General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament am ar 5 Rhagfyr 2024.
Stuart McMillan
Scottish National Party
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to introduce regulation for pet groomers, animal boarders and dog walkers, in light of the results of the public consultation from earlier this year that showed a high level of support for such measures. (S6O-04073)
Jim Fairlie
Scottish National Party
Although the consultation that was undertaken last year demonstrated support for licensing, concerns were expressed about the proportionality and cost of statutory licensing and about the capacity of local authorities to absorb and meaningfully enforce additional licensing requirements when budgets are already stretched. We are therefore assessing whether less onerous and more proportionate approaches, such as registration schemes linked to codes of conduct, could deliver similar outcomes to licensing.
In the meantime, our immediate focus is to deliver on the proposal to regulate canine fertility businesses, due to the significant animal welfare concerns that are associated with that sector.
Stuart McMillan
Scottish National Party
Those of us who have pets recognise that they are treated as one of the family, and it is reasonable for pet owners to want reassurance that any services that they access are insured and that staff are appropriately qualified, which, as the Minister will know, has not always been the case.
Will the minister commit to consulting the sector more widely to understand the scale of growth in pet services in Scotland, with the intention of developing a proportionate yet robust regulatory framework covering the sector to protect pets from harm?
Jim Fairlie
Scottish National Party
I agree whole-heartedly with the member’s point that pet owners need to be reassured that persons who provide pet services are suitably insured and qualified. I therefore encourage any pet owner who accesses such services to undertake due diligence and to confirm with the service provider that they are insured and qualified.
We do not propose to take forward further consultation at this time, but the Government will continue to engage with stakeholders in order to develop proportionate controls for pet service providers.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
