Parliament Workbench
Data: Motions & questions to 19 Nov 2026 · Votes to 12 Nov 2026

Motion For Debate · S4M-05654 · Session 4

Health

Lodged by Jackson Carlaw Con Lodged 18 Feb 2013 Debate 20 Feb 2013

The motion

That the Parliament recognises the need to facilitate access to new medicines that are not routinely available or have not been approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC); notes that the current arrangements potentially deny NHS patients in Scotland access to some life-enhancing and life-extending drugs that are available to NHS patients in England, particularly for the treatment of cancer; accepts that, while the routine approval of individual drugs is rightly a matter for the SMC, it is equally the case that it is a decision for ministers to allocate appropriate alternative funding for medicines that are not routinely available in Scotland; notes concern at the slow uptake of new medicines in Scotland; believes that such problems need to be addressed to promote Scotland as a centre for medical innovation and research to benefit patients in the future, and calls on the Scottish Government to come forward with funding to afford access to new medicines in Scotland for cancer patients and others.

What MSPs voted on: the motion as amended

The Conservatives’ motion was rewritten by an SNP amendment (S4M-05654.2) before this vote. A vote ‘for’ was a vote for the SNP’s wording.

That the Parliament recognises the need to facilitate access to new medicines that are not routinely available or have not been approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC); notes that the current arrangements
129 words removed by S4M-05654.2potentially deny NHS patients in Scotland access to some life-enhancing and life-extending drugs that are available to NHS patients in England, particularly for the treatment of cancer; accepts that, while the routine approval of individual drugs is rightly a matter for the SMC, it is equally the case that it is a decision for ministers to allocate appropriate alternative funding for medicines that are not routinely available in Scotland; notes concern at the slow uptake of new medicines in Scotland; believes that such problems need to be addressed to promote Scotland as a centre for medical innovation and research to benefit patients in the future, and calls on the Scottish Government to come forward with funding to afford access to new medicines in Scotland for cancer patients and others.
S4M-05654.2 SNP for all aspects of access to new medicines are subject to an ongoing review; welcomes the introduction of the £21 million Rare Conditions Medicines Fund as an interim measure in response to advice by Professor Charles Swainson, who is undertaking the review of individual patient treatment request processes; accepts that routine approval of individual drugs is rightly a matter for the SMC and that, should the review highlight areas where these processes can be improved, these should be enacted quickly, and believes that the actual benefit to the patient and their quality of life must be the key consideration in determining the use of any new treatment or medicine and that the voices of patients and clinical experts must be heard in the assessment process.

Final wording as read into the Official Report at Decision Time. The marked changes are worked out by this site from the amendment texts and match that wording.

Amendments

  1. S4M-05654.2 SNP Alex Neil Agreed vote, 67–2
  2. S4M-05654.1 Labour Jackie Baillie Defeated vote, 54–61

Vote

No recorded vote on this motion. Most motions are never debated, and many that are debated are agreed without a division. Vote records are published from 2011.

Amendments

2
  1. S4M-05654.1
    Health
    Jackie Baillie Lab Lodged 19 Feb 2013
    Defeated
    54 for, 61 against
  2. S4M-05654.2
    Health
    Alex Neil SNP Lodged 19 Feb 2013
    Carried
    67 for, 2 against

Supporters

No MSP has added their name to this motion.

In the Official Report

3 contributions mention S4M-05654
  1. 20 Feb 2013
    Decision Time
    Tricia Marwick Meeting of the Parliament

    The next question is, that amendment S4M-05654.2, in the name of Alex Neil, which seeks to amend motion S4M-05654, in the name of Jackson Carlaw, on health, be agreed to. Are we agreed?Members: No.

  2. 20 Feb 2013
    Decision Time
    Tricia Marwick Meeting of the Parliament

    The next question is, that amendment S4M-05654.1, in the name of Jackie Baillie, which seeks to amend motion S4M-05654, in the name of Jackson Carlaw, on health, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?Members: No.

  3. 20 Feb 2013
    Decision Time
    Tricia Marwick Meeting of the Parliament

    The next question is that motion S4M-05654, in the name of Jackson Carlaw, on health, as amended, be agreed to.Motion, as amended, agreed to,That the Parliament recognises the need to facilitate access to new medicines that are not routine…