Chamber and committees

Thank you for your opinion on that, but it was not the question that I asked. What I asked was, because you do not see voter fraud as being a problem in Scotland, do you therefore not perceive it to be a problem across the UK? That is the specific question that I asked.

It could be part of the consultation in 2022 for the bill in 2023.

No, no—I am helping you.

I absolutely understand that what I was asking for was an opinion. Mr Adam has given various opinions this morning, but he is not prepared to voice an opinion on this matter.

My question to you is this, Mr Adam. It is likely that the Scottish elections will be in 2026, as you have said. You said that it would only be in extremis—in a situation that you could not predict—that they would happen before then. The UK elections will happen before then. Your timescale of consulting in 2022 and introducing proposed legislation in 2023 would probably mean that you would end up in a different position from that of the UK Government on intimidation. Do you think that that would be a good position to be in?

You are saying that you are going to put everything else out to consultation but, because you fundamentally disagree with voter ID, you are not going to put it out to consultation, and that you personally want a separate decision to be made in Scotland regarding UK elections that is not part of the devolved settlement. Have I got that wrong?

Of course you may, convener, if you can hear me.

Minister, I am sure that you agree with me that skewing elections by intimidating people or any such means is completely unacceptable.

Convener, it is not just frustration—

Thank you, minister. I do not think that I “stumbled” on to anything. I read the papers and understood them.

I understand that there is no compromise—