Seòmar agus comataidhean

Good morning, everyone. My questions are on the accountability and functions of the national care service board. What do you understand to be the board’s purpose? To what extent could it or should it contribute to fundamental reform of the social care landscape?

I have no further questions.

In the light of the withdrawal of COSLA’s support for the bill, do you still accept that there is a need to amend the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 to improve integration of health and social care, and if so, are there adequate options in the secondary legislation in the 2014 act to allow that?

My questions are about the accountability and functions of a national care service board. What do you understand to be the purpose of such a board, and to what extent could it—or should it—contribute to fundamental reform of the social care landscape?

How should the views of the wide range of providers be represented, not only on the issues that are relevant to them but in relation to providing solutions, innovation and intelligence on provision?

I agree.

I wonder whether the committee would consider writing to the Scottish Government to ask for its views on the petitioner’s request to abolish absolute discharge in cases of rape or sexual assault and to introduce a statutory minimum sentence for those offences.

Yes. I also wonder whether the committee would consider writing to Victim Support Scotland and Rape Crisis seeking their views on the action called for in the petition. As Mr MacGregor has already highlighted, I would like to inform the petitioner about the Scottish Sentencing Council’s consultation on the draft sentencing guidelines on rape—although I have no doubt that the petitioner is already engaged with that process.

As a member of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, I can confirm that we are already looking into and reviewing gender identity services for children and young people. I wonder whether the committee would consider closing the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders on the basis that the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is currently taking evidence on the independent review of gender identity services for children and young people, including hearing evidence from the chief medical officer at the end of October.

I bow to Mr Golden’s suggestion but, in that case, I wonder whether we could also write to the teaching unions to get their views on the matter. It is their members who will be engaging with it.