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I understand that the Department for Transport has produced guidance, particularly on cross-pavement gullies. I realise, though, that that is beyond the budget.

Thank you very much for joining us this morning, minister.

One of the areas that we are looking at is the relationship between GB Energy and the Crown Estate, which operates outside Scotland, around the rest of the UK. I am interested to know how you see GB Energy working with Crown Estate Scotland, which is set up slightly differently and does not have borrowing powers. We are trying to understand how the two Crown Estate organisations will work with GB Energy. What will that look like?

We are aware that you have a Crown Estate Bill going through Westminster at the moment. It would be useful if you could provide a little bit of clarity on how you see that relationship developing.

Okay. Thank you. I will come back with some more questions later.

Cabinet secretary, you have spoken about the importance of investment in publicly owned transport, ferries and ScotRail. Obviously, largely, we do not have that situation with the buses, which are run by private companies. The community bus fund was an attempt to support local authorities to look at more public control through franchising and potentially through municipalisation. That standalone fund has been scrapped and is now part of the bus infrastructure fund for the next year. How will local authorities be able to take forward that work, given the new budget line? Does that approach meet the aspirations of councils to procure their own buses and run their own bus services, or at least control those services through franchising?

Okay. If you do not introduce a cap on fares, how will you dramatically increase patronage? Everything that we have talked about today leads us to the conclusion that bus services are largely stuck. We cannot take them into public ownership overnight. Concessionary travel is expensive, and it is working to an extent. However, with regard to getting adult fare-paying passengers and working people to travel by bus, I am struggling to see how this budget changes the picture. We seem stuck without something like a fair fares type of cap.

Thank you.

Sorry, I think that it was split between revenue and capital.

Yes, the momentum or pipeline is really important. However, we have heard concerns from stakeholders that the active travel infrastructure fund is announced only from one year to the next, and that that lack of a multiyear funding commitment disrupts the pipeline.

Yes, but surely the principle is that there must be no detriment and the scheme should not result in profiteering—profit making—by the companies. Although the scheme is encouraging more people to use the bus, it should not cost them. I just do not see how a rate of 81 per cent really ensures that.

Are there any implications for Crown Estate Scotland from the bill that is going through Westminster?