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I recognise that payment reform is not the remedy to the problem of ensuring sustainability for all. As well as introducing such reform, the Scottish Government is considering a range of workforce initiatives to improve the recruitment and retention of dentists, including using the direct access model and utilising dental therapists to provide more NHS care. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is keen to be involved in that. The chief dental officer, his team and I are also working with the other UK nations to increase the pipeline of dentists coming from overseas, which I hope will improve our ability to sustain dentistry services in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to maintaining access to NHS dentistry in Scotland, and our reformed fee structure has been designed to make continued delivery of NHS care more attractive to independent practices.

Despite our significant reform, I acknowledge that access remains challenging in Greenock and Inverclyde. Therefore, as I set out to the member in my previous response, my officials are building closer working relationships with NHS boards—including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde—on localised matters to ensure that there are mitigating actions to support access to urgent and emergency dental care, while also supporting boards to be innovative and flexible.

I found my visit to Weir and McClafferty very informative, and it re-emphasised to me the importance of having dentists on our high streets. Mr McMillan is right to say that the situation is not unique to Scotland. However, we have a strong track record in recruiting dentists, with 57 dentists per 100,000 of our population, compared with 42 in England and 46 in Wales.

On 1 November 2023, the Scottish Government delivered a significant intervention through the introduction of root-and-branch NHS dental payment reform. That preserved the activity-based payment, which dentists are used to, but it also updated fee levels to ensure that they reflect the increased costs of modern dentistry. In that way, we aim to provide longer-term sustainability and encourage the dental sector to increase its existing NHS provision. Our reform has been largely welcomed and well received by dentists. I am encouraged by the sector’s positive actions as it continues to get on with the job of providing NHS care to patients.

Over the past year we have been working hard to achieve the correct payment structures to ensure that we can have sustainable dentistry services. Unfortunately, Brexit has resulted in a reduction in the pipeline of dentists from overseas coming to Scotland and to the rest of the UK. That is why, in one of my earlier responses, I highlighted that I have been working across the four nations, with the public health ministers in Wales, Northern Ireland and England, to ensure that we can work together to increase that pipeline and that dentists who are practising in Scotland but who are from overseas can improve their access to the exams that allow them to practise the full range of dentistry services in Scotland.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to understand its plans for dental provision, including mitigations for practice closures.

Current plans include a pilot in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency to provide emergency dental services in Greenock health centre. In addition to targeted local action, Inverclyde qualifies for national support schemes such as the Scottish dental access initiative, which pays out up to £100,000 for establishing, relocating or extending practices, and for recruitment and retention allowances, which pay up to £37,500 to new dentists in the first three years of practice.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I apologise, but my phone did not connect. I would have voted yes.

I thank Ms Gallacher for the support that she has given to the bill and the interest that she has taken in this issue. Although we might not agree on the amendment, I have no doubt that it was lodged because of a desire to see the bill implemented successfully, and I found the conversations that we had to be very helpful as we moved forward with the bill. As Ms Gallacher acknowledged, I had concerns about requiring signage, which I set out to the committee at stage 2, but I thank her for lodging the amendment again at stage 3 and allowing me to set out my concerns to the chamber. I will be brief.

Ms Mackay will also speak about the concerns involved, particularly those of service providers, so I will say only that I share those concerns and her hesitancy in overruling service providers when there is some doubt as to the effectiveness of signage.

However, I want to highlight what the bill already requires and how that will be supplemented by the Scottish Government. The bill already includes a considerable package of efforts to ensure that those affected by zones will be made aware of them and their effects. First, as members are aware, the bill requires that the Scottish ministers publish and maintain a list of all safe access zones in Scotland. That list must include not only the name and address of every premises but a map that clearly identifies the zone.

The Scottish Government is committed to a targeted publicity campaign, which will include writing to known anti-abortion groups to make them aware of safe access zones and the criminal sanctions attached to activities that would result in an offence. We continue to work through the full details of the campaign, but it is likely to involve leaflet drops to residents in the zones and notices in public venues such as general practitioner surgeries.

Police Scotland has told us of the approach that it anticipates taking to policing zones. There will be a graduated response, beginning with engagement, explanation and encouragement before any enforcement action is taken.

For those reasons, I remain of the view that signage would do little to raise awareness of zones in a way that could not be achieved by other means. I thank Ms Gallacher for lodging amendment 2, but I am pleased to hear that she does not intend to press it.

No, I have nothing to add.

I thank Ms Mackay for her supportive words. As members have heard, this amendment is not contentious, and I therefore ask them to support it and vote for it.

Amendment 1 agreed to.

After section 3

As I said at the start of my comments, the aim from the outset of the process has been to protect access to healthcare and to ensure that those accessing or providing services can do so free from, and without fear of, intimidation, harassment or public judgment. I believe that Ms Hamilton wants to ensure that the effectiveness of zones is given full consideration. Therefore, although I cannot support amendment 8, I commit to working closely with her over the summer on the scope and terms of the review to ensure that they bring valuable and holistic scrutiny if the bill is passed today, which I believe is what Ms Hamilton is looking for.

I hope that that provides Ms Hamilton and the Parliament as a whole with the assurances that are required. Therefore, I urge Ms Hamilton not to press her amendment, and I urge members not to support it in the event that it is pressed.