Question reference: S4W-17192
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 13 September 2013
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Current status: Answered by Alex Neil on 26 September 2013
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks will have on (a) public policy and (b) the NHS in Scotland; what its position is on the talks; whether it has discussed them with the UK Government, and, if so, what specific areas it has discussed.
Answer
Scottish Government welcomes the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks and is maintaining close contact with the negotiations and ensuring that our views are fed into the UK Government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which leads the UK input into the council.
Negotiations are at an early stage and EU member states are still considering priorities. We have looked carefully at the initial assessments prepared by the European Commission and the UK Government, which show a considerable net economic benefit for the EU. As the negotiations continue it will be important to consider what benefits can be derived for Scotland.
In England the role of competition in the delivery of healthcare has increased with the private sector having a greater role in providing NHS-funded healthcare. Some commentators suggest that this may open up the NHS to further commercialisation under the TTIP. The position in Scotland is quite different. The Scottish Government has always protected, and will continue to protect, the NHS in Scotland from privatisation. The Scottish Government’s commitment to the people of Scotland is for a publicly funded health service providing care free at the point of delivery.
The UK will remain fully engaged in the negotiations and Scottish Ministers will take a close interest.