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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.

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

Yes, that is absolutely part of the challenge. Prior to Brexit, about 50 per cent of rural dentists came from Europe, but that has changed.

Indeed, one of the major items on the agenda of our four-nations meeting about two weeks ago was how to increase the pipeline of international dentists into Scotland and the UK. Sadly, some of that is reserved, but I know that the previous Conservative Government, along with the General Dental Council, which runs the exams, carried out a consultation to see whether there was some way of improving how and where the exams were delivered, to allow all four nations to increase the number of dentists available to look after people’s health.

That is where my portfolio intersects with different areas. Family nurse practitioners are doing amazing work in deprived areas in supporting new mums and young mums with various elements of their healthcare, as well as income and various other things. Following on from what Tom Ferris said, the introduction of a toothbrush to the baby box, which people asked for previously, is an important recognition of the importance that the Scottish Government places on healthcare and ensuring that children, young people and their families are much more aware of the importance of cleaning their teeth.

I will touch on payment reform, part of which has involved listening to what dentists have been saying about preventative work. As Tim McDonnell referred to, it is a matter of allowing dentists to spend more time with their patients to ensure that they get the prevention message. For example, my dentist on Islay attended the Islay show with a model of a tooth to explain that. That slightly left-field prevention message is coming across, and dentists are absolutely at the core of that. I pass to Tom Ferris.

Dentists on the high street run their own businesses, and remuneration is determined by the owner of that practice. If you are talking specifically about those in the public dental sector, I ask Tom Ferris to answer.

Yes—you are on a roll.

My answer is probably a mixed one. We need dentists on the high street, but a number of MSPs have raised concerns about the way in which high-street dentistry is being provided in their constituencies. We are very alert to that issue and are looking at it as part of our governance workstream.

That is a really important question. I referred to what I saw in Edinburgh and the fact that the PDS is not simply in Chalmers Street; it goes to other areas of Edinburgh to provide exactly the care and service that you have described.

It has been said to me on a number of occasions that the health of someone’s mouth is an indication of their full-body health. In answering Carol Mochan’s question, I talked about the cross-portfolio work. We are considering how we can pull everybody into the population health framework, especially those who are homeless.

I do not know whether Tom Ferris wants to add anything.

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.