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My colleague Emma Harper touched earlier on evidence that the committee has heard that, in rural areas, even if jobs can be filled, housing is a real problem. Have you ever thought about working in partnership with local authorities to build specific affordable housing for NHS staff or thought about giving money to NHS boards to build their own accommodation?

There is a vacancy rate of around 7 per cent for medical and dental consultants in NHS Scotland and I know that it is really difficult to get an NHS dentist in my area. How are we going to recruit to fill shortages in specialised positions within the NHS?

Thank you.

Thank you for that, Mr Shanks. You said that you are looking to review the system. Is the current model of service sustainable?

You said that you were looking at the service. How far down the line are you on that, and how deeply are you reviewing the service with the aim of changing it?

I wonder whether we should write to the Scottish Government. It will be running a health awareness messaging campaign on social media later this year, and given the fact that Covid has been brought into the matter, perhaps it can be put into that social media campaign.

I think that Jackie Baillie wants to say something.

I have been caught in diversions several times, especially when going to the Harley-Davidson rally. I have had to wait for six hours. In some communities, people would not travel if they had to wait a lengthy time in diversions, especially to places such as Aviemore for skiing, given that that there are alternative ski resorts in the area, off the A9. A long delay—

I put on record that I am somebody who knows the A9 well and has been to the Moy fair for the past 25 years—Fergus will probably testify to seeing me there.

Your first option, which is the quickest way to do it, is to break the road down into three sections. How much would that disrupt the tourism industry? Would it cut it off for a long time in the area?

Just to put on record, those communities around there and a lot of the holiday towns—Aviemore and such places—would be devastated, would they not?