Brian Whittle
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“As Jamie Halcro Johnston said, roads, rail networks and ferries—we keep coming back to ferries—are key to keeping those communities where they are and stopping migration away from them. The chamber will welcome the fact that this— eventually—is my last speech in this parliamentary session.”
“Speaking as somebody who got his first mobile phone—a brick of a thing—at the age of 32, I find that quite astonishing. It is important that pupils have the opportunity to put their phones down in school, but also important is what happens outside school.”
“As always, I want to introduce a slightly different approach to the subject and so I will talk about how we should develop health policy. We must start from the position that services should be available to our communities no matter where they are, whether they are urban, rural or on islands.”
“It is interesting that the girls attitudes survey carried out by Girlguiding UK in 2025 found that girls are restricting their online activity in order to protect themselves, with more than a third of respondents reporting that they avoid using certain apps and platforms in order to protect themselves.”
“It is a pleasure to follow Beatrice Wishart, who, as we all know, has been a real champion for her communities in the time that she has spent here.”
“That was an interesting question from Mr Harvie, as the Scottish Greens have spent the majority of this session of Parliament demonising our farmers and food producers.”
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“I have been fortunate enough to work with them, and to be cared for by them as an unexpected secret shopper last week. I have seen at first hand the world-class care that they provide—it is exemplary. I also agree that we need to see change in the system. We have published three documents in order to move that forward: the operational improvement plan, which I have been speaking about, the population health framework and the service renewal framework. I have engaged with Mr Whittle on all of those. There is a rather larger consensus on some of the steps within those documents than might be portrayed in the election campaign that we are about to embark on. NHS Grampian (Savings) 8.”
“I place on record my thanks to all the hard-working NHS staff, including those in A and E. The excess deaths that are associated with long waiting times in A and E departments do not lie at their door but are the fault of the system that has been created. With that in mind, does the cabinet secretary agree that it is time for a new approach, to be agreed to by this Parliament, that includes whole- system measures, such as deploying technology and investing in prevention and social care, to make the NHS sustainable for years to come? Neil Gray: There are a number of points on which I am in agreement with Brian Whittle. The first is in relation to his tribute to our NHS and social care staff for the incredible work that they do.”
“A number of pieces of work are already under way on various mechanisms that make it easier for local suppliers and smaller producers to access public sector contracts. More broadly, we have always been keen to make the point that nature and climate are not working against food production. We need to deal with the climate and nature challenges that we face if we are looking to secure food production for the future and, ultimately, make our farmers and crofters and their businesses more resilient. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Question 7 was not lodged. Community Right to Buy Review 8.”
“That was an interesting question from Mr Harvie, as the Scottish Greens have spent the majority of this session of Parliament demonising our farmers and food producers. Rather than relying on imported food, which increases our carbon emissions, how is the Scottish Government supporting local procurement avenues, including by encouraging informal co-operatives to bid for contracts? Mairi Gougeon: Brian Whittle has raised that issue with me on a number of occasions, and I think that we and members across the Parliament are keen to deliver on it. The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 and the very first good food nation plan are key to delivering on that. They recognise that procurement is a powerful tool to lever in more support for our local producers.”
“I invite Mr Halcro Johnston to move such a motion. Motion moved, That, under rule 8.14.3, the debate be extended by up to 30 minutes.—[Jamie Halcro Johnston] Motion agreed to. 14:22”
“As Jamie Halcro Johnston said, roads, rail networks and ferries—we keep coming back to ferries—are key to keeping those communities where they are and stopping migration away from them. The chamber will welcome the fact that this— eventually—is my last speech in this parliamentary session. If we are to deliver for all our communities, including our islands and rural communities, we will require to do something that this Parliament has been very poor at: cross-portfolio working. That is what we need to do if we are to deliver people’s basic needs across all our communities. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Before I call the next speaker, in order to protect the time available for each member who wants to participate, I am minded to accept a motion without notice, under rule 8.14.3 of standing orders, to extend the debate by up to 30 minutes.”
“I have tried to bring to the chamber my belief that healthcare will be revolutionised by the adoption of technology. No one will benefit more from that than our rural communities across Scotland—it is they who will benefit disproportionately. We are way behind the rest of the world in adopting that kind of technology, which will deliver services in a more effective way across our country. Connectivity, which has been mentioned, is a lifeline for all our communities. I live in East Kilbride. I know how poor the roads are there, how infrequent the buses are, how infrequent the rail services are and how difficult it is for people to get out of their cars. For rural and island communities, connectivity is a lifeline.”
