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Yes, it does. Going to your accountancy background, I have asked on a number of different occasions whether data on how much time is spent on the process—you spoke earlier about opportunity cost—is collected when we go through that curmudgeonly process? Doing projections that are promptly zapped is often a waste of time. That is one area where I would be looking to note how many days are being used in order to illustrate inefficiencies, when it is all changed at the 11th hour. Does CIPFA or COSLA collect that data?

Do you know what the aggregated percentage is for the rest of the UK? I am just interested.

I knew that you would enjoy that opportunity. Thank you for that.

Would the other two witnesses like to add anything on that question with some thoughts that might have been triggered by today’s discussion?

I see that Paul Bradley is taking a deep breath.

Thank you very much for that.

Good afternoon, secretary of state. We have talked a lot about the specific methodology that was used for the levelling up fund. You mention the use of objective criteria. Despite that, we have ended up in a position in which, as you said, the failure to integrate connectivity data from Scotland has contributed to Orkney, Shetland and the Highlands being placed alongside areas such as the City of London in the category of areas that are least likely to benefit from the fund. How confident are you in the methodology that was adopted?

What specific agreement have you made with Audit Scotland in that respect?

Given that Scotland has a different education system, as you well know, and given what we have seen with transport connectivity, I would not be entirely confident about the methodology for that.

I want to just—

I sense that this is breaking news, Mr Gove. Not only do you want to take away powers from the Scottish Parliament in some areas that previously resided with the EU but you now want to do so in some areas of education, which is totally and utterly devolved.

Is it the right part? Is it a good outcome when that happens?

I must admit that that leaves me no clearer. I will say it again: we have ended up in a position in which Orkney, Shetland and the Highlands have been placed alongside the City of London in the category of areas that are least likely to benefit from the fund. How on earth did that happen? I gently suggest that, had you consulted the Scottish Government, it might have been able to inform you that that was a ridiculous outcome. I am asking you to reflect, with the benefit of hindsight, on the methodology that was used to arrive at that position.