Chamber and committees

How did it come about that part of the report seems to suggest that the Scottish Government was too distant at times but then sometimes not at arm’s length? I think that one of the comments around the report is that sometimes the Government had very short arms and was delving into things that were operational—it was felt to be interfering.

Was it felt that it was too restrictive?

Was there a sense that the Scottish ministers were providing the level of strategic dialogue and direction that the organisation needed?

That is good. Thank you very much.

It is early days. I just wonder what your thoughts and plans are. I believe that the influence of diplomatic efforts, particularly in the creation of the friends of Scotland group, is important. However, the friends of Scotland group in the European Parliament has only 23 members out of 720 MEPs. That is not even one per member state of the European Union. Maybe you can tell us what you will do to change that, so that we can have more friends of Scotland in the friends of Scotland group.

Good morning. You mentioned the board, concerns about the capacity of the board and information not being passed to the board. You mention that there is no transformation plan in the medium term, no core strategy and no clear framework for prioritisation and that this weakens its ability to adapt, lead or respond strategically. Is the current board capable of bringing about the changes that you would like to see in Creative Scotland?

Would Pam Duncan-Glancy agree that part of the way to tackle the country’s health challenges, as well as the child poverty that John Mason mentions, is by investing in the people of Scotland through skills, education and training—the very things that are supposed to be the focus of the bill?

I heard very clearly what the minister said. I simply add in relation to amendment 141 that, if the Scottish Government is asking the Funding Council to take on an expanded and more complex role, the council should operate under a clear and disciplined statutory framework of the kind that a number of amendments in this group have spelled out. Nevertheless, I look forward to further engagement with the minister in relation to the reporting criteria. I will not be moving amendment 141.

On amendment 17, I noted subsection (6), in particular, which talks about “socio-economic groups” that are “under-represented” and so on. Interestingly, no part of that amendment—and particularly not that part—mentions apprenticeships. Is the minister not concerned that there might be underrepresented socioeconomic groups that are unable to access apprenticeships?

My amendments 146 to 149 in this group seek to deal with how the Scottish Funding Council will exercise the significant and expanded functions that the bill will confer on it. I have lodged the amendments because, as the bill currently stands, the framework for exercising those functions lacks essential safeguards, clarity and discipline. Without those amendments, the council would be asked to shoulder major new responsibilities without the statutory requirements that are necessary to ensure transparency, consistency and a focus on Scotland’s long-term interests.

Amendment 146 seeks to ensure that, when the council exercises its functions, it does so in a way that is aligned with Scotland’s economic needs. My party has consistently argued that the tertiary system should be one of the central drivers of national productivity and national competitiveness. However, although legislation requires the council

“to have regard to ... skills needs in Scotland”,

I believe that that requirement is too broad and allows for crucial factors to be overlooked.

Amendment 146 seeks to correct that by requiring the Funding Council to have explicit regard to Scotland’s employer demand, labour market shortages, skills needs and, crucially, future economic priorities at national and regional levels. Legislating to match support to employer demand will reduce, as far as possible, the funding of low-value courses that do not correspond to employer demand and which result in young people being stuck either in unemployment or in jobs that do not match their skill sets.

I believe that legally mandating that the council have regard to our labour market shortages will force the council to prioritise addressing crucial reoccurring gaps in our national workforce and to prioritise emerging sectors, such as artificial intelligence, to ensure that Scotland is at the forefront of emerging sectors. It is also crucial to mandate that economic priorities at both national and regional levels be considered, as that will ensure that the distinct skills needs in every part of Scotland are not overlooked by a centralised body in Edinburgh.

The amendment would ensure that the council’s work was not simply administrative but strategic, purposeful and grounded in the realities of the economy that it is meant to serve in the present and in the future.