My amendments 42 and 43 follow amendments that Carol Mochan and I lodged at stage 2. Amendment 42 seeks to address the gap that was highlighted in the independent review of adult social care between the commissioning intent and what is ultimately delivered. Although ministers are not themselves responsible for commissioning social care, the amendment will place a duty on them to publish national ethical commissioning guidance in order to provide consistency of approach across Scotland. In preparing that guidance, ministers will have to consult each local authority, health board, integration authority and integration joint monitoring committee, as well as representatives from various stakeholder groups that are involved in the delivery and receipt of care. That should ensure that the guidance is meaningful and takes account of practical considerations.

Amendment 43 will require the contracting authority’s procurement strategy to be informed by the integration authority’s strategic plan. It will basically close the implementation gap between policy and procurement practice by ensuring that the population needs assessment, commissioning decisions and plans that are designed with service users during the strategic planning process are actually reflected in the approach to procurement. Requiring procurement strategies to consider how procurement will deliver the strategic and commissioning objectives of integration authorities will empower procurement professionals to focus on practice that meets those authorities’ priorities, thus furthering integration by providing alignment on the partnership’s shared strategic objectives.

I urge members to support my amendments 42 and 43 and the minister’s amendments in the group, and to reject Brian Whittle’s amendment 64.