“As always, I want to introduce a slightly different approach to the subject and so I will talk about how we should develop health policy. We must start from the position that services should be available to our communities no matter where they are, whether they are urban, rural or on islands. We should all have access to GPs and to dentistry, pharmacy, accident and emergency, and maternity services. Access to those things should be statutory across our country, no matter what. The same should be said for education and community activity. However, how we deliver that uniformity of service will vary across urban, rural and island settings. There is an acceptance, especially in our rural and island communities, that people will require to travel to access some services—for example, trauma or specialist health services.”
“It is a pleasure to follow Beatrice Wishart, who, as we all know, has been a real champion for her communities in the time that she has spent here. I also pay tribute to my friend and colleague Oliver Mundell, who has shown us what a constituency MSP should be, and to John Mason, with whom I have had the pleasure of working in the community. I say to John that working with him has always been interesting—I will leave it there. I also pay tribute to Mairi Gougeon, who is, frustratingly, always happy and upbeat no matter what the situation. Although we disagree on some things, I know that she and I share a passion for locally produced food. We have worked hard together on that, and I appreciate her support. I thank Jamie Halcro Johnston for bringing this debate to the Parliament.”
“If we are going to restrict or ban mobile phones in schools, which I fully support, we must ensure that other things are available to our children that take their attention away from their phones. 13:30”
“I have never seen anybody play piano while scrolling through social media. It is not just about what we want to limit in terms of mobile phone usage, but about what we are offering as an alternative to encourage young people into other activities. It is also not necessarily just our children we need to persuade; we also need to persuade parents that it is a good idea. It used to be that, when parents wanted to contact their children at school, they phoned the office. If children wanted to contact their parents, they, too, did so through the office. We need to consider all of that in the round. It is not like me to agree with Willie Rennie on much, but on this issue I do.”
“Speaking as somebody who got his first mobile phone—a brick of a thing—at the age of 32, I find that quite astonishing. It is important that pupils have the opportunity to put their phones down in school, but also important is what happens outside school. We must remember that children have access to smartphones and social media when the school day is over. What are we doing to educate them on their safe usage, to model positive behaviour and to discourage misogyny online? I talked about what I learned from a girl guides leader, which was about activities that they have decided they will put their phones down for. It would not be a speech by me, Deputy Presiding Officer, if I did not slide sport into it. I have never known of, nor ever seen, somebody dribbling a basketball down a basketball court while scrolling through social media.”
“It is interesting that the girls attitudes survey carried out by Girlguiding UK in 2025 found that girls are restricting their online activity in order to protect themselves, with more than a third of respondents reporting that they avoid using certain apps and platforms in order to protect themselves. More than two fifths of the young people surveyed think that more needs to be done to ensure that they are safe online. Girls are disproportionately affected, with over a third of 11 to 21-year-old girls saying that “they often feel depressed after spending time on social media.” To put the issue in context, we have to understand that those who were born in the early 2000s will never have known a life without social media. Those who were born from the 2010s onwards will never have known a life without smartphones.”
“I was speaking with a girl guide leader—let us call her Kaley from my office—who told me that leaders and girls in her unit create rules together, including rules on mobile phones. In her unit, the girls unanimously voted to ban phones during the unit meetings, and she told me that that has been replicated across the other units that she knows. We are very good at banning things and taking things away from youths without involving them in those decisions. I also think that what we are talking about doing in this debate is not too far removed from what the youth of today want themselves.”
“I thank my colleague Pam Gosal not only for bringing this important debate to the chamber, but for telling me what I need to speak about for the next four minutes. We are all very aware of the significant impact on health that the use of social media and smartphones can have, especially on our youngsters’ brain development. One thing that I want to talk about, which has not been spoken about yet, is how we engage with youths to make them part of the decision making. Youth organisations consistently say that decision makers must include young people in conversations about safe social media use and support them to participate meaningfully in the digital world and with new emerging technologies.”
“The First Minister will know about my passionate belief that sport is a force for good in our communities. Declining physical literacy levels among our children are directly linked to increasingly poor health outcomes in Scotland, and I say that as a performance coach of some 25 years. We have a fantastic summer of sport on the way, which, I am sure, we are all relishing, but how will the Scottish Government ensure that the summer of sport will have a positive legacy and impact on the health and wellbeing of all the people in Scotland across all our communities?”
