Chamber and committees

My last question is about feminist foreign policy, which is something that we have not yet discussed this morning. Have you seen any particular leadership or initiatives globally that, again, sub-state actors can be involved with?

The reparation aspect brings me to the issue of climate justice. There have been quite a few comments this morning about climate change being a strategic priority, but I wonder whether I can get your reflection on the conference of the parties—or COP—processes and the role of sub-state actors either within COP or at least at the side of it. Was the Scottish Government’s involvement in the 26th United Nations climate change conference of the parties—COP26—effective? Do you see other forums in which sub-state actors are coming together in ways that might present opportunities to develop new initiatives and to lead change that can feed into the COP process?

At the risk of complicating the matter even further, how does that relate to the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020? Looking at the schedule of laws that you might wish to retain, I can see that some relate to genetically modified crops and foodstuffs. Would there have to be a process of assessing whether the retention of the law in one part of the UK was compliant with the 2020 act? Would that be done between relevant portfolio ministers? It would be useful to get some kind of insight or prediction about how that might play out.

That is very good to hear.

I want to switch back to the pilot to remove peak-time fares from October. It sounds as if one outcome might be that a lot of people start to get back on to trains again, which might be great for farebox income but might also lead to overcrowding—I do not know. How prepared are you as far as introducing that pilot is concerned? I guess that it is a little bit of an unknown, given that we are in the new normal and the peak has moved.

Some time has elapsed since that original consultation and your reflection on it. We talked earlier about the new normal, the removal of peak-time fares and travel changing—perhaps consistently changing. Is your plan still fit for purpose? Might it change again? Is there clarity about what the demand on staff might be at stations?

The impression that I am getting this morning is that industrial relations have improved a bit over the past year. Indeed, Mick Hogg has said that you have got rid of the bullies. Has it made a difference having a union representative on Scottish Rail Holdings?

You have mentioned the future of ticket offices, and the uncertainty over the Government’s intention in that respect. What do you see as the future for such offices? Do you see the existing service being maintained forever, or do you see change being introduced? If so, what would that change look like?

Gary Kelly and Kevin Lindsay, has that model of union representation worked?

Okay.

That is good to hear.