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Good morning, cabinet secretary. I want to ask about the availability of resourcing in the marine directorate for spatial planning, which I know is an issue that has been discussed for quite a long time, particularly in relation to the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. It has been suggested that the directorate does not have the resources to progress that in a meaningful way. Could you speak about that?

We have heard that £20 million has been spent on the islands programme so far, but some islanders have pointed out a lack of progress in meeting the objectives. What value for money have we had so far and what plans are there to ensure that we see results from what is being spent?

That is great—thank you.

Does work still need to be done on co-ordination with other departments in order to meet the objectives?

That is great. Thanks.

It feels as though we are taking a lot on faith if we agree right now to freeze things up until 2030, when LFASS is already based on historical data. We have all been contacted by people who are concerned about that. Although I appreciate the need to avoid a cliff edge, we need a bit more clarity about what the options on the table are and how we can influence and scrutinise things.

Okay. I can probably say no more than I did in my previous question with regard to our needing to be able to scrutinise what is going on and what the options are. From the Government’s point of view, does a decision on the SSI require to be made today?

Are lessons being learned or looked at here, in response?

Yes.

You have spoken about warning signs being evident years in advance. Rumours and low-level concerns about financial decisions must exist pretty much all the time. When should councils begin to worry and take action? Does the response need to be more specific and geared towards the current example, rather than just having generalised worry about specific practices?

On notices and the lead-up to them being issued, is that likely to lead to change to accounting guidance practices or legislation?