“We move to the open debate, with back-bench members having speeches of up to four minutes, as I said. 10:08”
“We must make it easier to take part. It has been 10 years since I first spoke in the chamber on sport and activity. As I reflect on what has changed since I raised those issues, it is hard to say anything other than that, overall, Scotland is unhealthier, which is in part the result of sport becoming ever more difficult to access. Sport and activity are supposed to be for all. I urge the Parliament in the next session to take more seriously the role of sport and activity and their positive impact on health, community cohesion and national pride. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Before we commence the open debate, I note that a couple of speakers who had previously indicated that they might wish to speak have not pressed their request-to-speak button.”
“We need to give more people the opportunity to volunteer, and I will offer an idea to increase the sector. How about, as part of an employment package, we develop a system whereby, as employees reach retirement, they get the opportunity to sit coaching qualifications in an activity of their choice? That would be paid for jointly by the employer and the Government, and both sport and the volunteer sector would benefit. We have a fantastic summer of sport to look forward to, and those events will create national pride and emotion—all positive, of course. If we are to realise and optimise the opportunities that that legacy offers, we must consider how all our community can benefit and how we can ensure that all our people have access. That will require a consistent, joined-up and inclusive generational plan over a period of time.”
“There must be participation pathways that make participation easy. By the time that secondary school is reached, more formal sport should be an option, and that should again be linked to community opportunities. One issue that I am currently working on is how we deliver sport and activity in a way that includes those who are becoming serious about the sport as well as those who participate just for fun, camaraderie, health and inclusion. The competition structure is not what it used to be, and we need to recreate that opportunity. I believe that that can be done within the resource that we currently have. University sports and clubs await those who are keen to keep their competitive sport going, and many of Scotland’s great achievements have come through that route. I want to speak briefly about volunteers.”
“There is an opportunity to use the 1,140 hours of free nursery care to embed active play and a better relationship with food while we are at it. I would like training modules in childcare to include the development of active play and a healthy diet. Incidentally, that would also allow for continuing professional development in the sector. That would lay the foundation for primary school, where that already embedded activity and physical literacy could be further developed, still with play and fun at the forefront, through the school curriculum and the active schools network. That would ensure that all have access. As pupils develop through school activities, that should be reflected and connected through opportunities that are available in communities, and linked in with sports governing bodies.”
“He is still traumatised by his experience because, as he quickly learned, if you do not train for a sport, those who do will quickly demonstrate your frailties. If we want to witness a sport that has changed and enhanced the lives of those who take part, we need look no further than the powerchair football community. The education environment is the key battleground in laying the foundations for an active and healthy long life. If we are to create an active community and reverse the declining health of the nation, we must develop a cohesive policy that connects from birth to old age. Much of the blueprint for later life, including for the cardiovascular system, bone density and the neuromuscular system, develops pre-school.”
“The truth is that the answer is, “A bit of both.” One of my favourite quotes is from Henry Ford, who said: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t— you're right.” However, before you can believe that you can, you have to be aware of—and have access to— opportunity in the first place. We should all want to have access to sport and activity, no matter what the personal circumstances. I have had the pleasure of meeting many participants across sport who have been offered that opportunity. I give a big shout-out to the Ayrshire Tigers powerchair football team, to whom I am eternally grateful for giving me the opportunity to put a parliamentary team against them—a team that included Alexander Stewart, who thought that he had found his sport because he could do it sitting down.”
“My two eldest grandsons—one plays for Ayr United Football Club and the other is on a Scottish Rugby Union pathway—are taking advantage of opportunities that are afforded to them that too many of our children do not have. In many cases, that is because there is no network to support funding of the travel, the kit, the clubs, the availability to participate and all the associated costs. The children of my tribe are lucky, because their parents and grandparents are able to support their aspirations in that way. “Nature or nurture?” is the perennial question.”
“The decline in investment in real-time sports and activities, from an already low level, the increasingly difficult access to sport and activity and a lack of understanding of the potential impact of sport on society have exacerbated our already poor health outcomes. My daughters have always played sport. The eldest two competed internationally. The youngest is in sixth year and shows real promise. Her chances of becoming an Olympian are 0.0003 per cent. Nevertheless, if she stays in sport, the chances of her staying in a leadership position increase by 70 per cent, her risk of disease lowers by 40 per cent and her risk of developing mental health issues decreases by 40 per cent. Sport not only benefits our physical and mental health but gives us the tools and foundations that we need in life.”
