Chamber and committees

You have given a general sense of how long-term funding constraints have affected you, and I do not disagree. I know from my other life on the Finance and Public Administration Committee that your commentary is the same as that of a multitude of other sectors and organisations. However, I was trying to explore the extent to which you have had active discussions with the Scottish Government on the specifics that are contained in the financial memorandum.

Let us assume that the bill goes through, that the refocusing take place and that you have to do that work on your existing resource. Have you had discussions on what that would look like? The financial memorandum suggests that it can happen within your existing envelope. Have you gone down to that level of discussion with the Scottish Government?

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of Brexit on young musicians. (S6O-03422)

At a recent round table that I hosted with the European Movement, we heard compelling evidence of the impact of Brexit on young musicians. It was testimony from the singer Iona Fyfe that struck me the most. Still relatively early in her career, she anticipates that the loss of free movement into Europe will have a significant impact. If we do not keep young musicians in the profession who have opportunities to grow and learn and make contacts, we risk much of the social infrastructure and, indeed, the wider arts cluster. I am aware of the very good work that the Scottish Government has done to understand the immediate concerns of musicians generally, but is the Scottish Government collecting data from young musicians specifically over the longer term so that the wider impacts can be felt?

My last wee question is for you both. We have conducted a thorough investigation so far, and everybody who has appeared before us has had a good grasp of their particular area and has convincingly articulated why a commissioner is necessary and, indeed, effective. However, from our point of view, we look at the entire landscape rather than one individual silo, which is perhaps where the mismatch comes in.

Again, this is a slightly hypothetical question for you both, to finish off. If you were us and you were required to look at the entire landscape, bearing in mind the need for efficiency and effective government and the critical financial constraints, what would your reflections be? Audrey, you smiled, so you can go first.

In some respects, you have answered my question because you did not say, “We have no idea how we could improve things without the installation of a commissioner.” Arguably, that would be an answer. However, you already have quite a lot of ideas. The original example that you gave about Ellie Wilson promoting the transcripts of rape victims was another earlier version.

Clare Haughey, I have my cutting knife in the name of Ivan McKee. Realistically, what are the remedies and how readily to they come to mind with regard to a situation in which the patient safety commissioner was to be no more?

Were you simply being kind to the Government? Rather than saying, “No, we should not have one”, were you being nice and suggesting an interim measure? I know I am being slightly controversial, but were you being kind by coming up with another option or was it a sensible suggestion?

Does that not play to Liz Smith’s earlier comment about systemic issues and organisational and cultural issues resulting in people’s voices not being heard? Is working on those issues another remedy? It is difficult, as I know from previous experience, to change the culture of an organisation, but is that a potential remedy?

I have a wee follow-on question for you, Ms Nicoll, about your committee’s recommendation to consider a time-limited period should a victims and witnesses commissioner be established. Did you consider what that time period might be, given the considerable organisational establishment and set-up costs?

Good morning. The example of the third sector body that Audrey Nicoll mentioned illustrates my question. I was looking at the new responsibilities of the ministers and cabinet secretaries and noticed that Ivan McKee’s responsibilities include public service reform, efficient government and so on.

I have almost hypothetical questions for you both. Audrey, if a stringent new cap on public sector expenditure was brought into force that meant that the commissioner, whom you were required to consider as part of your recent scrutiny, were removed, what specifically would you do to address some of the issues around the treatment of victims and witnesses? Secondly, Clare, I am not saying that the patient safety commissioner will be removed—I do not want to set any hares running—but, given that it is a slightly different situation, if that commissioner were removed, hypothetically, what could you do to address the perceived gap?

I recognise the efforts that have been made with the 2023 “Pathways” report, and I hope that any funding can continue on a sustainable basis.

Figures from the Federation of Small Businesses in 2018 suggested that women-led businesses account for nearly £9 billion of gross value added. Today’s figure is likely to be much higher. However, a recent report from Women’s Enterprise Scotland articulates continued systemic barriers, citing issues such as an increase in discrimination and unequal treatment of women in business. Will the First Minister and his new Cabinet commit to a focus on the value of women-led businesses as a key part of his stated aim of driving economic growth, and as a means of increasing labour market participation, innovation and productivity?