Seòmar agus comataidhean

Please be brief, Mr Smyth.

I want to make some progress, Mr Beattie. If there is time at the end, I will bring you back in.

I call Gordon MacDonald, to be followed by Colin Smyth.

Thank you.

The next item is an evidence session with the Scottish National Investment Bank. I welcome Willie Watt, who is the chair, and Carolyn Jameson, a board member, both from the Scottish National Investment Bank. I also welcome Liz Smith MSP, who has asked to attend the session.

As always, I ask members and witnesses to keep their questions and answers concise.

I invite Mr Watt to make an opening statement.

Jamie Halcro Johnston—do you have another question on that?

I will now hand over to the committee’s deputy convener.

A couple of members still have questions. I will take Alexander Burnett first, and then I would like Liz Smith, as a visiting member, to have a chance to come in. It would be helpful if people could be concise in their questions and answers.

That is in the next two weeks, so it will be published quite soon.

Our next item of business is an evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy on the Scottish Government’s national strategy for economic transformation, which was published on 1 March 2022.

I welcome Kate Forbes, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, and, from the Scottish Government, Colin Cook, the director of economic development; Gary Gillespie, the chief economist; and Adam Read, the deputy director for skills. ?As always, members and witnesses should keep questions and answers short. I invite the cabinet secretary to make a short opening statement.

Thank you. I am going to make some progress now. I call Colin Smyth to be followed by Alexander Burnett. [Interruption.] I apologise—I meant Colin Beattie.