As was highlighted in Katy Clark’s line of questioning, there are many factors behind changes in the incidence of sexual offences reporting. The latest increase is to be taken very seriously, and I hope that it reflects the fact that more women feel able to come forward. Will the cabinet secretary further outline what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that every woman who comes forward feels respected and supported throughout the whole process?

Will the First Minister expand on the six-point export plan? Which specific international markets will be targeted and through which export sectors, and how will the package of measures support Scottish companies to reach global markets at a time of particular economic uncertainty due to US tariffs?

Yes, I am aware of that. That example goes to show that, although developments in Aberdeen have not been without challenges, they have led the way across Scotland, which is to be commended.

The flagship hydrogen campus in the energy transition zone in my constituency is set to become home to a new green hydrogen test and demonstration facility, a multimillion pound collaboration between Energy Transition Zone Ltd and TÜV SÜD, which will help to drive forward the use of industrial green hydrogen and deliver the energy transition.

This week’s Scottish Renewables supply chain impact statement reflects the progress that is being made in green hydrogen, including the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, which is pioneering developments in green hydrogen, and a highlight in the form of the Ardbikie distillery becoming the world’s first distillery to be powered by green hydrogen.

I note members’ comments on transport. At least one business in my constituency is seeking to transition to manufacturing hydrogen pressure vehicles for the renewables sector. However, key to that is funding a cost-efficient and safe option.

Scotland has two Governments in relation to energy, and many of the levers that are required to develop Scotland’s hydrogen economy sit with the UK Government. One of those levers is the regulatory framework, without which progress is restricted, so I ask the cabinet secretary for an update on progress on developing the necessary regulations to further develop hydrogen infrastructure, power and storage.

That leads me to my final point. Project willow, which has already been mentioned, has identified hydrogen production as one of the key pathways for the cluster. However, it is more commercially viable if the Acorn carbon capture project has track 2 status. I join business leaders, the Government, colleagues and stakeholders in calling on Scottish Labour to put its shoulder to the wheel and demand that the UK Government provide urgent clarity on the project today.

It has been an interesting week to have a debate on Scotland’s hydrogen future. The week began with Portugal and Spain experiencing major disruption caused by failure of the power system, which underlined the fragility of the way in which we live our lives. It was a week in which crude oil refining ceased at Grangemouth and in which the Climate Change Committee reported that the UK Government has yet to change its approach to effectively tackle climate risks. This is not where we want to be. The window for keeping global warming within the limit of 1.5°C is closing. If we ever needed any more evidence that the world is running short of time to avert catastrophic climate change, this was it.

However, today is about acknowledging and even celebrating the progress that is being made in Scotland’s hydrogen industry and about looking ahead to the future, so, in my case, what is needed is less higher chemistry and maybe a bit more higher economics.

Scotland has ambitious climate goals. I have always believed that setting rigorous targets shows that we are prepared to take strong action. That action will be delivered through the just transition targets. Targets focus minds, they remind us that we must always do more and they make us innovate, which is important.

Scotland is a treasure trove of innovators in the energy sector, including companies and investors who are now applying years of experience in the oil and gas industry to support the wind, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen markets. As the motion outlines, hydrogen represents one of Scotland’s greatest industrial opportunities since oil and gas. We have the energy history, skills and experience to be a driving force in the hydrogen sector in Europe and beyond.

As we continue the transition to net zero, green hydrogen will play an increasingly important role, particularly in industry, as organisations decarbonise their operations. Underpinning the development of a hydrogen economy in Scotland is the Scottish Government’s hydrogen action plan, which commits £100 million of capital funding for renewable hydrogen projects and enterprise agencies, supporting businesses to access new opportunities. The Scottish Government’s hydrogen export plan recognises the opportunities that are arising from countries that are looking to countries that can provide energy from hydrogen at scale. As we have heard, Scotland is well placed to service future export markets for hydrogen, presenting us with a significant industrial opportunity.

Not to disappoint, Aberdeen continues on its journey as a hydrogen city and has a strong track record as an area of innovation, working across European and domestic Governments to develop the working technology for hydrogen vehicles. In addition, the Aberdeen hydrogen hub, a collaboration between Aberdeen City Council and BP, supported by £15 million of Scottish Government funding, is making very good progress. That links to Sarah Boyack’s point about hydrogen being an issue right across the Government.

This week, Scottish Renewables published its latest supply chain impact statement, which showcases a diverse range of businesses working across Scotland’s renewable energy supply chain, including Apollo, GQS and Ternan Energy in Aberdeen. Will the First Minister join me in welcoming the report, which represents nearly 10,000 jobs? Will he also outline how the Scottish Government is supporting the renewable energy supply chain to capture economic benefits for Scotland?

We could ask many follow-up questions on that, but I will leave that for now and open it up to members. I will bring in Liam Kerr then Ben Macpherson.

I have a quick follow-up question. Schengen is a pivotal system, but we can no longer benefit from it. When it comes to the TCA negotiations, how important is it for us to strive to move closer to the access that we used to have to that particular system? Is that point likely to be included as part of the negotiations? How important is it that that be a priority? That might be a difficult question to answer.

Your presentation has been really interesting. I have learned a lot from that and from your report, so thank you very much. There is a lot for us to think about with regard to the impact of our withdrawal from Europe. It is good to hear that there are still good levels of co-operation between the UK and European Union member states under the TCA, although you have outlined that there are still some challenges in the area of information and intelligence sharing. I was very interested to hear about the issues relating to the timely execution of warrants, which we will come back to.

I will kick off the questions and then open up the floor to members. Helena Farrand Carrapico, you spoke about notable losses in capability with regard to co-operation between Scotland, the UK and the EU on judicial matters and policing. Based on the conversations that you had during the study and the interviews that you conducted, particularly with police officers and prosecutors, will you say more about which of those losses are the most significant? How much of an impact have those losses had on our ability to tackle crime, particularly in the areas that you mentioned, including human trafficking and cybercrime? It is quite a broad question, but I am interested to hear a wee bit more about that.

My final question goes back to a point that Helena Farrand Carrapico made towards the end of the presentation on the TCA review and the forthcoming summit that will take place next month. You said that it is likely that the focus will be on defence. That made me think about the importance of the UK-EU co-operation that we have been examining. Ultimately, we are considering public safety and national security, and we are potentially stepping into areas that we would usually think of as sitting in the defence space. Acknowledging the TCA’s importance in relation to judicial co-operation and the wider defence and human rights challenges that are being faced across Europe, how important is it that we make as much progress as possible in the TCA review?

Thank you—that was a really interesting answer. As there are no more questions, I thank you both for attending the meeting. It has been a fascinating evidence session. We look forward to receiving your follow-up points, and the committee will consider the next steps that we can take.