Chamber and committees

I see that Ailsa Raeburn would like to come in on that question.

Thank you—it would be good to see that research.

Thank you. Andrew Mitchell, can we hear from you on the same question?

Thank you for adding that useful perspective on a tool that communities can use—that is a great point.

We now move to questions from our committee colleague Willie Coffey.

Nicola Robison, would you like to come in with some final words?

Thank you for that comprehensive answer. I am glad that the meeting is being recorded, because I will watch that bit again to absorb it all.

I am intrigued by your proposal that public budgets could be set for river catchment areas, with interested parties being able to bid for a portion of the budget in order to provide environmental outcomes. I am interested in whether you have other ideas for innovative approaches to distributing funding and in how such approaches would achieve greater environmental outcomes.

I will go in a little on the tree piece. I like what you are saying about standing back and taking a look at what the priority really is, but I am also a member of a committee that has the word “housing” in its name, and I am curious about creating a future Scotland in which we can build our housing from the timber that is grown here. I know that that is currently not possible because the tree quality is not good enough and we have to use things such as cross-laminated timber. What do you think about that? Can we think about planting trees for future generations? That was done when Salisbury cathedral was being built; people planted trees for its beams to be replaced hundreds of years later. Can we think along those lines with trees?

I want to continue on that theme, but I will direct my questions to Jo Pike and Ian Dickie. What are your thoughts on how public funding can help to mobilise sources of private funding and whether there are good opportunities for that within the rural economy?

I have a couple of questions. I really appreciate your earlier responses. I would like to hear about the role that public funding can play in addressing the climate and nature emergencies, including whether it is more effective when it stipulates what must be done or when it stipulates what outcomes must be achieved.