Chamber and committees

Martin, is increasing the amount of fair trade products that are procured not just about the smaller fair trade distributors but also about bigger providers? Would it be appropriate for local authorities and the NHS to put conditions on their suppliers? I was not going to name particular businesses, but Sodexo is an example as it is one of the biggest suppliers. Is success in this area partly about making the bigger companies provide more fair trade products?

As we are talking about the legislation, I note that, with contracts of a value of up to £50,000, the quick quote system can be used. Lindsey, do you have any views on that? Previous panels have told us that the threshold has not been changed and, indeed, could be increased, and the quick-quote system could take out some of the bureaucracy and perhaps some of the barriers that smaller businesses—perhaps more women-led businesses—are experiencing in getting into contracts.

I call Kevin Stewart, to be followed by Colin Beattie.

I call Colin Beattie, to be followed by Colin Smyth.

The committee visited Dovetail Enterprises, which is a Dundee social enterprise, when we were looking at the employment gap for people with disabilities, and we had a chat about procurement. I am trying to remember what happened in 2014, but part of the legislation was about supported workplaces and ensuring that they had opportunities to enter into procurement contracts, including big ones. Has the 2014 act delivered enough in that area?

Do social enterprises, whether they are supported workplaces or other types of social enterprises, get enough opportunities to win procurement contracts, or has the system that has been created excluded—probably not intentionally—social enterprises from those opportunities?

Okay.

Mr Whittle can ask a quick supplementary question before I bring in Murdo Fraser.

Just to be clear on the issue of multiyear funding, regardless of who gets the contract, whether it is a private sector organisation, a social enterprise or a private enterprise, the length of the contract is the same for everyone who bids for it. Is it typical to have a one-year procurement contract, given the amount of work that is involved in that?

Also, I think that that is a different issue from voluntary sector funding. When we have the FSB and other organisations in front of us, they tend not to raise the issue of multiyear funding. The issue of multiyear funding in procurement is different from the issue of funding for the sector. Is that correct?

When we spoke to Dovetail Enterprises, that was one of the issues that it raised with us. I do not know whether Pauline Gordon or David Livey wants to comment on the role of Scotland Excel.