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Yes, compared with the current year, but it is a substantial reduction from where it was two years ago.

We have had quite enough data already this morning, convener.

Good morning to you, cabinet secretary, and your colleagues. You said at the outset that the economy was a top priority for the Government and that this was a budget to help grow the economy. In fact, I heard the First Minister on the radio this morning making the same point, so I will test that claim against some of the choices that were made in the budget.

The committee took evidence a few weeks ago from the enterprise agencies, which told us about the success that they have, the multiplier effect of money that is invested in the enterprise agencies and the impact that that has on economic growth, which was compelling evidence. Of course, all the enterprise agencies have experienced substantial budget cuts over the past decade. Scottish Enterprise, for example, had a budget of £350.9 million in the past financial year. For the budget that you have set, the figure is £236.10 million, which is a 33 per cent cut. Highlands and Islands Enterprise had a budget of £69.4 million last year. In the budget that you have set, it is £56.3 million, which is a 19 per cent cut. South of Scotland Enterprise had a budget of £31.2 million in the past year and, in the budget that you have set, it is £29.1 million.

Those are very substantial cuts on the past financial year in the budget. How does that budget support growing the economy if you are continuing baked-in cuts to the enterprise networks?

Congratulations to Ben Macpherson. We will now swap over.

The second agenda item is the choosing of the committee’s convener. The Parliament has agreed that only members of the Scottish National Party are eligible to be nominated as convener of this committee. I understand that Ben Macpherson is that party’s nominee for the role of convener. I therefore nominate Ben Macpherson.

Ben Macpherson was chosen as convener.

Good morning, and welcome to the first meeting in session 6 of the SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review Committee.

I have the pleasure of convening the meeting for the first two items of business. By convention, the oldest member of the committee has to convene the opening of the first meeting. For the avoidance of doubt, I state on the record that I am not the oldest member of the committee—just in case there was any doubt about that.

We have received apologies from Richard Leonard MSP, who is the oldest member of the committee but cannot be with us this morning. That leaves me, as the second-oldest member, to convene the meeting. I take this opportunity to welcome members, and I look forward to working with you on the committee.

Agenda item 1 is declarations of interests, under which every member is required to declare any interests that are relevant to the work of the committee. Background information is provided in the declaration of interests paper, which has been circulated to members.

First of all, I will declare my interests. I am a member of the Law Society of Scotland, although I am not currently practising. I have no other relevant interests to declare.

I ask each member to declare their interests.

You can touch on it now, if you want.

No—I am thinking about access to the public sector funds. In Scotland, we have things such as the Scottish National Investment Bank, which operates only in Scotland. Is there any difference in the way in which you can access funding on each side of the border?

That is interesting. Thank you.

I go back to the question of funding, which was touched on earlier in Daniel Johnson’s questions. I have two specific questions. To save time, I will ask both of them at the same time.

First, to what extent have you sought to draw in any private sector funding for your deals, and how successful has that been?

Secondly, how have you sought to interact with other sources of public sector funding, such as levelling up funds, shared prosperity funds, the Scottish National Investment Bank or research and innovation funding? Going beyond the narrow scope of the funding in the deals, have you been able to look at other public sector sources?

Mr O’Farrell, you are looking at me, so I will start with you.

Given that you are in the unique position of straddling the border between Scotland and England, is there any difference in the approach to funding in England in comparison with Scotland?