“Obesity levels, type 2 diabetes, drug and alcohol deaths and the need for treatment for poor mental health, to name but a few of those indicators, have continued to deteriorate. We are the unhealthiest country in Europe and one of the unhealthiest in the world. Our healthy life expectancy is reducing—it has dipped below 60 years of age, with a huge differentiation between areas 1 and 5 on the Scottish index of multiple deprivation. That worries me greatly, not just because I am well beyond that age milestone. The decline in children’s physical literacy over the past few decades is directly linked to the decline in the health of the nation.”
“If we help them to achieve that, no matter what discipline they are involved in, it will have a profound effect across all … aspects of their lives … However, if we choose to ignore the issue”— or if we decide that the task is too difficult to tackle, it is guaranteed that, in five years, not only will the issue remain but— “the situation will continue to deteriorate, with the result that health inequality will increase and the attainment gap that we want to eliminate will widen.”—[Official Report, 7 June 2016; c 25.] When I said that, I was youngish, had 20:20 vision and had no grey hair. I was also 10kg lighter, optimistic and enthusiastic. However, on health—whether physical or mental—and on education, we have made very little progress since then. In fact, many health indicators have got markedly worse.”
“I have been warned. My passion lies in the firm belief that education is the solution to health and welfare issues. By education, I mean not only academia but coaching in sport, the arts, drama, music and any activity that can engage, enthuse and engender a passion in our youngsters. I will quote from my first speech in the Parliament, which I made 10 years ago: “If we choose to open up choices to our children and allow them opportunities to find their passion … stoke their enthusiasm and engender self-belief, self-motivation, self awareness and a drive towards achievement, whatever they decide that achievement will be … they will seek to make better lifestyle choices”, and I believe that we can teach them to do so. I also said: “The importance of self-awareness cannot be overstated.”
“Presiding Officer, as it is clear that the Scottish Government was offered numerous options to address the crisis in social care but opted simply to reject those, it is important that the cabinet secretary has the opportunity to correct the record at her earliest convenience. I seek your confirmation that you will grant her the opportunity, when she requests it, to address that misrepresentation of the facts.”
“I also note that the Auditor General and the Institute for Fiscal Studies, among others, provided commentary on the budget that explored social care in some detail. What was said has become the monotonous response from the Scottish Government to just about any question that the Opposition asks. It is a lazy response, which is designed to ensure that the Scottish Government avoids any kind of thought that may be required to answer questions that we raise on behalf of our constituents. I have raised this point of order out of a real frustration that it seems that the Government has given up altogether on the idea of accountability. That is not what we should expect for our Parliament. As we work towards the next session, I hope that the next Government will do better and that we will get back to what this place is supposed to be.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I apologise to members for raising this point at this late hour. During finance and local government portfolio question time today, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government stated: “If there are members in the chamber who think that that is inadequate”— that is, the funding of social care— “they need to tell us by how much and where the money would come from. I did not hear that in the course of the budget bill.” However, a review of the Official Report shows that the subject was raised at all three stages of that bill, including a suggestion from the convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee about exploring multiyear funding during a debate on the 2026-27 budget, as well as in contributions from MSPs including Craig Hoy, Liz Smith and Jackie Baillie at all stages.”
“Shona Robison: I have set out that the budget provides real-terms increases, with £15.7 billion for local government and almost £22.5 billion for health and social care. If there are members in the chamber who think that that is inadequate, they need to tell us by how much and where the money would come from. I did not hear that in the course of the budget bill. It is easy to demand more money without saying where the money should come from. There is a question whether the money in the system is working as effectively as it could. My suggestion and request to the Parliament in the next session is that it looks at whether local systems and their resources are working as intended.”
“As we have heard, East Ayrshire faces a staggering £10 million health and social care budget gap next year. To mitigate that, the council will be forced into management actions, including reducing care home capacity and re-evaluating care packages to find £5.6 million in savings. Although East Ayrshire currently boasts low community assessment waits, the average hospital discharge delay has doubled to 64 days. Given that NHS Ayrshire and Arran is now at stage 4 on the intervention framework, does the cabinet secretary truly believe that the budget is fair when it forces local authorities to choose between financial insolvency and cutting the very front-line care that prevents our local health boards from total collapse?”
