Meeting of the Parliament 05 February 2026 [Draft]
I am absolutely certain that regulation needs to be tightened, but that is not my salient point. The fundamental point is that, if we get the balance wrong, there is a risk that skilled and experienced practitioners could be regulated out of the profession altogether. That would not improve safety; it would remove livelihoods and tempt people to operate underground and remove themselves from the regulatory framework altogether. That is a risk that both Sandesh Gulhane and I would be concerned about.
There is also a lack of clarity about how new and innovative procedures would be categorised in future. We are living in a time of new developments in the sector. The industry evolves very quickly, so those who are currently working in it should be involved in shaping how new treatments are assessed and regulated.
The bill addresses real gaps in regulation and responds to legitimate public concerns, which the Scottish Liberal Democrats absolutely share. We will support the bill at stage 1, because regulation is needed, but it is also clear that the bill must be refined at stage 2 to ensure that it protects patients, prevents people from going underground to perform procedures and ensures that we do not punish responsible practitioners.