Minutes: 29 October 2025

1. Decision on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take agenda items 3, 4 and 5 in private.

2. Flooding in communities: Moving towards flood resilience:

The Committee took evidence from—

Roy Brannen, Director-General Net Zero, Diarmund Ó Néill, Interim Director for Environment and Forestry, Anne Aitken, Deputy Director for Environmental Quality and Resilience and Michelagh O'Neill, Flooding Team Leader, Scottish Government;

Nicole Paterson, Chief Executive Officer and Alex Flucker, Chief Operating Officer, Data, Evidence, and Innovation, Scottish Environment Protection Agency;

Gareth Dixon, Policy Manager, Local Government Finance and Mark Boyd, Head of Finance, North Ayrshire Council, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA);

Will Burnish, Senior Engineer, Moray Council and Lead Local Authority Forum for Flooding, Scottish Collaboration of Transport Specialists (Flooding).

3. Flooding in communities: Moving towards flood resilience (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence heard at agenda item 2 and took further evidence from—

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland;

Cornilius Chikwama, Audit Director, Audit Scotland.

4. Flooding in communities: Moving towards flood resilience (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence it heard at agenda items 2 and 3 and agreed to defer further consideration of the report to a future meeting.

5. Work programme (In Private):

Additional support for learning: The Committee considered correspondence from the Scottish Government, COSLA, Trade Unions and Parent's groups and agreed to close scrutiny of the report and in doing so, write to the Education, Children and Young Peoples Committee.

The 2022/23 and 2023/24 audit of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland: The Committee considered correspondence from the Water Industry Commission for Scotland and agreed to close scrutiny of the reports.

The 2023/24 audit of Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Holdings Limited: The Committee considered correspondence from the Deputy First Minister and Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow.

Strategic Commercial Assets Division: The Committee considered correspondence from the Scottish Government and agreed to follow up in writing to the Scottish Government.

The 2022/23 audit of Lews Castle College: The Committee considered correspondence from UHI North, West and Hebrides and agreed to write to the Auditor General for Scotland.