Cameron Walker

MANY BLOOD CANCER PATIENTS receive intensive chemotherapy, in some cases followed by a stem cell transplant, to treat their cancer. The chemotherapy can damage the protective lining of the GI tract and reduce the number of disease-fighting immune cells called neutrophils in the blood. These changes leave patients vulnerable to infections, including from a source people don’t often think about: the food they eat.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must assess the likely significant environmental effects of a ‘project’ in full before planning permission is granted. A key issue arising in practice is “project splitting”, which occurs when connected elements of a larger project are treated as separate for the purpose of planning and EIA.

The Scottish Government has formally published the Shetland Islands Regional Marine Plan (SIRMP), the first statutory regional marine plan of its kind in Scotland, marking a major milestone for marine governance in the Northern Isles.