Chamber and committees

That brings us very neatly to the end of this evidence session. I thank Ian Forgie and Forsyth Black for joining us today.

Agenda item 2 is an evidence session on Glasgow Prestwick airport. This is an opportunity to discuss the airport’s operation and management, the Scottish Government’s ownership of it and progress towards the stated aim of returning it to private ownership. In September, the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy wrote to update the committee on an expression of interest to purchase the Scottish ministers’ interest in the airport.

We will hear evidence from two panels. First, I welcome from Glasgow Prestwick Airport Ltd Ian Forgie, chief executive officer, and Forsyth Black, non-executive chairman. Afterwards, the committee will take evidence from the cabinet secretary. I invite Forsyth Black to make a short opening statement.

Time is getting a wee bit tight, so I ask members asking questions and witnesses responding to be fairly succinct.

Do you participate fully in decisions that the board takes?

We have questions from Maggie Chapman and Evelyn Tweed.

We have questions from Colin Smyth and Murdo Fraser.

As you say, you are looking at very diverse businesses there, and each one, in its own way, is a speciality. Can Prestwick airport be a specialist in so many diverse areas?

We have a few questions for you, and I will start with a general one. What is the current strategy for the airport and how do you assess performance against it so far?

It is probably worth noting that, in addition to the £4.7 million, there has been an increase of 7.6 per cent in the sector’s capital funding. However, that figure is relatively small compared with the backlog.

I cannot remember how many reports the Auditor General has submitted over how many years referring to the backlog in maintenance in the college estate. The one thing that is missing from the briefing that the Auditor General produced is a risk assessment of the total backlog, on which it would have been useful to get information. The total backlog is £321 million. That is an awful lot of backlog. I know that the Government has provided a bit of extra money to address it, but what is the impact of the maintenance backlog on the learning and working environment of colleges? I ask Andy Witty to respond to that first.