Chamber and committees

Mr Cook, you attend the FMPG board meetings, do you not? Do you know the answer to those questions?

Thank you very much, director general. I begin with the briefing note that you sent to us in advance. It includes an organogram featuring people’s job titles and so on. How many people work in the strategic commercial assets division?

Good morning. I welcome everyone to this, the 17th meeting of the Public Audit Committee in 2024. The first item for the committee’s consideration is whether to take agenda items 3 and 4 in private. Are we agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

Okay. Would you consider a strategic business that is important to the Scottish economy to be potentially in distress if it was the subject of a hostile takeover bid, for example?

Okay. We will get into the divestment process a little later on.

I want to go back to the situation in Grangemouth. Do you have people in the strategic commercial assets division today, have you had people in it over the past month, or will you have people in it in the coming weeks who are actively involved in looking at an intervention around its future as an import terminal, which you mentioned when we previously took evidence on the matter, or its continuation as a refinery? It is the last refinery in Scotland, is it not?

Are you saying that the people who are employed in the strategic commercial assets division stand ready, but are currently not doing anything with regard to Grangemouth?

Thank you very much indeed. Graham Simpson has one final quick question.

Thank you for that. I now invite Willie Coffey to put some questions to you.

It was the Economy and Fair Work Committee.

Okay. I have a quick question for Mr Irwin. Back in January, when you were before this committee, you told us that

“the appointment of auditors in the UK is a priority”—[Official Report, Public Audit Committee, 18 January 2024; c 39.]

for the GFG Alliance. Have they been appointed yet?