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All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
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Displaying 1374 contributions
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 11 May 2022
Michelle Thomson
Thank you for that additional insight. I suspect that one of my colleagues will want to pick up on that, because it is an interesting thread. Does Adrian Watson have anything to add to what has been covered so far?
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 11 May 2022
Michelle Thomson
That is okay.
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 11 May 2022
Michelle Thomson
Thank you for that. You have given us a lot of the “what”, but the “how” will be the challenge.
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 4 May 2022
Michelle Thomson
E-commerce, its enablers and the skills that are needed will be a big topic in the committee’s inquiry, and I suspect that other committee members will come in on that subject.
I will finish off the piece about women-led businesses. In addition to the areas that we have already highlighted, given that this is a generic inquiry into town centres, my second question is: do you have any other ideas about what we need to do to put women-led businesses at the heart of town centre redevelopment? I appreciate that that is a hard question, given that that is not your specialism, but I would like to hear other ideas before we move on.
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 4 May 2022
Michelle Thomson
I will pick up on some of the general themes. You will appreciate that the inquiry is wide ranging, and I know that you listened to the earlier panel. One of our challenges is to produce recommendations that add real resonance and meaning. So, based on the earlier session, which I know that you listened to, and this one, what two top areas can you pick out in which we should recommend that something be done? That is rather generic, but the area is so wide ranging that it would help us pull it all together if we could get a couple of thoughts from off the top of your head. If we did one or two things, what should they be?
I would like everyone to answer that. Neil Francis, you are smiling, so I will come to you first.
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 4 May 2022
Michelle Thomson
You have given us so many points. All that you have done is prompt further questions in me, but I will resist asking them as I am aware that other people want to comment. Siobhan, what are your top two things, if you can limit it to that?
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 4 May 2022
Michelle Thomson
You have spoken about women’s enterprise centres being at the heart of developing communities. I can see a virtual link with getting more women involved in e-commerce and what we want to do with encouraging science, technology, engineering and mathematics as we move down the generations. Are there any other ideas that would lend a shift to the systemic issues that we have with town planning? Most surveyors and traffic planners are men. It is perhaps a hard question, given that it is not your specialism.
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 4 May 2022
Michelle Thomson
Thank you.
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 4 May 2022
Michelle Thomson
I think I might just ask you to stop there, as—
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 4 May 2022
Michelle Thomson
I want to explore with Carolyn Currie in particular an issue relating to women in enterprise. We have read a lot about how to support and develop town centres. I appreciate that that is highly complex, but I wonder to what extent you have considered how well women-led businesses are reflected in town centre development. For example, we know that our cities and, to some extent, our towns have been designed around cars. I have not heard much or been able to read much about putting women’s businesses, or diversity in general, at the heart of town centre development.