Seòmar agus comataidhean

We got that bit right. It is good to have you here with us. I invite the minister to make some short opening remarks.

Could they do that now?

Yes, I hear what you say, Fergus.

Stephanie, I invite you to speak. I apologise for getting your surname wrong earlier.

That was more of a rhetorical contribution than a question. I think that Michael Marra has made his feelings on the matter clear.

I thank our witnesses—Jennifer King, Laura Caven, Mike Corbett and Joan Tranent—for their time, for the evidence that they have presented and for being so willing to say their piece. After all, we depend on that.

The public part of the meeting is at an end. I ask members to reconvene on Microsoft Teams to allow us to consider our final agenda items in private.

That is a very good point and I appreciate your intervening to make it.

Joan, I wish to turn to another aspect of your evidence, which relates to people who are vulnerable. I am looking at your written evidence at page 32 of our papers, where you describe specific challenges with children in need. You allude to the point that there are groups of young people who could become at risk—which I think is a recognised reality.

What steps are needed at a policy level to give that group of families early intervention support to prevent problems?

Oliver, would you like to continue?

You are in a key role with COSLA, as chief officer in the children and young people team. Do you have any sense of whether there is a move to get those teachers on temporary contracts on to permanent contracts? Is that something that you are aware of?

It is fundamental to the discussion about Covid recovery that those teachers, who have done a fantastic job—we have done a lot of work on the workload that teachers have been bearing—deserve permanent contracts.

I am, quite rightly, being encouraged to be as brief as I have encouraged others to be, so we will go to Stephanie Callaghan.

We have two experts on hand to answer that question.

Item 2 is evidence from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery, John Swinney MSP, and his officials, on the draft regulations. I welcome the Deputy First Minister to the committee. Mr Swinney is accompanied by Lisa McCloy, head of the Scottish Government divisional development and legislation unit; and Claire Montgomery, a solicitor in the Scottish Government legal directorate.

I invite Mr Swinney to speak to the draft regulations.