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Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Skin Piercing and Tattooing) Amendment Order 2026 [Draft]
The next agenda item is consideration of a draft Scottish statutory instrument that requires approval by resolution of the Parliament before it can become law. The purpose of the instrument is to amend the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Skin Piercing and Tattooing) Order 2006 to remove the requirements for acupuncture therapists to wear disposable non-latex gloves should they know that the client whom they are treating is infected with a blood-borne virus. The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered the instrument at its meeting on 3 February 2026 and made no recommendations in relation to it.
We will have an evidence session with the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health and supporting officials on the instrument. Once any questions are answered, we will proceed to a formal debate on the motion.
I welcome Jenni Minto, the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, and, from the Scottish Government, Lucy Orren, who is a lawyer, and Alun Parry, who is the health protection team leader. I invite the minister to make a brief opening statement.
I thank the committee for giving me the opportunity to speak to the draft Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Skin Piercing and Tattooing) Amendment Order 2026. The instrument will amend an order made in 2006 that is used by local authorities to license and inspect any business that provides skin piercing or tattooing in Scotland and which lays out a number of requirements that are aimed at reducing the health risks to the public when accessing such procedures.
The amending order will remove the requirements for acupuncture therapists to wear disposable non-latex gloves when treating someone whom they know to be living with a blood-borne virus. Removing those requirements will remove any doubt for those therapists. It will be clear that they should not feel that they need to ask their client whether they are living with a blood-borne virus, which is a question that some people feel uncomfortable to answer. The amendment will also help to reduce the stigma that people living with a blood-borne virus might feel when accessing acupuncture treatment.
Other existing requirements to wear disposable non-latex gloves in certain circumstances will remain in place. For example, should the therapist be handling items that are contaminated with blood or bodily fluids, or if they or their client have open lesions, the requirement to wear disposable non-latex gloves will remain. Therapists make the decision on any other reason to wear disposable non-latex gloves through individual risk assessments case by case.
Since the original order came into force in 2006, there have been many advances in the treatment of blood-borne viruses. Vaccinations and antiviral medication mean that people can maintain healthy lives through the treatment options that are available. Those advances mean that transmission of HIV has greatly reduced. The hepatitis B vaccination that is offered today for babies and people who are at high risk provides protection against acquisition, and hepatitis C can also now be cleared with medication in most cases.
I must highlight that acupuncture is considered a low-risk procedure. Should therapists continue to feel that they need to ask their client about blood-borne viruses and treat them differently if they confirm a positive status, that is no longer considered to be justified, given the advances in treatment and the low risk that is posed by the procedure.
Sadly, people living with blood-borne viruses still face forms of stigma every day. The Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee held a focused inquiry in 2024 on the importance of reducing HIV stigma. It heard from people living with HIV in Scotland, who spoke about the stigma that they encounter and its effects, particularly in healthcare settings.
The Scottish Government remains committed to helping to reduce the stigma through promoting the positive impact of effective treatment and prevention that is available today, and by championing the changes that are required to ensure that people who live with blood-borne viruses are not treated any differently from others. The amendment to the 2006 order will assist in ensuring that people are not asked unnecessary questions when they seek treatment and will support us in delivering our commitment.
I can advise that, throughout the consultation, no stakeholders objected to amending the 2006 order to remove the provisions, and no evidence was provided to support further amendments to that order. It is not expected that the amendment will have any detrimental effect on businesses in Scotland.
Thank you for considering the amendment. I request the committee’s support to progress the order, and I welcome any questions that you might have to assist in your decision.
11:00
Thank you, minister, for your opening statement. No member has indicated that they have any questions at this point.
The next agenda item is the formal debate on the instrument on which we have just heard the minister’s statement. I remind the committee that officials may not speak in the debate. Minister, I ask you to speak to and move motion S6M-20591.
:I have nothing to add to my previous statement.
I move,
That the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee recommends that the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Skin Piercing and Tattooing) Amendment Order 2026 [draft] be approved.
Motion agreed to.
That concludes consideration of the instrument. The minister and officials are free to leave as the committee continues its work.
