Chamber and committees

—where they live.

That is fine. I just wanted to clarify that, because it is an issue that might come up.

It might not be the case that someone would call the police. They might call the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for example. What is the interaction between the Scottish SPCA and the police in those circumstances?

“Could” means discretion—

Oh—I had forgotten, with that debate about “could” and “would”. Which one is it, please? [Interruption.] What page? Oh dear—maybe you should—

I know that this is just under consideration, but you have mentioned a possible amendment at stage 2, whereas our briefing says that changes would be brought in by affirmative procedure. What process are we looking at? I appreciate that an instrument under the affirmative procedure means taking evidence and so on.

Section 13(7) of the bill—I should have known that. There we are. Rap over the knuckles. What is the definition in section 13(7)?

Can it be triggered by just a complaint? That would not be “proceedings”?

It has to be an official police investigation whereby people are advised that that is happening.

What about the official investigation—I am sorry, I am muddling myself now. I do not want to muddle you up. The official investigation must be by the police.

The evidence has been very interesting. We talk about “the islands”, but my understanding is that there are 93 populated islands in Scotland. There is huge diversity—some populations might be in single figures, but there are also large populations. There are big differences in demographics, the distance from the mainland and so on. I am interested in the actions of steering groups on islands and in the input from the grass roots, given all that diversity.

Can you give me an example of an island with a very small population—I do not know if you will be able to name it; it might be wrong to do so—that put forward proposals that were not feasible? What was your response? I imagine that diplomacy would be involved here, too. Can you also give me an example of an island with a large population that came forward with proposals not just for sustaining its population but for increasing it—which, after all, is what this is really about? What came from that?