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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 6 July 2025
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Displaying 1690 contributions

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Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Skills Delivery

Meeting date: 26 March 2025

Michelle Thomson

Do you mean how they do business?

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Skills Delivery

Meeting date: 26 March 2025

Michelle Thomson

That brings us to the end of the evidence session. I thank the witnesses very much for their evidence.

12:13 Meeting continued in private until 12:34.  

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Skills Delivery

Meeting date: 26 March 2025

Michelle Thomson

Good morning. Thanks for joining us. My question arguably follows on from Daniel Johnson’s question.

Recommendation 1 in your report is that there should be a new culture of leadership. We have talked about leadership, but I want to probe a bit more about culture and what you have seen since you produced your report, in 2023. I assume that you meant much more than not focusing only on university degrees as being the appropriate route and much more than that it was a fragmented landscape. Given your summary that

“Culture does not shift easily”,

what changes have you seen in the culture thus far?

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Skills Delivery

Meeting date: 26 March 2025

Michelle Thomson

Classic. Absolutely. Thank you very much for that.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

New Deal for Business

Meeting date: 19 March 2025

Michelle Thomson

I will finish off with a question for Dr Malik. What do you see as your role going forward? It may not be you personally, but what you have been able to bring has been generally recognised and very much valued. How will that work continue so that we have freshness of perspective and a sound voice, and so that we keep focusing on the shift in culture?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

New Deal for Business

Meeting date: 19 March 2025

Michelle Thomson

We understand that. I want to follow up on the point about cascading within the siloed, complex and ever-shifting organisation that is Government. Beyond the process elements that you outlined, such as business and regulatory impact assessments, and in relation to embedding that depth of leadership, to what extent will directors general be measured and rewarded—or otherwise—based on not just following process but continuing to drive the cultural shift down through their direct reports?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

New Deal for Business

Meeting date: 19 March 2025

Michelle Thomson

Thank you for indulging me, Mr Fraser.

Deputy First Minister, I am heartened to hear what you have to say about a change in culture and the use of that term. You make a bold statement, because culture is extraordinarily difficult to change and it takes sustained intensive effort. We have already touched on silos, which would be the obvious issue. How do we work on that? We have had some evidence on that.

Given your limited capacity—you have a huge remit—what is your plan to ensure that the focus is sustained and cascaded through the depths of Government? What measures have been put in place to ensure that economic growth and all that it enables stay at the top of the agenda?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

New Deal for Business

Meeting date: 19 March 2025

Michelle Thomson

Because we would not have believed you.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

New Deal for Business

Meeting date: 19 March 2025

Michelle Thomson

It is a supplementary on the Deputy First Minister’s opening statement.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

New Deal for Business

Meeting date: 19 March 2025

Michelle Thomson

I will leave it there. Thank you.