Chamber and committees

Give me a wee second to finish that thought, please, given that it is 19:03.

There are different permitted reasons for carrying out muirburn, depending on whether it is on peatland and whether it is carried out during the muirburn season.

I give way to Mr Carson.

I do not really understand what the member meant by “whatever”, but I am sure that the member, and all members, would agree on the principle of minimising the risk of economic, social and environmental damage to our peatland and grouse areas. Licences will be granted appropriately in season, and will be granted outside the season only if the licensing authority is satisfied that it is absolutely necessary to do so.

Section 11 already restricts when the Scottish ministers—or NatureScot, if the function is delegated to it—can grant a muirburn licence. My amendment 86, alongside amendments 88 and 89, adds further restrictions, which would mean that a muirburn licence could not be granted to burn on non-peatland outwith the muirburn season for the purpose of managing the habitats of moorland game or wildlife or for the purpose of improving the grazing potential of moorland for livestock.

My amendments would also mean that a licence could be granted to burn on non-peatland outwith the season for the purposes of

“conserving, restoring, enhancing or managing the natural environment ... preventing, or reducing the risk of, wildfires ... or ... research”,

but only if it is considered

“that it is necessary to do so.”

That is in line with the principle of minimising the risk of economic, social and environmental damage, and it reflects what is currently set out in the 1946 act. I believe that there are important safeguards to ensure that the bill operates as intended.

I move amendment 86.

I apologise for not picking up the essence of Mr Carson’s first intervention, but Rachael Hamilton helped to clarify it, as did the minister. My understanding is that merlin breed on grouse moors. Sometimes, when muirburn is carried out, that can affect those birds and their ability to survive. I will not rehearse what I said, but I am glad to hear that the minister agrees with my reasons for lodging those amendments.

Amendment 86 moved—[Emma Harper]—and agreed to.

Amendment 87 moved—[Rachael Hamilton].

The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 sets out a vision for Scotland to be a nation

“where people ... take pride and pleasure in, and benefit from, the food they produce”,

purchase and prepare. In order to achieve that aim, it is vital for the rural affairs secretary and the health secretary to work together to support high-quality producers and address ultra-processed foods and foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt, which are detrimental to health. Can the minister reaffirm that cross-portfolio working will continue to take place? Will she comment on whether the good food nation commitments will be enacted?

Those threats will be damaging for Scotland. However, if we had independence, we would be able to manage much better.

I remind members that I am a registered nurse, former clinical educator and perioperative clinical practitioner.

Of course, it is important to reduce NHS waiting times, but I want to highlight the example of how we work in the perioperative environment in theatre. It is a complex environment that requires specialist surgical teams—consultants, surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and perioperative support workers—as well as ancillary co-ordination with labs, blood banks and radiology. Everyone requires knowledge, skills, competency and training, and everyone who works in those areas and across the NHS must be commended for their commitment to providing the best care for their patients.

Tackling waiting times is no easy feat. The Scottish Government is choosing to invest more than £19.5 billion in health and social care in 2024-25, giving our NHS a real-terms uplift, despite UK Government austerity. That includes £14.2 billion of investment in our NHS boards, with additional investment of over half a billion pounds—and it is worth noting that NHS Dumfries and Galloway and NHS Borders, in my South Scotland region, are receiving a real-terms uplift in funding, too.

Of course, that does not come without its challenges. It is worth noting that the current budget, passed by the Parliament, will do more for our NHS. It will provide an additional £230 million to support delivery of the pay uplift to a minimum of £12 per hour for adult social care workers in the third and private sectors from April 2024, representing a 10.1 per cent increase for all eligible workers. It will invest more than £2.1 billion in primary care to improve preventative care in the community, supporting the development of multidisciplinary teams in general practice, sustaining NHS dental care through enhanced fees and continuing free eye examinations. It will also support spend in excess of £1.3 billion for mental health services, for which there is an ever-increasing demand. Those are welcome commitments, given the current strain on all budgets due to economic mismanagement from Westminster.

However, despite that investment, the system is under extreme pressure as a result of the on-going impact of pandemic recovery, Brexit, inflation and UK Government spending decisions. I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government will continue to target resources in order to reduce waiting times, particularly for those who are waiting the longest for treatment, through maximising productivity and additional resources.

Investing in Scotland’s NHS is non-negotiable for the Scottish Government. Against what is a challenging economic and financial context, the Scottish Government is taking the difficult and necessary decisions to ensure continued investment in health and social care services. The UK spring budget was nothing short of a betrayal of public services across the UK. It provided less in Barnett consequentials for health than in-year health consequentials for 2023-24, and it failed to deliver more capital funding for infrastructure. Based on the latest forecasts, Scotland’s capital block grant is now expected to reduce in real terms by £1.3 billion by 2027-28.

I know that my time is short, Presiding Officer, but I was interested to hear Carol Mochan say that she was proud of her party that created the NHS. I wonder whether she is proud of Labour’s shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care saying that he would

“hold the door wide open”

to the NHS for the private sector if his party wins the next general election. Our NHS has major challenges, with lots of things to consider, but the threat to Scotland’s NHS comes from Westminster parties of all colours.

We know that training new GPs will play an important part in increasing the number of GPs in Scotland. Can the cabinet secretary provide an update on what further steps the Government is taking to support people to train, such as the unique ScotGEM—Scottish graduate entry medicine—programme, which has a focus on recruitment in rural areas?

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with the health secretary regarding implementing the commitments contained within the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022. (S6O-03188)

Thank you. I am not sure whether others want to come in.

How would we communicate to the public that a safe zone exists?