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They work for the benefit of both sides—schools and young people benefit greatly, but so do the outdoor centres, because such visits keep them going.

People need to get their heads around that.

Tara Lillis, do you think that teachers should have an input into those decisions?

What the panel has said about the value of residential outdoor education to pupils, schools, local authorities and councils is very interesting. At what level of governance should decisions about residential trips be taken? Who should make the decision that such a trip and such education should happen, and why do you think that that should be the case?

Approximately how many pupils could attend for £420?

On that basis, are residential outdoor centres financially reliant on school visits, as Phil Thompson suggested earlier, or is that not the case now?

I see. School visits are very important.

I have a wee tale, which might or might not be interesting. When I was 10, which was about, oh, 12 years ago, I went to a school in Partick. The local authority took pupils away from three primary schools in the area, including mine, for five straight weeks to a place called Galloway house, which, obviously, is down in Galloway. Our teachers came with us—we did not have separate staff in the area or anything like that. We stayed over and we were taken out into the country, which most of us had never really been to much at all, and to the seaside and so on. We also had our straight school classes; we still had our normal education added on.

I do not know whether that is anything like what the witnesses are talking about—I know that you are talking about periods shorter than five straight weeks—but I am aware that the people who were there felt that they benefited from doing it. It was not as if a class would be taken every year—it was a one-off thing, as far as I know, anyway. Our parents had to pay two pounds 12 shillings and sixpence for the five weeks, which does not seem like very much money, and we stayed in a huge place called Galloway house, as I said. We benefited from our normal primary school education continuing, but we also had the other experiences, which we otherwise never would have had.

I do not know whether that type of thing is similar to what you are talking about—if my description is of any use at all—but I think that going away like that benefited everybody who went, boys and girls. Are there different, or differing, roles for school staff and outdoor education centre staff? Do they co-operate and work together?

Welcome to the 30th meeting in 2024 of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee. We have received apologies from the convener, Stuart McMillan MSP, and from Jeremy Balfour MSP. I welcome Rona Mackay MSP in Stuart McMillan’s place. I remind everyone to switch off, or put to silent, mobile phones and other electronic devices.

Under the first agenda item, the committee is considering an instrument subject to the affirmative procedure, on which no points have been raised.

Is the committee content with the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.