Chamber and committees

I will move on to cross-cutting work. You said that there is an all-Government approach and that your role in ensuring that all ministers are actively looking at employability is important. The developing the young workforce initiative is very effective in bringing different groups together, led by the private sector. What progress has been made to ensure that employability for young people with disabilities is embedded in activity in developing the young workforce? Are there good examples of, or feedback on, how that is improving?

Finally, like the convener, I was struck by comments that the public sector is perhaps falling behind the private sector in how prepared organisations are to support people into employment. The default assumption might be that things would be the other way round, but that is the steer that we are getting. You referred to the permanent secretary. Clearly, as the leader of the civil service, he is in a strong position to ensure that the issue is addressed. Will you take that up with him? Will you have that discussion with him, not just about his leadership of the civil service but about the fact that there is a leadership role for the permanent secretary across the public sector?

Thank you.

You talk about an all-Government approach and you will be aware that the Government is planning to introduce a learning disability, autism and neurodiversity bill that will also include a proposal for a national commissioner, which the National Autistic Society in Scotland is very keen on. What engagement have you had with the relevant minister on development of that bill? Do you see it as an opportunity and vehicle to improve legislation on employability of people with disabilities?

Of course, project Neptune may lead to that, but we do not know yet. We can inform that with this inquiry.

I put the same question to you, David: do you have thoughts on the potential transfer of responsibility for interisland ferries to Transport Scotland, or, indeed, to a new body that could bring CMAL and Transport Scotland together?

Councillor Lyall, do you have any other comments?

Looking forward, knowing that you will have those vessels and given what you said about the different relationships, do you see the role of the Government and/or Transport Scotland being simply about tendering for contracts and provision of capital for on-going ferry procurement? Therefore, do you think that what should be decentralised is the management of the ferry service in terms of accountability and relationships with ferry users and local councils? Might that lead to a situation in which the management is unbundled but with a larger tender and contract? Could the day-to-day or month-to-month management of the service be decentralised if there were a sufficient number of high-quality new ferries to run those services? Is that your vision?

Would you not be that fussed if the management was separate between yourselves and the Western Isles, for example?

I will stay with you, Councillor Lyall. There has been discussion of the possibility—I will not say that I necessarily agree with it—of transferring responsibility for interisland ferry services to Transport Scotland. Have you discussed that? What would be your response to it? Are you keen that local responsibility be maintained within the council?

The committee’s delegates in Reykjavik met the Faroe Islands minister, who helped to explain their tunnel network. Have you talked to them about their experience, particularly about how private finance might be used in such an exercise?