Chamber and committees

Finally, the regulations will increase the fees by £20, from £100 to £120. Have you given any consideration to the impact that the increased fees might have for debtors and creditors?

I thank the minister and officials for attending the meeting.

You said that the amending SSI will be laid on Friday, but when will the further SSIs that will make amendments to the Scottish pubs code be introduced? Do you anticipate that you will be able to introduce them after recess? What is the timescale for introducing those instruments?

I understand that a Scottish city region and growth deal delivery board was established between the UK and Scottish Governments, but I do not think that there have been minutes, and we are not sure how progress on that is developing. Perhaps that would cover the question.

That is not an appropriate question for this morning. As the cabinet secretary said, we are in a purdah period, so I would appreciate it if members would focus their questions on the Scottish Government.

Our next item of business is an evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic. This is the committee’s first opportunity to hear from the cabinet secretary in her new role. I welcome Kate Forbes, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, who is joined by Scottish Government officials. Aidan Grisewood is director of jobs and wellbeing, Robert McGhee is deputy director of the digital connectivity division and Frances Pacitti is director for business and better regulation.

I invite the cabinet secretary to make an opening statement.

I would not expect the cabinet secretary to give a full answer—perhaps just an initial response, if you want to.

In a recent speech, the First Minister said that

“We must search to remove obstacles”

to economic growth. What do you think he was referring to when he talked about obstacles? We have observed that “Wellbeing Economy” has been removed from the cabinet secretary’s job title, and I do not think that the First Minister referred to wellbeing in his recent statement to Parliament. What should the committee understand to be the change in focus?

We will not get into the area of multiyear budgets, which is one that the committee argues about quite a lot. We will move on to questions from Gordon MacDonald.

We will soon have our work programme discussions, during which we will consider that.

I thank the cabinet secretary and her officials for their evidence. That concludes the public part of the meeting.