Thank you. The question is, that motion S6M-08482, in the name of Màiri McAllan, be agreed to.

Motion agreed to,

That the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee recommends that the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (Interim Target) Amendment Regulations 2023 [draft] be approved.

Monica, I think that we have pushed that as far as we can. The cabinet secretary has given the answer that he is prepared to give, so I will move on to the next question.

What engagement has the Scottish Government had in REMA, which is the snappy title for the review of electricity market arrangements?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer.

I was one of the people who was keen on members being able to make virtual contributions and to carry out virtual voting. I believe that the point of order that Christine Grahame has now raised twice goes against the principle of what this Parliament stands for and what it is trying to achieve, and is no more than a political cheap shot at people who are not attending Parliament in person. Can you give me further guidance on whether continued points of order on the topic are appropriate or—[Interruption.]

I cannot comprehend why members find it difficult to see why some members want to contribute remotely, especially considering that some have a long way to travel and have other things to do, but have followed the debate all afternoon, as I have. I find it discourteous of Christine Grahame to continue to raise those points of order, when the Parliament agreed as a whole to allow remote voting and remote participation. I wonder whether you can give me guidance on the matter, Presiding Officer.

Presiding Officer, I do not know whether I will get back my time for that.

No, that is not what the communities see. They see a centralised Government pushing down from on top without listening to a word that they are saying. If the cabinet secretary is in any doubt about that, all that I would say to her is that she should take the time to come up to my office and have a look at some of the emails that I have received. I will be very happy to share them with her.

Presiding Officer, I know that, because I took some interventions, I will have to end my speech early.

Absolutely. I take this opportunity to thank Beatrice Wishart for enabling last night’s members’ business debate, which was really interesting. One thing that we must understand—I will come on to this—is the importance of not destroying the livelihoods of those people who are employed in the local economy and who live in that area.

There is no doubt that, if we start a hare running, it is difficult to stop it. That is exactly what this Government has done with HPMAs. It has no clear idea about how it will achieve its aims, but it has a clear idea that it must get on with it, because the Greens are telling it to do so. Furthermore, it has no clear idea how it will save the jobs of the fishermen. The Greens do not care about that because, to them, those jobs are collateral damage.

The Government will push on with a policy that, to me, is not based on the knowledge of those people who live and work in that environment, who protect that environment, who cherish that environment and who have no wish to destroy it because it forms part of their livelihood.

Will the member give way on that point? Does she ever give way?

At the outset, I will say that I was taken aback by the call that I was on yesterday afternoon with many MSPs. On that call, we were asked for our opinions on HPMAs, which is a bit late, and I am not sure that it actually followed the advice that had been given. It was disturbing—and must have been disturbing for the cabinet secretary—to hear from nearly all the MSPs on the call that the level of responses, and the pure venom in some of those responses, had not been experienced by those parliamentarians before.

Presiding Officer, you will know, as I do, that many songs and folk songs that we hear are written about either heroes or villains. In this case, a folk song, “The Clearances Again”, has been written. It is not about heroes; it is about villains. That is the way that the islanders view it.

If we consider all the Highlands and Islands MSPs, there is no doubt that the Conservatives understand the issue. I know that Labour understands it, and I know that the Liberal Democrats get it. I am pretty sure that the Greens do not get it. I am also pretty sure that some SNP members get it. We listened to Fergus Ewing’s members’ business speech last night—he gets it. I will come back to that later. I think that Kate Forbes gets it, too.

However, it is clear that the other two Highlands and Islands MSPs, Maree Todd and Emma Roddick, do not get it. In fact, I do not even see them in the chamber. Perhaps that is because they have taken the Government’s shilling and they do not have to respond or take part in this debate. However, there is no doubt that they will pay for that at the next election.

I thank the minister and his officials. You are welcome to leave as we continue with our meeting.

Agenda item 4 is consideration of a negative instrument. The instrument is laid under the negative procedure, which means that its provisions will come into force unless the Parliament agrees to a motion to annul them. No motions to annul have been laid.

As no members have comments on the instrument, I?invite the committee to agree that it does not wish to make any further recommendations. Are we agreed?

Members indicated agreement.