“I have come to the conclusion that there is no right answer here. I began my speech by saying that I believe instinctively in choice, but it must be real choice. I have come to the conclusion that, if I have any doubts, I cannot vote for the bill. At the end of life, we should have the option of choosing how we depart this planet on our own terms. Unfortunately, to my deep regret, I do not think that the bill, in the current social climate, meets the high bar that is required to pass assisted dying legislation. Given those concerns, I cannot, in all conscience, vote for the bill. 21:02”
“My aunt recently died of stomach cancer. In the middle of the night, she was on her hands and knees in agony, waiting for pain relief to arrive. However, she eventually accessed palliative care, which gave her a much more comfortable last week or so and a much better experience for her and the family. Too often, we have heard that appropriate end- of-life care is not accessible, be that palliative care, social care or general care. As the need increases, cuts are being made. Shame on us. It has to be better than that. I know that, whatever way we vote today, we will be seriously letting down a huge swathe of the public. My decision comes down to having evaluated everything that I have heard in evidence, in the debate on amendments, both in the chamber and in committee, and through my community.”
“It is not about other care provision, but assisted dying cannot be seen in isolation. I mentioned giving choice to people, but it must be a real choice. It must be a choice that includes appropriate palliative care, social care and medical care. Without those elements of care, it is no choice at all. I hear that East Ayrshire Council is reporting a £10 million deficit in its social care budget, which will inevitably result in cuts to services. I hear that North Ayrshire Council is delivering critical care only. Only yesterday, on a visit to care services, I was told of a couple who are having their care package cut, and they are now waiting for the outcome of this bill. That is being replicated across Scotland. Many members have talked about their own experiences. I have not done that yet, but tonight I will.”
“I remain concerned about the exclusion of pharmacists from the healthcare framework, despite their expertise in the supply, handling and effects of medicines and other drugs, and the lack of safeguards for other healthcare professionals. Similarly, there are concerns about the risk of coercion, especially in the amendments that allow for doctors to raise the subject of assisted dying with patients at their discretion. The doctor-patient relationship involves a profound degree of trust. To my mind, a doctor proposing assisted dying to a patient as an option could compromise that trust and risk the patient feeling pressurised towards a choice that they may not otherwise make. The bill has shone a much-needed light on palliative care, social care and general access to medical care.”
“It strikes me that, after 10 years in this place, where I consider some of our interactions and some debates to have been less than ideal political discourse, we are finally getting to show what this Parliament really can be. At stage 1, I voted for the principles of the bill. I did so because my instinct is to allow choice, even though the choice of an assisted death is not one that I can ever imagine making for myself. I recognise that, thankfully, I have never been in that position. The fact that it is not a choice that we, as individuals, would make or believe in does not mean that we should automatically take that choice away from others. However, it is, of course, not black and white. I had serious reservations about the bill as drafted, and I said that it would have to be significantly amended.”
“On a topic on which many members are either vehemently opposed or passionately supportive, we have seen both sides seek to have a genuine, constructive and respectful debate on the substance of the bill. I commend colleagues across the chamber on both sides of that debate. I make special mention of Liam McArthur and his team for their efforts in introducing the bill. I also want to highlight the fact that members and their staff have worked incredibly hard to make the debate worthy of such a significant issue. There are those who are vehemently against the bill and there are those who strongly support it. I absolutely respect our colleagues’ right to their positions.”
“As I said in my opening speech, I believe that the bill that we will vote on today is a balanced one that will achieve public safety aims, especially the protection of those under 18, as was noted by Gillian Mackay and Carol Mochan, while protecting a thriving sector. The bill has benefited from contributions from across the chamber and I hope that members of all parties will join me in voting for it at decision time today. I urge the Parliament to support the bill and to pass it into legislation.”
“I thank all members for their contributions. Intervention to regulate a growing and changing sector is not easy, so I have welcomed the support and the constructive challenge that I have received. I am also grateful for the careful consideration given to part 2 of the bill, even though that has not been the focus of today’s debate. In my time as Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, public safety has been my absolute priority, and the bill delivers its public safety aims in a proportionate way. I am, again, thankful to Stuart McMillan and others who regularly met me to discuss the impact that the matter has had on their constituents.”
“I have instructed officials to consider that requirement, and particularly the requirement for healthcare professionals to be on site at all times in relation to businesses that offer a mix of procedures that are regulated by the bill and other beauty treatments or licensable activities. I hope that Brian Whittle and Alex Cole-Hamilton will recognise that the Government is listening. Colin Beattie talked about establishing a professional body for non-healthcare-professional practitioners. As he commented, that is not something that the Scottish Government can specifically do. However, we would be happy to facilitate introductory discussions between the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care and a representative group wishing to establish a register of practitioners with a view to accreditation in the future.”
