Seòmar agus comataidhean

We have a couple of supplementary questions on this theme.

The committee has taken evidence from integration joint boards over the past couple of years. We have looked at their budgetary requirements and their concerns about budgets. To what extent is the Scottish Government willing to consider direct funding to integration joint boards in the future in order to further improve transparency and effective planning?

We move straight to questions.

Agenda item 3 is an evidence session with the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health and her supporting officials on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill legislative consent memorandum, LCM-S6-51, which was lodged in the Scottish Parliament by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on 21 November.

The legislative consent process set out in chapter 9B of the standing orders requires the Scottish Government to notify the Parliament, by means of a legislative consent memorandum, whenever a UK Parliament bill includes provision on devolved matters. Each LCM is referred to a lead committee to scrutinise and report on, before the Parliament decides whether to give its consent to the UK Parliament legislating in the manner proposed.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 5 November 2024. The purpose of the bill is

“to make provision about the supply of tobacco, vapes and other products, including provision prohibiting the sale of tobacco to people born on or after 1 January 2009”

and to make provision

“about the licensing of retail sales and the registration of retailers; to enable product and information requirements to be imposed in connection with tobacco, vapes and other products; to control the advertising and promotion of tobacco, vapes and other products; and to make provision about smoke-free places, vape-free places and heated tobacco-free places.”

I welcome to the committee Jenni Minto MSP, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health; Professor Linda Bauld OBE, chief social policy adviser; Fiona Dill, teams leader for the tobacco, gambling, diet and healthy weight directorate; and Ruth Foulis, lawyer with the legal services directorate.

I invite the minister to make a brief opening statement.

Thank you very much, minister. The committee has a number of questions about the LCM. On a point of clarification, you referred in your statement to nicotine products. Can I check that the bill would not cover smoking cessation products such as lozenges, chewing gum and patches?

I thank the minister and her officials for giving evidence today. This is the final meeting of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee in 2024. At our next official meeting, on 14 January, we will resume our stage 1 scrutiny of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.

On behalf of the committee, I take the opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to our work this year and to wish everyone a happy and restful festive period. That concludes the public part of our meeting.

Carol Mochan has a supplementary question.

How does the Scottish Government agree the appropriate balance of spending between the health budget and the social care budget?

Good morning, and welcome to the 36th meeting in 2024 of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. I have received apologies from Elena Whitham.

The first agenda item is a decision on whether to take items 4 and 5 in private. Do members agree to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Our second agenda item is an evidence session on the Scottish Government’s 2025-26 budget, which was published on 4 December 2024. I welcome to the committee Neil Gray, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, and Alan Gray, who is the director of health and social care finance in the Scottish Government. I invite the cabinet secretary to make a brief opening statement.