I very much welcome the question. Travel is one of the first areas that the strategic partnership for Scotland’s festivals, which I chair, has focused on, and it was the subject of a bilateral meeting that I had with the transport secretary. We need to get travel right to make sure that our festivals, but also the culture sector more generally, are properly served with the ability for people to travel with the least environmental impact possible.

I give Mr Harvie the assurance that that is at the forefront of my mind. I point out to him that the biggest single component of the audience figures for, for example, the Edinburgh festival fringe is people who come from here. I know that he is inviting me to share my thoughts on people who fly here from other parts of the world, and I am very keen that modes of further travel are more environmental—

Mr Bibby probably knows that I spent most of my professional life as a member of the National Union of Journalists, but that is not the only relevant union in this regard. I have also had regular meetings with Bectu and other trade unions on issues such as the decision to end “River City”, and I will absolutely have meetings with them about any potential job losses at STV.

The Scottish Library and Information Council’s idea is a very interesting example of new thinking about what cultural organisations—libraries, in its case, but potentially other types of venues—can offer as hubs for communities to access a range of services and opportunities.

That goes back to the question that was asked at the beginning of our evidence session about access to, for example, health and wellbeing cultural provision. I think that there is definitely something in all that. Earlier this year, in Falkirk, I saw a fantastic library which was, in effect, the community hub where the pensioners’ group and the book readers group met, and that also had a children’s play and reading area. There was much more than what one might traditionally have understood a library to house.

SLIC’s idea of a culture and wellbeing fund is to help libraries to offer more than they have done up until now and, as a result, allow them to maintain the numbers of people who are going to use them. One of the challenges for libraries is that, as many more of us are accessing books online and do not need to go to libraries in a way that we needed to in the past, they need to reimagine how they offer themselves and their space.

There is definitely something in the suggestion, and it is part of the answer to the cross-portfolio culture and wellbeing offering that we discuss with great regularity in this committee. That is one of the strongest aspects when it comes to delivering our aspirations.

I am happy to answer that question, convener. I have some words prepared, which I can read if that would be agreeable to the committee—or, because of the time, would you prefer me to get straight into answering your questions? I am happy to follow your lead, as you know what would be more useful for the committee.

I suspect that the words that I have prepared are not as succinct as you might wish, so why not just press on?

I will come to the specific question from Mr Kerr in a second. Historic Environment Scotland is in a period of transition as we speak. Mr Kerr knows that I was able to confirm the appointment of Sir Mark Jones as the incoming chair of Historic Environment Scotland. Many people in the committee will know Sir Mark, and I am delighted that he is taking on the role. As Mr Kerr and other members of the committee are aware, there are on-going issues in Historic Environment Scotland, particularly management-related issues. In acknowledging that, I am keen to highlight the general work that Historic Environment Scotland does and my satisfaction with that.

Having said that, I think that there are a number of reasons to have concerns about the management and governance in Historic Environment Scotland. Therefore, not only was I pleased to appoint Sir Mark; I have met him to discuss those issues and to give him the maximum confidence that I would wish him to have in addressing the specific issue that Mr Kerr raises, as well as others, and in ensuring that Historic Environment Scotland can continue its good work—with confidence that the leadership, both through the board and in the senior management team, is exactly what it should be.

I have not seen a final conclusion of any report about the incident that Mr Kerr raises, but he will appreciate that I am taking a very close interest in that and in other issues. There is a general understanding outside the committee that issues are being raised directly with members of the Scottish Parliament, with me and with the civil service. All of that will be shared with the incoming chair of the board, and I have a very high degree of confidence that he will take all those matters seriously.

I say all of that with the caveat, from my previous answer, that I am very mindful of the arm’s-length relationship between Government and public bodies such as Historic Environment Scotland, which is why I have such confidence in Sir Mark taking up his role. He must be able to get on with his responsibilities as the chair of the board. He has a long-standing working relationship with the chief executive of Historic Environment Scotland, Katerina Brown, and I am optimistic that they will form a formidable team. I look forward to hearing more about that in the weeks and months ahead.

Yes, absolutely.

Absolutely.

That is understood. I have made it absolutely and unambiguously clear to the committee that I agree that there is a wide range of issues of concern relating to the senior management of Historic Environment Scotland. They cause me extreme concern, and I expect to learn what the consequences of those cases are. Some relate to matters that are subject to on-going internal human resource processes, and I await the conclusion of them. I also believe that those issues will be fully attended to by the incoming chair of Historic Environment Scotland, Sir Mark Jones. I have total confidence in his ability and willingness to deal with the issue. We all share an interest in the focus of Historic Environment Scotland’s efforts being on the tremendous job that it does throughout Scotland.

If this part of the evidence session is drawing to a close because we are moving on to other subjects, I want to take the opportunity to assure Mr Bibby and other colleagues that, if you, convener, wish me to come back at an appropriate time, I am content to do so. Echoing an earlier answer, I would wish all members of the committee—and, through them, other members of the Parliament who have raised issues with me directly, even this week—to have confidence, through transparency, that the outstanding matters of concern that have been raised with us directly, through the media or through reports that we have been sent have all been dealt with.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Unfortunately, my device would not register my vote, which would have been a yes.