Chamber and committees

I believe that it is on the Government’s radar to look at metrics and ways of measuring in order to get some standardisation. We know from our previous work how much time and effort it takes to prove any outcome. Any metrics or toolkits to do that would be very helpful.

I will bring in members to ask supplementary questions based on the opening statements.

I have a quick question. Are libraries being used as warm spaces, in the same way as museums are being used, as was mentioned earlier?

Absolutely.

Our second agenda item is a decision on whether to take item 4 in private. Do we agree to take that item in private?

Members indicated agreement.

That was, indeed, helpful and sets the scene for our deliberations. I will open with a question about an area of concern that has been raised by the committee, as a scrutiny committee of the Scottish Parliament. My question is about the transparency of the common frameworks. It is difficult to scrutinise the development of those frameworks or to understand what negotiations have taken place, because they tend to be worked on at officer-to-officer level.

Our concerns are shared by some of the other legislatures. Are you aware of them? I believe that you issue a questionnaire asking whether exclusions from the market access principles have been requested or granted. Do you intend to publish that data to make it available to the Parliaments?

Yes.

Are there any final questions?

No other members have put their hands up, so I will ask a final question. The committee has had a discussion about the EU tracker and the ambition of the Scottish and Welsh Governments to keep pace with European legislation, and the requirement on Northern Ireland to do so. Are you considering looking at the trends with regard to where divergence in relation to the internal market act is happening, so that you can see whether there is a pattern in health, environmental issues, product development or the food and drink industry? Do you hope to be able to report on that in the future?

We have exhausted our questions. Thank you for your attendance, which has been really helpful. I have no doubt that we will see you again at some point in the future.