Seòmar agus comataidhean

I invite the cabinet secretary to sum up and respond to the debate.

The committee will report on the outcome in due course. I invite the committee to delegate to me, as convener, authority to approve a draft of the report for publication. Do members agree to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

I thank the cabinet secretary and her officials. That concludes our public business. We will move into private session to consider our remaining agenda items.

I will come in on that quickly. You touched on the membership, which would be fairly small given the wide variety of issues that the council would be dealing with. How would you expect it to get the required level of expertise, given some of the scientific and social security issues? How would the council be able to widen the net, if you like?

I invite John Mason to ask a question.

I invite Katy Clark to ask her questions.

I invite contributions from members.

I invite Marie McNair to conclude our questioning.

Thank you very much. I invite members to ask questions.

Touching on the wider role that SEIAC could play, witnesses have suggested that it could have a more preventative role in helping to improve occupational health in the workplace. To what extent is that possible, given that a statutory body could not be given functions that relate to reserved areas?