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It is encouraging that the funding remains, should new projects emerge to take it up. Thank you very much for that.

On the science and innovation elements of the growth deals, as you know, a key part of the Edinburgh city deal is the robotics and artificial intelligence element—the National Robotarium and so on. As you also know, Edinburgh is well established as one of the leading artificial intelligence zones in the UK. Can you say—again, on behalf of your Government—why you chose Oxford rather than Edinburgh to be the first UK AI growth zone?

Is that the same with the other growth deals? Is there no MSP representation in the decision-making process on any of the growth deals?

Good morning, secretary of state. I have two questions: one on flexible funding arrangements, given the changing economic circumstances that we find ourselves in; and one on the science and innovation aspects of the growth deals.

We touched on the first question a wee while ago. Some of the projects in the Ayrshire growth deal have fallen off the table. On behalf of your Government, can you say whether the funding will still be in place should new projects emerge that might take up that slack, or will the funding be withdrawn, given the circumstances that we find ourselves in?

So there was no money at all behind the £800 million commitment for the supercomputer.

As I understand it, the University of Edinburgh has already spent about £30 million preparing for that project. Is there any chance that it might get that money back?

I am glad to hear that. I will not ask you my second question about supercomputers, which we got into earlier. Instead, I want to touch base with you and get your thoughts on the democratisation element of the growth deals. Some time ago, one of our witnesses talked about how democratic the decision-making process is in the growth deals. The Scottish Government puts in nearly half of the entire funding, or just short of that, but folk like us have no formal representation on any of the growth deals—I certainly did not have that in Ayrshire.

Is that approach right? I think that Derek Shaw said that Scottish Enterprise has voting rights at one of the committees, so maybe he could explain that. Can you say anything about the principle of democratisation? Have the public been taken along with the growth deals and felt part of them? Alternatively, is it a system that we have decided to deliver to people without their real participation? Particularly for us as elected members of the Parliament, there has been no direct say in the design, development or agreement of the projects.

Okay. Is it the same in the Highlands?

The housing regulator told us that—I will quote the words to get it correct—there has been a “systemic failure” in some councils’ homelessness services and that

“The increase in capacity that is needed goes beyond that which the impacted councils can deliver alone.”

I would like to hear your comments on that and whether you agree with that assessment. We can develop the question thereafter.

Thank you. I will come back in later if I may, convener.

Has there been any discussion with the current UK Government about its approach and whether it might review its position on measures such as the bedroom tax?