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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 4 May 2021
  6. Current session: 13 May 2021 to 17 December 2025
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Displaying 853 contributions

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Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Meeting date: 17 December 2024

Jenni Minto

I thank Brian Whittle for his question, and I recognise the picture that he painted at the start of it. When I visited a school in my constituency, I was pretty shocked to see the handful of disposable vapes that a teacher produced. Therefore, I absolutely understand where Mr Whittle is coming from.

I agree that we need to improve enforcement, which is why we, as a Government, have a very good and close working relationship with the local authorities. In answer to Gillian Mackay’s question I indicated that we are investing £3 million directly in local authorities to support enforcement, and we also have an important working relationship with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland. Moreover, we already have fixed penalty notices in place. The important message that will be sent with the passing of this bill and the additional UK-wide regulations on displaying vapes will, I hope, help with enforcement, too.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Meeting date: 17 December 2024

Jenni Minto

The Scottish Government works closely with local authorities and with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland on that. We invest about £3 million into that work and also £50,000 to ensure that we have that relationship.

One of the important things about the bill is the fact that it is across the four nations. The UK Government has invested £100 million over five years to support HM Revenue and Customs and border control to ensure that we can reduce the amount of illicit products coming in.

Enforcement is important and that is the work that we continue to do and have great conversations about with local authorities. We also have the register of tobacco and nicotine vapour product retailers in Scotland, which helps us. It includes every retailer that sells cigarettes and other nicotine products, so we can get that information from them as well.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Meeting date: 17 December 2024

Jenni Minto

That is a very good question. I will hand over to Ruth Foulis.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Meeting date: 17 December 2024

Jenni Minto

The focus of our work over the next 10 years—or nine years, because it is a year since it was launched—is on the tobacco and vaping framework, which looks towards a tobacco-free Scotland in 2034. The UK legislation came in as we were developing our framework, and the Scottish Government has been very pleased to support it because we believe that it moves not only Scotland, but the entire UK, into the ballpark of aiming to be tobacco and vape free in 2034.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Meeting date: 17 December 2024

Jenni Minto

That is correct. Clause 60 of the bill sets out that the meaning of “nicotine product” includes

“nicotine, or any substance containing nicotine, which is intended to be delivered into the human body”

but we still need ways of providing cessation products for people who wish to cease smoking.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

I will reflect on that, but Tom is shaking his head.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

Public dental services are a very important part of our dental tapestry in Scotland and, as you highlighted, they provide emergency support. In areas where there has been an issue with high-street dentistry, we have worked closely with health boards by working directly with the public dental service. I can reference NHS Shetland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in that regard. We are considering how we can support them, whether it is providing funding for additional dentistry support or supporting them in other ways.

That is the work that we have been doing to date, and it will continue with the new budget. As part of the funding in the new budget, £100 million has been set aside to support entry into primary care, and we will look to spend it in dentistry to support access.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

Absolutely. That reflects my experience with regard to the graveyard that was around the museum that I worked in.

It is clear that South Ayrshire Council did fantastic work in response to the recent flooding of graves. It has done proportionate work to support families who were severely impacted and distressed by the flooding incident that happened there.

It is very much the case that local authorities have to look at gravestones and do the appropriate, proportionate work to them—whether that means, as you described, staking them, or looking at ones that might be of cultural or historical significance and perhaps doing more. We do not expect the regulations to change the work that councils are currently doing with regard to graveyards and gravestones.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

It is important that people are registered with a dentist, because timely access is important if they need to see a dentist. However, there is also emergency access to dentistry within hospitals, for people who need that.

It is important that we have the right workforce within our practices. We are now very much concentrating on ensuring that we have the right number of dentists. As Tom Ferris indicated, that means not only dentists but dentistry teams, so we are looking at the importance of dental therapists and ensuring that there is the right training and governance to allow patients to see the appropriate person in a dental practice and at the right time.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Health Service Dental Services

Meeting date: 10 December 2024

Jenni Minto

We recognise that we need to improve that. I pass over to Tom Ferris to give you the details.