European and External Relations Committee

Meeting date: Thursday, March 7, 2013

Official Report 537KB pdf

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Scottish Government’s Country Plan for China and International Framework

It always becomes a bit of a sprint at the end of our meetings. We move quickly on to agenda item 3, which is on the committee’s inquiry into the Scottish Government’s China plan. Last Thursday morning, Clare Adamson, Jamie McGrigor and I attended the launch of the inquiry at the Scottish Salmon Company. We will give feedback on the event.

Jamie McGrigor went into a lot of detail, because much of the operation is in his region. I found the visit to be extremely interesting. It was intriguing to discover how the company manages and sustains its business overseas and to hear about some of the challenges and pressures that it faces. I think that a note will be prepared for the committee on what we did that day.

Clare Adamson was there, too. Do you have any recollections that you want to share?

Yes. I would like to thank the Scottish Salmon Company for its time and hospitality on the day. It was an extremely interesting visit. What I understand about the company’s engagement in China is that it still does not feel that it is supported by the existing networks. Even though it has an office in China and someone who is based there, it does not feel that it has sufficient link-up.

One of the most significant messages that I took from our visit was that the company used the New Zealand Government’s website to find out about engagement in China and to get advice about best practice and so on. It said that that was extremely useful, but that it had got very little from the websites and the support that are available here. We should certainly look into that.

I suggest that we consider inviting the Department of Trade and Industry and Scottish Enterprise to give us a presentation on what they can do for small companies in Scotland, and how they explore new businesses. We produce a lot of dairy products that we are not really known for overseas, although we are known for them in Scotland and, possibly, the US and Canada. That would give them a good opportunity to explain what they do for small businesses, how they engage with and support them, and whether they do so from a British or a Scottish point of view.

We will hear from some panels as part of the inquiry. Those organisations will certainly be invited.

Lauren Spaven-Donn, who is one of the committee’s clerks, is doing a power of work in looking at businesses, organisations and support networks and how we can link into them for the inquiry.

That completes our meeting. Our next meeting will be on 21 March, when we will hear from business representatives in our foreign languages inquiry.

Meeting closed at 11:29.