Chamber and committees

Thanks for flagging up that aspect, Hannah.

It does not look as though anyone else wants to come in on that.

We will move to Marie McNair, who joins us online.

Thanks for that. It will be interesting to see what happens once we move into the delivery plan phase and the changes that come about from the private sector.

I just want to dig down into one particular policy area. We heard last week that there could be a conflict between renewable energy and wild land. I note that one of the tests for allowing renewable energy development on wild land is whether it supports the meeting of renewable energy targets, but concerns have been raised by Scottish Environment LINK and the John Muir Trust that all renewable energy developments, by their very nature, meet that test. Can you assure the committee that NPF4 strikes the correct balance between protecting wild land and meeting renewable energy targets, and can you provide more clarity on that issue?

Thank you for that, Andy. I believe that Sophie Lawson would like to come in on these questions as well.

We come to our second panel of witnesses. We are joined in person by Adam Stachura, who is head of policy and communications at Age Scotland. I might have mispronounced your last name. Online, we are joined by Henry Simmons, who is the chief executive of Alzheimer Scotland, and Hannah Tweed, who is the senior policy officer of the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland. I welcome our witnesses to the meeting. If those who are online indicate that you want to respond by putting an R in the chat box, I will make sure that we bring you in. Members will direct questions to start off.

I will begin by directing my first question to Hannah Tweed. This might be a question to which we get a response from all of you. I am interested in hearing the main problems with how social care is currently delivered. Do you agree that there is a postcode lottery in care delivery?

Thanks for that. I ask Henry Simmons whether he has anything to add.

We cannot hear you, Henry. Hang on a minute. I am not sure what is going on. I will ask my other question while you are trying to figure that out, and we can come back to you once we get your audio sorted out.

The committee has had evidence sessions on the national care service, and we have heard from previous witnesses that the bill is a disproportionate solution to the challenges that we face. I am keen to hear your views on whether we need legislation to bring about improvements. I will start with Adam Stachura.

One of the things that come to my mind is that part of the reason why the minister talked about the NCS being brought forward was to put accountability at the door of ministers. That would be part of why it is being brought in.

Hannah, I see that you want to come back in on the question of people being moved from pillar to post.

Yes, we can. Fantastic.