Seòmar agus comataidhean

Kerry, what are your thoughts on the question from a Falkirk perspective?

Kerry Drinnan looks keen to answer.

I thank the panel for their evidence this morning. Our final evidence session in the inquiry will be held next week, when we will hear from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. We will then produce a report based on what we have heard, with recommendations for the Scottish Government.

That concludes the public part of our proceedings. I suspend the meeting to allow our witnesses to leave. The committee will then move into private to consider our next agenda items.

I am very aware of you encroaching into other areas of questioning again—

—if that is okay. Chloe Minto, you want to respond to that question.

I hope that you will find that, as the conversation develops, you will get the chance to make all the points that you are desperately trying to make. I will bring in Michelle Thomson.

In the interests of time, Mr Rennie, I need to move on to our next line of questioning. I remind everyone that we hope to conclude the session at 10.30.

You are, so if you do not mind, can you please move on from that, for now?

Thank you for making that point, which we will look into again.

I thank everybody for their evidence. I suspend the meeting for 15 minutes to allow our witnesses to leave and our second panel of witnesses to come in.

I welcome our second panel. Dr Lynne Binnie is chair of the ASN network at the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland—which, for people who are tuning in, we will probably abbreviate to ADES throughout the meeting; Antony Clark is executive director of performance audit and best value at Audit Scotland; Nicola Dickie is director of people policy at the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; Kerry Drinnan is education service manager for additional support needs inclusion at Falkirk Council; and Vivienne Sutherland is the principal psychologist at Fife Council’s educational psychology service. Welcome, and thank you for giving up your time and coming along this morning and for the written submissions that you provided ahead of the meeting, which have been very helpful.

We move directly to questions from members.