Chamber and committees

It would help to reduce the unregistered transfer of dogs and, again, it would promote education to whoever is the recipient of the young dog or puppy.

I will not pursue my supplementary question about microchipping, as it relates to the traceability of dogs in relation to livestock worrying. However, as microchipping is not part of the bill at this time, I will not pursue the issue.

Good morning to you all. I know how hard Christine Grahame has worked on the bill over the past six years. I have been very interested to follow the process, because I am interested in illegal puppy farming and puppy trafficking and how we can reduce or prevent that. We know that puppies still come in through the port of Cairnryan.

In 2021, regulations established licensing conditions for the sale of puppies under the age of six months. The conditions include requiring the puppy to be seen with its mother, which is an important part of mitigating trafficking. I am interested that the bill has chosen to define a young dog as a dog under the age of 12 months, whereas the SSPCA defines a puppy as a dog under the age of six months. Will you tell us a bit about why the bill defines a young dog as a dog under the age of 12 months for the purpose of the additional requirements in section 3?

I am happy with that, convener.

You mentioned monitoring and evaluating whatever is implemented. We have had a permanent group looking at rural healthcare for 16 years. How are we monitoring and evaluating that?

I will roll that in with my final question. How will the centre work with integration joint boards and local authorities to ensure that the work is delivered directly at the point that it is needed, which is in our remote and rural areas—fae Shetland tae Stranraer, for instance?

That is fine. That was a good enough answer—thank you.

I have a quick supplementary to pick up on what Ruth Maguire said about menopause, endometriosis and PCOS. What work do you do or are you responsible for with women whose first language isnae English? How do we support them to have better care?

You work with the third sector, but I will ask about local authorities. I counted that seven of the 32 councils have a menopause plan. Are you responsible for supporting local authorities to raise awareness about menopause, for instance, with a plan?

Some of my questions on implementation and evaluation have already been covered. I am looking at the interim report from August 2023, which, obviously, covers the progress that has been made. I am interested in how you see implementation and evaluation going forward. I know that you do quarterly blogs. I know that there is a lot going on—I find it amazing just looking at the subjects being covered in the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee and elsewhere—but how important is it to communicate the progress that is being made, so that people know what is being achieved?

Do you think that there is a role for us, as MSPs, with regard to our connectivity on social media? Sometimes social media is not the best platform for communicating things, but social media could be used in a different, more positive way to support good communication. I was recently at an event in Dumfries and Galloway at which Dr Heather Currie spoke to 100 women in the room about the menopause. She is a total champion for destigmatising menopause and communicating an understanding about what it is all about. As MSPs, do we, too, have a role in communication?

I will pick up on ScotGEM. I recently met the chief executive officer of NHS Dumfries and Galloway, Jeff Ace, who said that the retention of ScotGEM graduates in Dumfries and Galloway was excellent.

I have an article here that says that 55 people have completed the first four-year graduate entry to medicine programme, which is unique to Scotland. My colleagues in Ireland, as part of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, are looking to Scotland to learn about ScotGEM so that they can maybe implement it elsewhere.

I am interested in your findings regarding ScotGEM. Is it successful? Has it proved to be supporting rural recruitment for general practice across either side of the central belt?