Hansard

The bill is important, as the sector that we are looking to regulate has grown vastly in recent years. Today, the Parliament is being asked to support crucial legislation that will provide many safeguards to protect consumers.

Since the issue was first raised with me by my constituent Jill Best in 2018, I have been on a learning journey. I was surprised by how lax the regulations were for non-medics. For trained medics who went into the sector, the hoops that had to be jumped through from Healthcare Improvement Scotland were strict, and so they should have been. However, there clearly has not been a level playing field, and the bill will enable the state to catch up.

As a result of my amendment on a review after five years, which was agreed to at stage 2, and the stage 3 amendment 28, which improves the provision, future Governments will have the opportunity to try to keep pace with an ever-changing and fast-changing industry. Fundamentally, the sector is here to stay, so regulations are a must to safeguard consumers.

I appreciate that not everyone will support the bill. There are non-medics who are highly trained, and the minister was clear about that at stage 2 and as we discussed the stage 3 amendments. However, ultimately, we need to guarantee that the sector will protect our constituents, and the argument on the importance of having a healthcare professional on site is compelling.

I will not take my full four minutes of speaking time, because I have spoken throughout the process, including in the stage 1 debate. However, I want to thank the minister for her engagement and my constituent Jill Best for raising the issue with me in the first place.

I appreciate that ministers are bombarded daily with requests for help, with many things being highlighted to them, but the fact that I have been raising it for almost eight years shows that the issue was not going to go away. Clearly, Covid-19 stopped any momentum on the issue, but the minister has always been willing to listen and engage, and I pay tribute to her for that.

The round table hosted by Miles Briggs was a turning point, when the minister and everyone else in the room heard at first hand how a botched treatment had affected someone. I therefore thank the minister for listening, engaging and acting. The sector and the wider public will be safer as a result.

Secondly, my thanks go to my constituent Jill Best. I had never met Jill until she got in touch with me to raise her concerns about this particular issue. After reading more about it and engaging with her further, I knew that she was passionate about the industry and also about sharing best practice. Jill’s actions and campaigning have brought about the bill. Others have helped greatly along the way, but I want to pay tribute to her. It shows that any person in Scotland can help to change the law. Jill’s actions will ensure that that happens today, and I ask members to thank Jill and the minister, and to vote to support the bill this afternoon.