Chamber and committees

My first question was about tensions in relation to the wellbeing economy. There is often a focus on how trade policy marries up with the idea of a wellbeing economy. Gary Gillespie talked about a move towards more local supply, and Fiona Hyslop mentioned our supply chain inquiry, which pointed towards such issues—in particular, to concerns about climate change and emissions from transportation. Have the wellbeing economy and climate change pressures led to any reflections on whether our trade policy target is still relevant to the shaping of the economy?

Agenda item 4 is consideration of an Scottish statutory instrument. The committee is invited to note the Public Procurement (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2023.

The purpose of the instrument is to amend the Scottish public procurement regime to implement the procurement chapters of the free trade agreements between the UK and Australia, and the UK and New Zealand. We previously considered legislative consent motions on this agreement. I invite members to note the instrument.

Members indicated agreement.

When the former Deputy First Minister spoke to the committee on the topic, he said that the first annual progress report covering NSET would be published in 2022. Has that been published yet? If not, is there a timescale for doing that?

Okay, thank you. Colin Smyth is next.

Every time I start to explain that the minister’s connection has frozen, it starts up again.

Minister, before you leave us, I realised that I cut Michelle Thomson off when she was asking a question. Would you return to that? If there is time, Maggie Chapman would also like to briefly come in before we close.

Michelle, do you want to repeat your final question?

With regard to the introduction of a wellbeing economy, there has been some criticism that the issue has been oversimplified or that it has been a matter of ambition over delivery, given the tensions between, for example, our international trade policies and our co-operative policies. One example that has been highlighted is the deposit return scheme and how it has tried to balance various interests. It is fine to declare that we have a wellbeing economy, but how do we deal with the tensions that arise from it? How does the Government plan or intend to get to the nub of that?

When Kate Forbes published the strategy just over a year ago, the focus was on entrepreneurship and encouraging growth in the economy. Is that still the focus?

Thank you very much, Ms Hyslop.

I thank the cabinet secretary and his officials for their evidence. We will suspend briefly for a changeover of witnesses.

Minister, you froze for a moment, but you are back.

Thank you, minister. Our inquiry focuses particularly on the Grangemouth area. As you will know, Ineos is based in Grangemouth, and it is described as the biggest polluter in Scotland. Its emissions are greater than those of any other site or company that is based in Scotland. If the UK Government is serious about cutting emissions, it will recognise the importance of taking action at Ineos and in the Grangemouth area.

The Scottish Government is working on a draft just transition plan for the Grangemouth area. What discussions are you having with it about the plan? Which of the measures that you have outlined are relevant to the Grangemouth area and will assist in the delivery of its just transition?