Chamber and committees

I know that I am a substitute on the committee, but I want to go back to the beginning. This is a technical instrument making a technical amendment. In my engagement with Quality Meat Scotland, I have found it to be competent, professional, responsible and diligent in working with businesses and farmers. I would trust Quality Meat Scotland to carry out the correct engagement.

My question goes back to the fact that this is a technical amendment. It allows Quality Meat Scotland to go out and engage if levies are to be increased, which would be done incrementally over an annual engagement basis. Is that correct?

If I bring six puppies over on the ferry to sell them for £2,500 each because they are bonnie wee spaniels, and then somebody says, “Right, I want to move this dog,” and that person keeps the six puppies, the provision would cover moving those dogs on to another person who was going to receive the dogs.

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?