National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Primary Medical Services Section 17C Agreements) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 (SSI 2026/37)
The next item on our agenda is consideration of five negative instruments. The first is the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Primary Medical Services Section 17C Agreements) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2026. As part of the 2018 GP contract offer, it was agreed that pharmacotherapy and community treatment and care—CTAC—services would be provided by health board teams rather than GP practices. That arrangement was brought into law in 2022. The purpose of the instrument is to allow health boards to agree with GP practices that those practices will deliver part or some of those services if the health board is having serious difficulties in doing so and if certain criteria are met.
The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered the instrument on 10 February and made no recommendations in relation to it. No motion recommending annulment has so far been lodged in relation to the instrument.
As members do not have any comments, I propose that the committee does not make any recommendations in relation to the instrument. Are members content with that?
Members indicated agreement.
National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2026 (SSI 2026/42)
The second negative instrument is the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2026, which are to enable local authorities to calculate an appropriate contribution to be charged to residents in residential accommodation for the cost of that accommodation. The purpose of the instrument is to increase the value of savings credit disregard from £8.50 to £8.95 for a single person and from £12.60 to £13.25 for a couple, in line with the increase in average earnings, which is currently forecast at 4.8 per cent; and to increase the lower capital limit from £22,000 to £22,750 and the upper capital limit from £35,500 to £36,750, in line with the consumer prices index rise, which is forecast at 3.8 per cent.
The DPLR Committee considered the instrument on 17 February. It made no recommendations in relation to the instrument but noted that it would be helpful if the approach to rounding off the savings credit disregards was set out in the policy note to explain the difference between the figures and the stated percentage increase. Further background to that is set out in the DPLR Committee correspondence with the Scottish Government. No motion recommending annulment has so far been lodged in relation to the instrument.
As members do not have any comments, I propose that the committee does not make any recommendations in relation to the instrument. Are members content with that?
Members indicated agreement.
National Assistance (Sums for Personal Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 (SSI 2026/43)
The third negative instrument is the National Assistance (Sums for Personal Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2026, which, as with the previous instrument, are to enable local authorities to calculate an appropriate contribution to be charged to residents in residential accommodation for the cost of that accommodation. The purpose of the instrument is to increase the value of the personal expenses allowance in line with the increase in average earnings, which is 4.8 per cent. The weekly rate of the allowance will increase from £35.90 to £37.65 from 6 April 2026.
The DPLR Committee considered the instrument on 17 February and made no recommendations in relation to it. No motion recommending annulment has so far been lodged in relation to the instrument.
As members do not have any comments, I propose that the committee does not make any recommendations in relation to the instrument. Are members content with that?
Members indicated agreement.
National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026 (SSI 2026/54)
The fourth negative instrument is the National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026. The purpose of the instrument is to amend the National Health Service (Common Staffing Method) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, which specify the staffing level and professional judgment tools that must be used as part of the common staffing method for specified kinds of healthcare provision.
The DPLR Committee considered the instrument on 17 February and made no recommendations in relation to it. No motion recommending annulment has so far been lodged in relation to the instrument.
As members do not have any comments, I propose that the committee does not make any recommendations in relation to the instrument. Are members content with that?
Members indicated agreement.
Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Cancellation of Registration) Order 2026 (SSI 2026/64)
The fifth and final negative instrument that we are considering today is the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Cancellation of Registration) Order 2026. The purpose of the instrument is to prescribe the circumstances, other than following the giving of an improvement notice and the expiry of the period for improvement specified in it, in which the Care Inspectorate may use the power conferred by section 64(1) of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 to propose the cancellation of the registration of a care service that is registered under chapter 3 of part 5 of that act.
The DPLR Committee considered the instrument on 17 February and made no recommendations in relation to it. No motion recommending annulment has so far been lodged in relation to the instrument.
As members do not have any comments, I propose that the committee does not make any recommendations in relation to the instrument. Are members content with that?
Members indicated agreement.
At our next meeting, we will undertake periodic scrutiny of the work of Public Health Scotland. That concludes the public part of our meeting.
11:06
Meeting continued in private until 11:35.
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