Chamber and committees

Good morning, and welcome to the 12th meeting in 2023 of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. I have received apologies from David Torrance, who will not be joining us this morning. James Dornan is here as a substitute member.

Item 1 is to make a decision on whether to take items 5, 6 and 7 in private. Do members agree to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

Absolutely. Having preventative measures is the very reason for our conducting the inquiry.

Rona Blackwood, would you like to come in on Stephanie Callaghan’s question?

Tess White has some questions on culture and governance.

I mention to colleagues that we want to talk about mental health services and staffing issues, and we are still on governance and culture, with a number of members wanting to come in on that. We have only 20 minutes, so please keep your questions succinct.

Agenda item 4 is consideration of a negative instrument. The purpose of the regulations is to implement the decision that was made by the Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport to modify the authorisation holders’ details for 51 previously authorised genetically modified organisms; to authorise six GM food and feed products for placement on the market in Scotland; and to renew the authorisation for two GM food and feed products for placement on the market in Scotland. The regulations also amend the Genetically Modified Food and Feed (Authorisations) (Scotland) Regulations 2022, providing minor corrections for authorisations.?

The policy note states that the regulations align

“Scotland with England and Wales as well as with similar EU legislation for these products, all of which have now been authorised by the EU Commission.”

The Scottish Government has further confirmed that the terms of authorisation for the GMOs in the regulations are the same as the terms of authorisation in the European Union and Northern Ireland. I also point out that, when the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered the regulations at its meeting on 13 March 2023, it made no recommendations,?and no motion to annul has been lodged.

If members have no comments to make, I propose that the committee make no recommendation in relation to the regulations. Does the committee agree?

Members indicated agreement.

That came out when we spoke to women in Dunfermline. We went there to play basketball with women who were around my age, and many of them said that they had not done any sport since they left school or university, and they were now coming back to it in their late 40s. The caring responsibility was the main reason for that. I just wanted to mention that.

I will bring in Eilidh Paterson.

What came across very clear in Daisy Drummond’s film is that a lot of girls have an issue with doing sports with boys.

We can still hear you—we turned off your video because the sound was lagging a little bit, and it is best if we can still hear you. You can keep going.

Rona Blackwood, do you want to respond?

We will look into the Well HQ—thanks for that tip.