Chamber and committees

If there is a majority of teachers, that means that every other group—learners, parents and taxpayers—are all in a minority. They are effectively excluded, are they not?

I picked up on your point about teachers being advocates of learners and young people. However, surely if we are going to have two interest committees, they need to be different. If the teachers dominate both, that would not be right, would it?

Therefore, how will those different organisations or groups change how things work?

So the fact that the interest committees exist will be in legislation.

However, that will not automatically mean that the rest of qualifications Scotland—be that the board or anyone else—will necessarily take more into account than has happened in the past. It is more about culture, attitude and ethos, is it not?

To be fair, we stopped doctors running hospitals some time ago, because it was not working.

Would you say the same for the advisory council?

I am sorry, but can I press you on that? You said that the voice should be “adequately heard,” but you do not have to have a majority to be adequately heard. I get heard on this committee, but I am not a majority.

I will maybe widen out the discussion, as that leads to my next question. How much detail do we go into in the bill? With all legislation, if we go into too much detail, it ties everybody’s hands for the next 20 years. Should there be guidance as well?

That is helpful. Stuart Hunter, is your view about the interest committees the same?