Seòmar agus comataidhean

I think that it should probably be Jamie Hepburn to whom you apologise. [Laughter.]

Good morning. The committee has discussed supply chain issues and is obviously looking at issues around energy and so on. On the points that have just been made in what the cabinet secretary said, does that mean that there might, looking towards the 2022-23 budget, be more focus on building resilience into our economy? We have talked about opportunities that we are finding, including more local sourcing and procurement. Will there be increased focus on building in resilience, on innovation and so on?

Thank you very much. There are a number of areas in which the Scottish Government does not have responsibility, but there will be areas in which improvement can be made within the powers of this Parliament. I hope that there will be a focus on that.

There has been a huge focus on economic development agencies and VisitScotland supporting businesses through the pandemic. As has been rightly pointed out, continued support for existing businesses and sectors will be needed. For the current budget and the anticipated budget for 2022-23, where do you think the focus will be in relation to supporting existing businesses while also providing support for new businesses and new entrepreneurs, which will be so important for economic recovery? Are you confident that they will have support in the budget to do that?

The Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee legacy report from the previous session—I had been on the committee but was not involved in that report—talked about how difficult it is to measure outcomes from the development agencies in particular. Has there been any work done to improve our ability to work out the size of the bang for the buck in investment in our development agencies?

Cabinet secretary, you talked about rural infrastructure, roads and the like. I am sure you are aware that one of the issues for an island community like mine is the need for investment in new ferries within our island communities, such as in the northern isles, but also on the west coast. What hope can you give to island communities that in the next budget and looking forward there will be some serious investment in the ferry infrastructure?

What on-going consultation or discussions are there with the UK Government at ministerial or official level?

Are you quite positive about the potential for the bill to be amended?

You mentioned stakeholders. Are you keeping them informed of your discussions, or are you relying on them having their own discussions with the UK Government about potential amendments?

Good morning to the panel. I have a number of questions for different witnesses. However, I will start with Charles Hammond on the points that he made.

In the past few years, a number of Scotland’s ports and harbours have specialised in certain areas such as freight, tourism, fishing or renewables. Is the plan for Scotland’s port and harbour infrastructure co-ordinated enough? Is the approach that each port prioritises a sector?

In relation to your opinion of your market here in the UK and more globally, it was suggested that the volume of freight coming through UK ports was down by 10 per cent in the first two quarters of this year compared with 2019. Has there been a reduction in global freight capacity? Are there fewer ships operating or fewer containers available, and is that part of the increasing pressure on availability and prices?

I know that colleagues will ask more about that issue. I turn to Ewan MacDonald-Russell to ask him some questions in relation to the SRC. Charles Hammond talked about a shift from just in time to just in case. Will that become an issue for your members? Traditional storage space above a shop or in a depository might be needed. Will further stockpiling become an issue?