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I have one final point. Mr Mason raised the issue of the bill potentially benefiting better-off parents who currently pay for such activities if the provision is funded by the Government. The policy memorandum says:

“The Member considers that any system created ought to be based on substantial funding from the Scottish Government, but accepts that flexibility could potentially be retained to use different funding streams such as school fundraising activities and also to enable parents or carers, who can afford to, to make a part contribution towards the costs.”

Can you explain that a bit more with regard to the flexibility that you are speaking about and how that would work in practice?

Our second item is the final evidence session on the Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill at stage 1. I welcome our witnesses, Liz Smith MSP, who is the member in charge of the bill; Neil Stewart, who is a senior clerk in the non-Government bills unit; and Claudia Bennett, who is a senior solicitor at the Scottish Parliament. I invite Liz Smith to make an opening statement.

You mentioned the committee visit. Mr Mason, Mr Briggs and I were at the Broomlee outdoor education centre on Monday. We watched a presentation to begin with, and we watched a video of a teacher who has taken pupils to outdoor education centres for many years. He said that the thing that really makes them is the staff. Will you comment on the staff that you have met at outdoor education centres? In everything that I have seen, and in some of the evidence that we have taken from witnesses, the staff’s professionalism, dedication and enthusiasm for outdoor education has really shone through.

Amendment 59, in the name of the Deputy First Minister, is grouped with amendments 60, 62 and 64.

Amendment 61, in the name of Ross Greer, is grouped with amendments 84 and 75.

That was your response to an intervention. Do you want to continue?

I call Ross Greer to wind up and to press or seek to withdraw amendment 66.

As this is a suitable time to have a short break, I will suspend the meeting for about 15 minutes.

After section 8

Have you concluded, cabinet secretary?

Great—thank you. I call Michael Marra to wind up and to press or withdraw amendment 47.