Chamber and committees

The Educational Institute of Scotland questioned how the strategic advisory council and the interest committees will interact with one another. Does one trump the other? How does that work?

Can I ask this question?

I do not know whether Education Scotland has any thoughts on that.

Are learners and practitioners not at the heart of things at the moment?

Does the present advisory council have a lot of input? Can you give us an example of where it has suggested something or made a comment that has made a difference?

My apologies.

To continue the theme, I will ask you about the interest committees and the advisory council that are proposed in the bill. I am not asking about the board—one of my colleagues is going to do that, so can we leave the board until later?

First, how will the arrangements be different from what we have at the moment? I think that the EIS is on a similar advisory council at the moment, but I am not sure who else is. Does it have influence, and do you think that there will be more or better influence in the future?

But that would be it—they would only be listened to.

That is very helpful.

I thought that you were referring to Gillian Mackay.