“We are proposing to commence offences under the bill in September 2027, giving a good lead-in for all concerned and time for businesses to adapt. I will highlight one very helpful meeting that I had recently, which was hosted by Davy Russell and included some of Fulton MacGregor’s constituents. We discussed the impact of regulation 12(b) of the Healthcare Improvement Scotland (Requirements as to Independent Health Care Services) Regulations 2011, which requires that a suitably qualified healthcare professional will be “working within the independent health care service whilst service users are present”. That would include an independent clinic or hospital that falls within the definition of “permitted premises” in section 4 of the bill.”
“As Carol Mochan says, it will strengthen standards. I very much thank Dr Gulhane for his engagement on the bill. I have found it incredibly helpful and challenging, and I appreciate the suggestions and proposals that he has made throughout the work on the bill. I also thank Gillian Mackay for her comments and her wider engagement, specifically on cleft palate, and in particular for her comments on under-18s. I also wish to address the comments that were made by a number of people about the impact on businesses. I was clear in my opening speech that I do not take those impacts lightly, and I am confident that the bill is necessary to protect public safety. Nevertheless, I expect the Scottish Government to continue to work closely with businesses to mitigate the impact wherever possible.”
“16:31 Jenni Minto: I thank all colleagues in the chamber for their constructive comments on part 1 of the bill. Stuart McMillan is absolutely right: when we are confronted by someone who has been impacted by some procedure, it highlights the change that it has made to some people’s lives. I, too, thank all MSPs who have engaged with me and the bill team. I welcome the comments on patient safety and on the importance of having the right setting for delivering safe care, which was mentioned by everybody who spoke in the debate. It is crucial that the procedures that are regulated by the bill are delivered in safe, hygienic settings, where providers have support from healthcare professionals and access to emergency medications where required. The bill delivers those safe settings for all procedures.”
“In developing the regulations, there is more work to be done alongside small businesses, such as remote clinical oversight or a national accreditation pathway for trained non- medical practitioners. Small businesses are not short on solutions; they just need a Government that is willing to listen to them. Part 2, which amends the Certification of Death (Scotland) Act 2011, is a less contentious but deeply important part of the bill. By expanding the types of medical certificates of cause of death that can be reviewed, we provide greater clarity and reassurance for grieving families. The bill is a step in the right direction. If we can get the regulations right—making them proportionate, workable and focused on safety— we can support innovation, protect customers and provide a solid foundation for the sector’s future.”
“Although consumer safety is at the heart of the bill, applying regulation to an established and diverse industry for the first time is a complex challenge. We have to strike the right balance: if we move too fast or burden businesses with an excessive bureaucratic process, we risk creating a flawed system that can be exploited by unscrupulous operators, and that might deter professionals from working in the sector. I have been clear throughout this process: we need well-designed regulations that improve safety for customers without making compliance an impossible financial or administrative burden for reputable businesses. The Scottish Government needs to go further. It needs to heed the warnings from the Federation of Small Businesses.”
“When untrained individuals use unlicensed products in unvetted settings, it does not just put the public at risk, it undermines the reputation of responsible professional providers who strive for excellence. Working alongside the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Non-surgical Procedures) Order 2026, the legislation will allow for a two-tiered approach that is proportionate to risk level. Low-risk procedures, such as superficial chemical peels or microneedling at shallow depths, can be regulated through premises-based licensing. Higher-risk procedures, such as Botox, thread lifts and deeper chemical peels, will rightly require a clear focus on the competence and oversight of the individual who is administering the treatment.”
“I rise to close the stage 3 debate on the Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives. This is a significant piece of legislation that seeks to bring much-needed order to two different yet equally vital areas of Scottish life—the rapidly expanding aesthetics industry and the sensitive processes surrounding the certification of death. I turn to part 1 of the bill. We must acknowledge that Scotland’s non-surgical sector is a genuine success story. It is a fast-growing industry and, notably, it is predominantly female owned and led, and we should celebrate that. However, for too long, the sector has operated in a regulatory vacuum. The absence of a robust framework does a disservice to many high-quality professional businesses that operate across our communities.”
“Amendment 36 disagreed to. Amendment 37 not moved. Schedule 1—Specified non-surgical procedures Amendments 8 and 9 moved—[Jenni Minto]— and agreed to. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That ends consideration of amendments. As members will be aware, the Presiding Officer is required under standing orders to decide whether, in her view, any provision of a bill relates to a protected subject matter—that is, whether it modifies the electoral system and franchise of Scottish parliamentary elections. In the case of the Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill, in the Presiding Officer’s view, no provision relates to a protected subject matter. Therefore, the bill does not require a supermajority to be passed at stage 3. Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill”