target for affordable homes, he adds.

Tory MSP Graham Simpson asks whether the money being spent on affordable homes is being used in the areas most in need.

The minister says he keeps a "close eye" on this and local authorities is expected to look at areas where there is the most need.

Image source, Getty Images

Affordable housing in Scotland is to be made more accessible to the over-60s under a new Scottish government scheme.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said older people would be offered a range of home ownership options for the first time.

These include access to the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme and Help to Buy Scotland.

Retirement or supported homes could also be included under shared equity schemes, the Scottish government said.

The SNP have pledged to deliver at least least 50,000 affordable homes by 2021 backed by over £3 billion.

This target represents a 67% increase in affordable housing supply, and 35,000 of the 50,000 target will be for social rent.

Read more here.

SNP MSP Kate Forbes ask the Scottish Government how many affordable homes will have been built between 2007 and 2021.

Convener Johann Lamont runs through the background of the new petition on Access to justice, external, highlighting that it started with the ring fencing of milk quotas which has caused the petitioners to struggle.

Labour MSP David Stewart, attending on behalf of his constituents, explains the Mundell's have been in touch with over 50 civil legal aid lawyers but told they do not deal with human rights cases.

This is about how to right a wrong, he suggests, and ensuring everyone has access to justice.

Mr Stewart recommends to petition write to the Law Society of Scotland and Scottish government, and perhaps refer it to the Equalities and Human Rights Committee.

The committee convener thanks the petitioners and says MSPs will look into the petition further.

Image source, bbc

MSPs will now consider a new petition on Access to justice, external in Scotland from Ben and Evelyn Mundell.

The petition calls on the Scottish government to take action to ensure that access to justice, including access to legal advice from appropriately trained lawyers and financial support through legal aid, is available to enable people in Scotland to pursue cases where they consider a human rights breach has occurred.

Image source, bbc

Convener Johann Lamont moves the discussion onto action to be taken on the petition.

Tory MSP Brian Whittle suggests exploring the lack of research and limited knowledge of ME among healthcare professionals.

SNP MSP Rona Mackay says "it is not acceptable that nothing has changed" in terms of the guidelines.

Ms Lamont says she is interested about the clinical view of the treatment the petitioners have said is harmful.

The committee agrees to write to the Scottish government, Action for ME, ME Research UK and the Scottish Public Health Network.

Image source, bbc

Prof. Chris Ponting: "There is a window of opportunity, but as with all windows of opportunity they shut.

"People will forget these neglected people, in time, unless action is forthcoming."

Green MSP Mark Ruskell raises the provision of specialist nurse services.

It would be fantastic if there was a specialist nurse in every health board, able to visit extreme ME patients at home, Ms Shorter states.

"The nurse in Fife is completely overwhelmed," adds Ms Sylvester.

Prof Binning says whatever is in place for disease of similar prevalence and severity be put in place for ME.

Image source, Missing Millions

Last month a rally in Edinburgh called for more action to tackle the devastating impact of the little-understood condition.

ME is a neuro-immune disease which causes profound and disabling ill-health.

The event was one of more than 60 being held across the world calling for more research and better education for healthcare professionals.

The Edinburgh protest was held on the Mound, outside the National Galleries of Scotland.

Campaigners were demanding more funding for biomedical research into ME and better education of healthcare professionals about the condition.

Image source, Missing Millions

The petitioner Emma Shorter from ME Action Scotland, told BBC Scotland at the time: "Twenty five per cent of patients are too severely unwell. You don't see many of us because we're missing and the significance of it is that we're missing from our life, we're missing from our work, we're missing from our families because the disease makes us so sick.

"The shoes are there to represent the patients who are too sick to be here today."

She added: There's very little education and the little that there is is erroneous and harmful to many patients. Our NHS is amazing but how can doctors and nurses treat us if they aren't given the tools to treat us properly?

"We just need them to be given training based on the latest scientific evidence, to care for us until a cure can be found."

"We have the opportunity now to change it. We have the evidence now. We have the chance now to stop other people being harmed by this," argues Ms Shorter.

SNP MSP Rona Mackay turns discussion to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Ms Shorter says not all CBT is harmful, as people with long-term illnesses can often benefit from mental support.

However, she suggests CBT on the basis that people are "afraid to do anything" and to encourage exercise is "manipulative" and "harmful".

I've had therapy which is supportive and about managing symptoms, while CBT was about coming back to what you were doing and blaming you, the campaigner explains.

"It did make me think I was going crazy."

Image source, Missing Millions

A common treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome should be scrapped immediately, according to one of the UK's leading experts in the illness.

Dr Charles Shepherd says graded exercise therapy (GET) can actually be harmful to some people.

He argues the idea of getting patients to do increasing amounts of exercise can lead to serious relapses.

Other health experts disagree and say GET is both proven and a safe method of treatment.

Chronic fatigue syndrome, external (CFS) is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME.

• Read more here
• Chronic fatigue: 'Held hostage by ME'
• Chronic fatigue trial results 'not robust', new study says

Image source, bbc

Committee convener Johann Lamont says the NICE guidance is due to be updated and asks about its current state.

"It's not fit for purpose," says Emma Shorter.

She says there are concerns about the harm caused by NICE guidelines and calls again for CBT and GET to be removed from treatment.

Previously we were told there was not enough evidence to produce SIGN guidelines for ME, explains Janet Sylvester.

We believe there may not be enough information, she adds.

"ME needs to be much more on the frontline."

Image source, Millions Missing

Fresh analysis of a controversial study, which recommended exercise and psychological therapy for people with chronic fatigue syndrome, suggests their impact is more modest than first thought.

The PACE trial found the treatments to be "moderately effective", leading to recovery in a fifth of patients.

But this new analysis, external finds "no long-term benefits at all".

The authors of the original trial in 2007 said they stood by their findings.

Read more here.

Prof Ponting points to best practice in management of in place in the US, calling for this to be rolled out in Scotland.

Tory MSP Brian Whittle asks about the key considerations when undertaking research.

CBT and graded exercise therapy have little impact according to the PACE trial, Prof Ponting states.

Ms Shorter points to some research indicating there are better ways to manage the disease.

Prof Ponting says the most impressive research, yet to be published, is that there is an immune signature of ME.

Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton turns to the petition's point about GPs not being aware of the condition.

Janet Sylvester explains doctors are not aware or do not understand it, adding that guidance seems to be "little used".

Prof Ponting points to anecdotal evidence from a doctor, who said he received just 15 mins of ME training.