Seòmar agus comataidhean

I thank the cabinet secretary for attending. I also thank Alan Gray.

I will suspend the meeting briefly to allow a change of witnesses.

I will try to lead by example. I put on record my entry in the register of members’ interests: I am employed as a bank nurse by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

What is the planned total level of spending on social care for 2025-26, and which specific budget lines contribute to that overall figure?

We are rapidly running out of time and we still have lots of questions to get through. I ask committee members and witnesses to be concise with their questions and answers.

Thank you very much for that clarification.

The next item on our agenda is consideration of two affirmative instruments. The purpose of the burial management regulations is to make provision for the management and maintenance of burial grounds in Scotland applicable to all burial authorities, both local authority and non-local authority. The purpose of the burial and cremation inspection regulations is to provide for inspection and enforcement in the funeral sector and for any subsequent appeals in that regard.

The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered the instruments at its meeting on 26 November 2024 and made no recommendations. The committee will now take evidence on both instruments from the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health and her supporting officials. Once our questions have been answered, we will proceed to a formal debate on both motions.

I welcome to the committee Jenny Minto, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health; Johanna Irvine, solicitor; Katerina McNeill, team leader, burial and cremation; and Ruth Wilson, senior policy adviser. I invite the minister to make a brief opening statement.

You mentioned GPs twice in your question.

Emma Harper has a brief supplementary question.

I will suspend the meeting to allow a changeover of witnesses.

We move on to agenda item 3, which is the formal debate on the regulations on which we have just taken evidence. I remind the committee that officials may not speak in the debate. I invite the minister to move and speak to motions S6M-15517 and S6M-15516.

Good morning, and welcome to the 35th meeting in 2024 of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. I have received apologies from Gillian Mackay, and we are joined remotely by Sandesh Gulhane and Carol Mochan.

The first item on our agenda is a decision on taking business in private. Do members agree to take agenda items 6, 7 and 8 in private?

Members indicated agreement.