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You mentioned data. We have discussed the fact that there are gaps in data gathering. You said that you are going to take stock of that to see what needs to be done.

I have a question that relates to data, but is also about policy formulation and getting this right. How will you include the voices of lived experience in shaping the future and eradicating the disability employment gap? The voices of lived experience are key, as far as I am concerned. People with lived experience know what works for them, they know what does not work and they know what they want.

We have heard from folks who want their independence and who have aspirations. We have even heard from folk who want to create their own businesses. How do we ensure that their voices are heard? How do you go about listening to them when it comes to data gathering and policy formulation?

I have a final question. You are the Minister for Employment and Investment, but some of the very sound arguments that we have heard from people involve other areas of Government. How will you ensure that you work with ministerial colleagues to get right the journey from school to college and into work and beyond?

One of the things that we have been doing, as always, is listening to the voices of lived experience. Some of the stories that we have heard, particularly from young folk, are very similar. Education does not seem to work for them, and does not prepare them for work, which some stakeholders have also highlighted. Many of the young folk whom we have talked to from certain parts of the country feel that college is a bit of a tick-box exercise and are not really interested in it.

Those are some of the negative views, but we have also heard some positive ones, including about initiatives such as DFN Project Search, which I have been lucky enough to see in operation in Aberdeen, where it has provided successful experiences for young folk who have gone into apprenticeships and training, with many attaining full-time employment at the end. That programme works, as do some other things. You talked about variation because of local delivery, but how do we ensure that such best practice, which works for people and is viewed as very positive, is exported across the country?

Thank you, minister.

All that engagement is good; I get all that.

Another thing that we have heard, which is really important in relation to getting things right, is that the various budget holders often do not join up. For example, social care and employment services do not work together to get the best outcomes for people.

I am not going to go on about self-directed support, because I know that Mr Smyth has got particular questions on it, but how do we get local authorities, which are dealing with all this, to take into account the needs, desires and aspirations of each individual in order to get provision right for them?

Therefore, this is the first time that there has been this level of controversy because of a Creative Scotland award.

Mr Wilson, with regard to ensuring that artistic freedom continues to flourish but also recognising that public money is involved and that people have differing views about what money should be spent on, what does the board do in looking at the overall actions of the day-to-day work of Creative Scotland employees?

Good morning. You have said that the decisions that you take are at arm’s length from Government and politicians. That is probably a very wise thing considering what we have seen in certain places in the past with politicians trying to be the censors, including in the United States at various points, particularly the likes of Jesse Helms.

You will now be under a huge amount more scrutiny after what is seen by many as a controversial application garnered public money. Mr Munro, you said that one controversial award does not mean that there is a systemic problem, but you might have a little bit of risk aversity now with regard to applications. How will you get over that? Maybe you can give us an indication of when last an application garnered as much controversy as this one.

Mr Munro, you mentioned fair work as one of the principles that Creative Scotland follows. I know that I am going off on a bit of a tangent here, convener. However, I have been trawling through the vast bulk of information that the committee has received, including all the FOIs, and there is an email about the advertisement, which says that it is being looked at by a member of the team in terms of meeting the minimum wage and being funded by CS. The minimum wage is not fair work in my book. Are we making sure that all the applications that you receive and fund are meeting the real living wage and fair work principles rather than the minimum wage, as that email indicates?

Has it been clarified for the committee that applications that receive funding need to meet fair work principles?