Chamber and committees

I turn to Michael Cusack from ACS Clothing. You are in quite a different situation, because you are a new business that has been created to try to meet some of the challenges of fast fashion in the textile industry. Do you want to say a bit about how easy—or difficult—it was to establish your business, and what support and incentives were available to you?

That is helpful. Thank you, Mr Cusack.

Thank you. I am sorry—I did not mean to interrupt. Please continue, Mr Crichton.

We are pressed for time, but I invite Colin Smyth to ask a brief question, followed by Jamie Halcro Johnston.

Good morning and welcome to the sixth meeting in 2021 of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. Our first item of business is a decision on whether to take in private items 4, 5 and 6. Are members content to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Our main item of business is an evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy on support for economic recovery. It was the cabinet secretary’s intention to appear in person but I understand that that has not been possible.

I thank the cabinet secretary and her officials for joining us. Welcome, cabinet secretary. I also welcome from the Scottish Government Colin Cook, director of economic development; Gary Gillespie, chief economist; and Helena Gray, interim director of fair work, employability and skills.

The purpose of this evidence session is to consider policies and actions to promote economic recovery. The evidence will also inform the committee’s input to the Scottish Government’s budget for 2022-23.

I invite Colin Beattie to make a declaration of interests.

Thank you, cabinet secretary. I have a few questions about the 10-year strategy. You say that it is expected in autumn. Are there any more details that you can share with the committee about when it is likely to be published?

We have received some correspondence about the consultation. We received a letter from the transform our economy group, which held a conference recently. I understand that there was a four-week consultation during the summer, but there is a feeling that there has not been enough engagement with the strategy. Once the strategy is produced, are there any further opportunities for engagement, or will it be presented as a done deal and as a strategy that people cannot comment on further?

You have described engagement and the consultation, but how are any tensions that come out of that being resolved? Is that for the Government to decide?

I mentioned that we had a paper from the transform our economy group, which had summit recently. That group has views on how a transition to net zero should take place, but I imagine that there are different positions on that among businesses. Is it the Government’s role to reach a consensus on the various positions that are coming forward? How is that done?

Yes. I will add a question, first, and then we will move on to Fiona Hyslop.

Can you also comment on the recent Audit Scotland report that raised issues around the difficulty with defining current Government spend and Covid spend, and with trying to track budgets against spending? The report said that it is difficult to distinguish between funding streams.

Mr Gillespie, do you wish to comment?