Seòmar agus comataidhean

The final report of the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce said that this is everyone’s responsibility. From what you are saying, Tracey, it sounds as though you wholeheartedly agree with that statement.

Thank you. I move to Carol Mochan, who joins us remotely.

Sandesh Gulhane will move us on to our next theme.

Yes, of course.

We move to our final theme.

The second item is an evidence session as part of the committee’s pre-budget scrutiny ahead of the publication of the Scottish budget for 2024-25. I welcome to the meeting Carmen Martinez, who is the co-ordinator of the Scottish Women’s Budget Group; Professor David Ulph, who is a commissioner in the Scottish Fiscal Commission; and Philip Whyte, who is the director of the Institute for Public Policy Research Scotland. We move straight to questions.

Good morning, and welcome to the 26th meeting in 2023 of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. I have received apologies from Stephanie Callaghan and David Torrance, and we are joined by James Dornan.

The first item is a decision on whether to take in private items 4 to 7. Do members agree to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you. Does Emma Harper have a very brief question?

The next item on the agenda is consideration of one negative instrument. The purpose of the instrument is to increase the charges that are recovered from persons who pay compensation in cases where an injured person receives national health service hospital treatment or ambulance services. The increase in charges relates to an uplift for hospital and community health service inflation.

The policy note states:

“The NHS charges are revised annually from 1 April to take account of Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) pay and price inflation. The last revision took effect from 1 April 2023, applying the estimate for HCHS inflation at that time of 2.8%. As a result of subsequent NHS pay deals, the latest estimate for HCHS inflation is 5.3% ... This midyear tariff uplift addresses the significant gap between forecast and actual pay inflation.”

The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered the instrument at its meeting on 12 September 2023 and made no recommendations in relation to the instrument. No motion to annul has been lodged in relation to the instrument.

As members have no comments, I propose that the committee does not make any recommendations in relation to the negative instrument.

Members indicated agreement.

Panel members, there is no need to press your button. That will be done by broadcasting.