Chamber and committees

Nick Halfhide, to begin with.

The criticism is that there has not been any consultation with the renewables industry—that is what I was told. Maybe you can go away and reflect on that.

Can I get a view from SEPA on how we square the circle of the climate and biodiversity objectives?

Have you got any examples of that? Do you mean offshore wind, or are there other areas in which there is a weight of EU case law on the interpretation of key environmental principles that could now be challenged?

Thank you, convener.

How much of a problem is the disposal of unsold goods in Scotland? Which sectors or products are particularly problematic for the environment in that regard?

What discussions have been taking place?

Iain, when you came to the committee at this time last year, you were looking at that £6.6 million cut. The impression that I got from you at the time was that it would not make a massive difference to RFOs in this year. The concern was really about the next year—2024-25—and whether those cuts would continue. Is that still the case, despite the chaotic situation that you are now in, with reinstatement and having to dip into the reserves again? Is the issue still what the impact might be on the 2024-25 budget?

Okay. I have a couple of questions for Isabel Davis, too. How have in-year budget revisions impacted the work of Screen Scotland? Separate from that—although, in some ways, it might be linked—is the memorandum of understanding that I believe you have with a range of partner organisations, including Scottish Enterprise. How does that process work? Is it effective? Does it provide opportunities for, say, more direct funding of Screen Scotland?

I am aware of the time. It has been a really enlightening evidence session, and I have loads of questions, but I will focus on just one.

I was aware that, in the submissions, there was a lot of reflection on the transient visitor levy. It is clear that you see that as an opportunity to invest in culture. However, the point was made that, in these straitened times for local authority budgets, councils might just spend that money on meeting their statutory duties rather than in discretionary spending on culture. My question is therefore how you think ring fencing could proceed.

I then want to ask whether you have any comments on the late confirmation of grant in aid budget. That has been a theme of this morning’s evidence from Creative Scotland. If that is being reflected across the sector, has it caused issues with delay in the budget that has come in?

Is it the case that those agencies maintain and hold those budgets to which you then have to apply, or do the budgets come straight to Screen Scotland?

What does Audit Scotland say about your reserves? Has it offered you any guidance or analysis about the level of reserves that you have?