Chamber and committees

I am content. I am never going to vote against a cross-party group application, because I do not think it is for me to choose, but I raised the concern because there are more cross-party groups than there are MSPs. They suck in a huge amount of time. That is just a caution.

A lot of what Liam Kerr said was about built facilities and indoor arenas. When it got colder in winter, there used to be a lot of curling ponds dotted around Scotland, where a lot of young children first learned and got experience on ice. Will the cross-party group look at the extent of curling ponds across Scotland, their availability and whether there is a way of preserving them? At the moment, there seems to be an idea that building over them is the way forward. I wonder whether you have a view on that.

There is an opportunity to protect what I believe is a public asset from being lost, which is happening in many communities, especially across the Highlands. I have saved that thought for you.

I have some questions on the accounts, which form a huge part of your report. They caused me a certain amount of heartache when I was trying to understand them last night, but you will shed some light on them. Page 153 shows that administrative expenses for the latest year were reduced by £16 million, which was an 8 per cent reduction. Briefly, how did you manage that?

Douglas, rather than put you on the spot, I am very happy to take a written answer to that question if you do not have it to hand.

I always like to admit when I am wrong—which does not, I am glad to say, happen very often. However, I am wrong in this case, because I promised some opening statements, which is why Dame Susan Rice looked at me as if I was on a different planet. Susan, I was, indeed, on a different planet this morning. I apologise profusely. I will come back to Fiona Hyslop’s question, if I may.

Are there plans to change that?

Monica Lennon has some questions.

From 19 per cent.

Jackie Baillie has been sitting very quietly in the corner. I am sure that she has some questions that she would like to put now.