Chamber and committees

Are there any barriers such as cumbersome processes or governance arrangements that make the effective commission and procurement of services difficult? If so, how would you overcome them?

I am seeing blank faces. Does David Williams want to come in?

Good morning. Commissioning, tendering and procurement are different processes that are often undertaken by different teams. How do you ensure that the commissioned services meet the principles and requirements of SDS and are affordable?

How effectively do staff across health, social care and procurement work together to ensure that the right services are commissioned and procured?

In the evidence session last Monday on the Isle of Skye, we heard from NHS Grampian about the huge cost of locums and agency workers and the effect that that has on the board’s budget. What are you doing nationally to try to reduce that cost to all NHS boards across Scotland?

No, I do not.

Good morning, cabinet secretary. How does the Scottish Government work with rural integration joint boards, local authorities and health boards to monitor the implementation of the national workforce strategy?

Last Monday, we heard evidence about trying to recruit staff in a care home on the Isle of Skye. It is only half filled because it cannot get staff, which is blocking a 24-bed hospital where some of the people are there for the long term. The same situation exists across all tourist destinations. Housing is critical. There is just no housing at all, because the houses have been bought as second homes or as Airbnbs. However, NHS Highland has a lot of land. What encouragement is there for the board to build its own housing supply so that it can bring in students and staff? When I asked the board about that, it said that it does not have the experience to build its own supply. How can we encourage it to do that?

My question is for the Scottish Grocers Federation, on the smoking age and the ban on selling tobacco to anybody who was born after January 2009.

What evidence is there that an age-related ban on purchasing tobacco products will be effective? How practical will it be to enforce that ban?

We should write to NHS Scotland’s genetic laboratories in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow to seek further detail on the work that they do to support the implementation of the UK Cancer Genetics Group guidelines and information on the genetic testing and support that is available for those who are at risk of having a faulty TP53 gene.

We should write to Disability Equality Scotland, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Carers Scotland to seek their views on the action that is called for in the petition, specifically the proposed introduction of a carers badge scheme. We should also write to the Scottish Government to highlight the petitioner’s submission and seek further detail on what consideration the Scottish Government has given to introducing a carers badge scheme.