Seòmar agus comataidhean

Minister, you will be aware that the committee’s stage 1 report called for greater clarity about the scope and purpose of the co-design process and for the Parliament to be updated regularly on progress and outcomes. Will you provide an update on what the Scottish Government is doing to address that recommendation?

The second instrument for our consideration is the Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2024. The purpose of the regulations is to extend recognition of relevant professional qualifications for food examiners to those that are issued in Switzerland in order to comply with the UK-Switzerland recognition of professional qualifications—or RPQ—agreement.

As members have no comments on the regulations, I propose that the committee makes no recommendation in relation to them. Do members agree?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you.

At our next meeting, which will take place on Tuesday 10 December, we will take evidence from the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health on a package of subordinate legislation on burial law and then on dentistry in Scotland.

That concludes the public part of our meeting.

Thank you. How will the co-design work on the charter be completed and implemented? Will that work be on-going while the bill has been paused?

Yes, if you do not mind. I ask that we keep questions concise and to the point—and if panel members can do similarly, I will be very grateful.

I used the word “concise”.

I will move on to the theme of assistance and self-administration. We have heard evidence from other jurisdictions that medical assistance in dying can be administered by physicians, as opposed to there being self-administration. There are different views in that regard. As it stands, the bill provides for the patient to administer the medication. Do the witnesses have any views on that?

Emma Harper has a supplementary question.

Mr Sweeney, if your question is very brief, I will let you ask it.

Thank you.