Chamber and committees

We absolutely get that. How did you do that?

Yes. I completely understand about the range of views and the range of people you speak to. We had the example in which one of your stakeholder’s views was not taken forward for, I presume, completely understandable and legitimate reasons. As a reflection of how you are communicating well with your stakeholders, how did you manage telling them why, and how did you tell them?

It is helpful to hear about those trends. How do local authorities and the Scottish Government use that data to ensure that the right support is in place?

The number of pupils who are identified as having initial support needs has grown substantially in the past 10 years. Has any work been undertaken to understand why there has been a sustained increase in the number of pupils being identified?

What level of engagement is the Scottish Government having with the UK Government about the Turing scheme?

I hear loud and clear what you are saying about fixed budgets and the financial constraints that everyone has to operate under. As well as making choices about funding things or not, it is important that we make sure that our public bodies have all the tools that they need to be able to operate. Operational and financial flexibilities become very important—I know that I have asked about that a number of times, convener, and I will keep asking about it.

Some of the flexibilities being provided were outlined by the cabinet secretary in her response to our college regionalisation inquiry report. How are discussions progressing between the Scottish Government and Colleges Scotland? If possible, can you speak to potential shorter-term and longer-term solutions? I understand that there might be opportunity for flexibility around resource operation and capital, so anything that you can say to that would be helpful for the committee.

I appreciate that.

That would be helpful.

I am glad to hear that, because there needs to be a bit of urgency around it.

It is good to hear that we are not at the start of the process. Does Jess Dolan want to say something?