Seòmar agus comataidhean

I will now move to questions from my deputy convener, Evelyn Tweed.

People forget that you are also responsible for setting the budgets for our youth programmes. Earlier this week, I had a meeting with YouthLink Scotland, which was concerned that its grant for 2024-25 has not been agreed. What are your thoughts in the light of the current spending cuts? As minister, are you looking to protect the provision of universal youth work services across Scotland? We know how key that is to community cohesion, which we heard so much about yesterday in the chamber.

Perhaps I should declare that I am a former girl guide and my father was a Boys Brigade captain, as the First Minister was. I have a bit of a penchant for the uniformed organisations across Scotland. I am sure that many MSPs are ex-guides, ex-brownies or ex-scouts. A few hands are going up.

You said that some colleges have no assets. Is that widespread across the colleges?

I am sure that you will update us on that.

That is great. We have also heard about the impact of the removal of the upskilling fund. Professor Gareth Williams told us that the fund’s removal meant that addressing weak long-term productivity in the Scottish economy, particularly among smaller businesses, would become harder. Further, the flexible workforce development fund has not been reinstated—I am lobbied regularly by my local college in Edinburgh about the need to reinstate it and about how valuable it was in terms of investment and return. What are your thoughts on the negative impact of the removal of those funds on institutions and their ability to work with businesses that we are being told about?

George Adam, it is over to you.

We did have that head-to-head about the specifics and the detail behind those demand-led programmes. I do not know whether we ever quite got that information, which would be useful.

We often hear that, if that were possible, it would do a great deal to widen access.

I do not expect you to answer that question, minister, unless you feel that you have to.