Seòmar agus comataidhean

That is helpful. In that case, I will take a very quick question from Jenni Minto.

Thank you, cabinet secretary. I am very conscious of your time, so I will just thank you and your officials for attending. The committee might have a couple of follow-up questions that we were unable to get to today, but we will decide on that in private session, which we will now move into.

I have had no visual indication of that yet. Your colleagues would have to put something in the chat function.

I will bring in Mr Macpherson.

The second item on our agenda is evidence on the draft annual report laid by Scottish ministers on the exercise of the power in the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021. We are joined remotely this morning by Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, and by George Macpherson, head of EU policy and alignment, Rosemary Greenhill, drinking water quality regulatory team leader, and Lorraine Walkinshaw, lawyer, from the Scottish Government.

I offer you all a warm welcome and I invite the cabinet secretary to make a brief statement.

Cabinet secretary? I do not think that he can hear me.

I am conscious that time is limited due to the cabinet secretary’s commitments. Every member of the committee wants to come in, so it would be helpful if members could be succinct and not repeat points that have already been made.

Thank you, cabinet secretary. We begin taking evidence on the retained EU law bill next week so, as a committee, we will be returning to that.

We move to questions from members on the annual report, starting with Donald Cameron.

Welcome back to the committee meeting. We will try to resume questions to the cabinet secretary. Cabinet secretary, if you could repeat the final few minutes of your opening statement, that would be very welcome, as we were not able to hear it.

Good morning, and welcome to the 26th meeting in 2022 of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee. Our first item is a decision on whether to take business in private. Do members agree to take item 3 in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Cabinet secretary, I wonder—