Chamber and committees

That is fine. I call Maggie Chapman.

We need to make some progress, Mr Beattie. I call Fiona Hyslop, to be followed by Gordon MacDonald.

That leads nicely on to Michelle Thomson’s question, after which I will bring in Colin Smyth.

For the remote witnesses, the Parliament staff should switch your microphone on and off. Perhaps we are having difficulty with Mr Prentice’s microphone.

I saw Danny Cepok’s expression during that answer. Do you know what Kirkcaldy’s occupancy rate is?

Gemma would like to come in, but I will bring in Anthea first.

I thank everyone on the panel for their contributions to the inquiry, which have been extremely helpful. The committee will now take the final items on the agenda in private.

Danny, do you want to reflect on the BIDs? Kirkcaldy originally had a BID but it lost the ballot and we now have Love Oor Lang Toun. Do you have any reflections on the effectiveness of BIDs and what Love Oor Lang Toun is doing that is different from what a BID does?

Other members might ask about barriers to that vision are and what makes it difficult to deliver. Would Phil Prentice, from Scotland’s Towns Partnership, like to comment on how effectively the town centre first principle has been introduced and what the difficulties have been in applying it?

We are going to visit Dumfries.