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I can speak only from my experience of having visited a couple of public dental services. They are being innovative in the work that they do, such as providing the anaesthesia to do operations or extractions in a non-theatre location. They are looking at what they can do. A number of questions have been asked in the chamber about how we retain university graduates in NHS dentistry services, and we are looking at how we can provide support to encourage people to join the PDS.

I thank Paul Sweeney for that question, as I recognise the picture that he is painting. We have to recognise, though, that dental practices are businesses, and dentists can make the decisions that they feel are appropriate in order to run them. However, my team and I are absolutely focused on ensuring that we put the right investment into the right places in NHS dentistry in Scotland to ensure that people do not have to make that very difficult choice.

Paul Sweeney raises some really interesting points. I was completely shocked when I saw the pictures of the gravestones in Glasgow with the stickers on them. I have referenced the museum that I worked in that was surrounded by a graveyard, and there are many other old graveyards across Argyll and Bute. In my role, having looked at the regulations, I have to admit that, when I visit graveyards in Argyll and Bute, I look at them with completely different eyes.

In order to ensure that we have very good burial regulations, we have worked closely with a wide range of stakeholders—that is one of the regulations’ strengths. It is important that we recognise the cultural side, too, and inspectors are part of that. They ensure that burial authorities, which are likely to be local authorities in the main, are following the right procedures, and appropriate ones for what Paul Sweeney described as a key part of our culture in Scotland. The regulations and the inspection regime will ensure that we and the burial authorities have much better understanding and knowledge of what is appropriate.

We are clear in the regulations that, if a local authority is looking at a specific graveyard, it needs to publicise that as best it can, whether that is through social media or in newspapers, to ensure that people know that it is likely that it will be coming to inspect the graveyard. A lot of that should already be clear in the regulations.

Thank you, convener. I am delighted to join you today to discuss these regulations.

The death of a loved one can be one of the most painful experiences that many of us will ever face. To some degree, that pain is an unavoidable part of grief itself, and there is little that can lessen it in the immediate aftermath of a death. However, as many of us know only too well, there can be solace in coming together to share the pain of the loss and to say goodbye. Funerals are a profoundly important part of that process, and, by facilitating funeral services, funeral directors as well as burial or cremation authorities can also be a source of comfort when we are at our most vulnerable.

The funeral sector is entrusted to guide families through those difficult times. They care for the deceased, and they should be respectful and sensitive to the bereaved. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of those services are provided with care, compassion and kindness. However, on those occasions when standards are not met, an already distressing and profoundly difficult time can turn into a long-lasting source of distress and regret.

The regulations that the committee is considering today seek to prevent loved ones from having to face that additional distress and to protect the majority of responsible, compassionate businesses from the reputational damage that can arise when less scrupulous businesses fall short. The inspection regulations will give funeral inspectors powers in relation to inspecting relevant bodies, and both sets of regulations will put in place clear legal requirements that burial authorities will have to adhere to and be inspected against.

The funeral director code of practice already sets out requirements for funeral directors, and we propose that the code and the three sets of regulations—including the Burial and Cremation (Inspection) (Scotland) Regulations 2025—will all come into force on 1 March next year. Cremation regulations have been in force since 2019. Therefore, from 1 March, there will be a comprehensive package of legislation that will maintain and build confidence across the whole funeral sector.

We have developed the regulations in close collaboration with the funeral industry and other key stakeholders, drawing on their experience and expertise to ensure that the provisions are effective, proportionate and fit for purpose. That engagement included a full consultation in 2023 on all three sets of regulations. Respondents were generally supportive and their feedback has been instrumental in the drafting process.

I am proud that Scotland is leading the way on regulating the funeral sector in the UK.

I stress again that the majority of the sector is professional, compassionate and dedicated to providing the best service possible to both the deceased and the bereaved. We are regulating because we recognise the depth of distress that is caused in the rare instances when bad practice is allowed to go unchecked. The regulations build on the previous steps that we have taken to prevent such unscrupulous practices. In approving the regulations, committee members can help to ensure that the funeral sector meets the highest standards and offers greater peace of mind to the bereaved.

Although the regulations are an important step, there is more work to do and, in particular, we are focused on taking the necessary steps to introduce the licensing of funeral directors and regulate the use of alkaline hydrolysis.

I welcome the continued engagement and close collaboration with stakeholders as we move forward, and I will be happy to answer questions from committee members.

In a perfect world, we would want everyone to be able to see their dentist at a time when they want to. We are working on that. It is important for you to remember that being registered with a dentist means that the dentist can get the capitation payment, which is important to their on-going business.

The work we are currently doing is trying to increase the availability of dentists and their teams to ensure that people can see their dentist in a timely manner.

Tim McDonnell has kindly just given me the latest statistics, which show that 60 per cent of those registered—which means 3.1 million people—have seen a dentist in the past two years. Do I think that we should be improving that? I do, which is why we are working hard on workforce planning, fees and governance.

I think I did answer your question, Dr Gulhane.

That fits exactly with the work that we are doing with the other three nations. I have experienced going to a GP surgery and seeing an advanced nurse practitioner, which made everything much easier. When people go to a dentist, they cannot get any treatment until the dentist has seen them. This is about understanding how can we ensure that people who are working in the dental team are working to the top of their qualifications.

I recognise exactly that point. Dentists have written and spoken to me directly about the impact of the increase in employer national insurance contributions.

It is also important to recognise that, if dentists deliver more than 50 per cent of their activity for the NHS, they are not eligible for relief through employment allowance. That is concerning. The cabinet secretary has written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and we continue to highlight the issue and press for greater clarity as to what will happen.

The important thing to recognise is that the Scottish Government has increased dental funding to more than £0.5 billion in the next budget. That is very important and I do not think that anyone here would disagree that that money should be spent on improving dental care and oral health in Scotland and should not be going to the Treasury.

Over this parliamentary session, we have increased our spend on dentistry by 33 per cent, which shows the intention of the Government on oral health.

Emma Harper raises an important question about methods of cremation and burial and the decisions that people are looking to take in that regard. Wicker caskets are being used and trees are being planted as an alternative to grave sites.

Training is an important topic, and officials have been discussing it. At this point in time, there is no specific UK-wide course. We are aware of the issue, but it is important that we get the inspection regime and the regulations right. That will enable us to ensure that training is provided for our very competent and compassionate funeral directors.

In relation to water cremation, which alkaline hydrolysis is also known as, we are speaking to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to ensure that the right environmental standards are in place.

We are aware of the need for training. That issue is not specifically addressed in the regulations, but it is one that we are looking at.