Seòmar agus comataidhean

The convener mentioned the public trust model. Might it be beneficial to work cross-party on that? It strikes me that, if a sound model can be found and adopted, it would have potential benefits for a variety of areas, given current constraints. A few members might be interested in looking at the implications of that generally, but it would also be advantageous for your bill.

I regard the fact that that keeps you awake as good news.

We have talked about your risk assessment in general. In the context of the constraints in public sector funding, you have already commented in response to a number of questions about things that you cannot really afford to spend on. You just referenced the Scottish Government’s human resources and finance corporate transformation programme. Are you alluding to the possibility that that could mean further restrictions or lack of growth in funding or is it as much about what that might bring to you? I am interested to hear a bit more about that.

Lastly, every time that you come in front of us, you always talk very positively about the culture that you are fostering. I regard culture in organisations as hugely important and, of course, something that comes from the top. Often, the culture of an organisation stays endemic to it, even after the original people have moved on to different things. What is your guiding philosophy? What are, if you like, the top trees that you are planting that will grow and bloom for generations after we have all moved on?

You have already answered my follow-on question. That was fairly well documented.

This is a question that I asked you last year, but I will ask it again, because I am going to put it to every public body that comes in front of me at any committee. How are you preparing for the potentially exponential growth in the use of artificial intelligence? What is your thinking this year compared with last year? What external consultants are you using, and what is your risk assessment? This is just a checkpoint.

I have a few questions. The first is on the potential for delegation to Registers of Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. You can delegate responsibilities to those bodies, but you remain accountable. Can you talk me through your risk assessment to ensure that nothing goes awry with that? It is not that I have any particular concerns, but any form of delegation brings risk—that is where I am coming from.

Thank you.

A lot of the questions that I was going to ask have already been covered. You have clearly put a great deal of work into the bill, and you acknowledged some of the main questions in your opening remarks.

On the appetite to get the bill through, one thing that struck me was the Scottish Government’s memorandum, which states:

“The financial implications of the Bill on public finances are significant and unaffordable, as currently drafted, and put into question whether the intentions of the Bill are realistically deliverable.”

Those are quite strong words. Although you have indicated that the Government has been supportive and has taken a neutral position, how on earth are you going to get over that hurdle and that statement about the financial implications?

I do not disagree. You have made claims about the value of outdoor education. I think that, if the right funding model could be found, the value could be even greater. Although the benefits are good, they are being derived from only one event during a school pupil’s attendance from primary 6 to secondary 4.

I do not have any further questions, convener, because they have all largely been covered.

You knew that I was going to ask about the board, so thank you for bringing that in, too.

That is me as far as my questions are concerned, unless you have anything to add, Aidan O’Carroll.

The third area of potential risk is AI-enabled cyberattacks, which have become increasingly more sophisticated. Is that something that you expect your new digital person to consider in more detail?