To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on 8 October 2018 that NHS boards’ whistle-blowing champions can report directly to her, what impact this will have on its plans to establish an Independent National Whistleblowing Officer (INWO) for the NHS; what the timescale is for the appointments process, and on what date the INWO will be appointed. My announcement that I will personally appoint Whistleblowing Champions will have no direct impact on proposals to establish an Independent National Whistleblowing Officer for NHSScotland (INWO), as this will be a fully independent function.