Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 26 October 2023.
The First Minister:
I absolutely agree with Clare Haughey on that point. Tackling stigma is fundamental to achieving our HIV transmission elimination goal by 2030
. The campaign that Clare Haughey referenced in her original question is just one way of addressing that stigma. We are also working with NHS Education Scotland to produce training materials for non-HIV specialists in the NHS to improve the detection and diagnosis of HIV. We are also working with Waverley Care to support the fast-track cities Scotland initiative, which provides stigma-related training activities for the health and social care workforce.
Almost half of the population in Scotland would be ashamed to tell other people that they were HIV positive, so work is still very much required to challenge misconceptions while also improving access to testing, preventative treatment and support for people living with HIV. Those points will be prioritised in our HIV transmission elimination delivery plan.
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.
