Chamber and committees

Good morning and welcome to the 30th meeting in 2024 of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. We have received apologies from Daniel Johnson.

Our first item of business is a decision to take item 4, which is consideration of today’s evidence, in private. Are members content to take that item in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Our next item of business is consideration of a negative Scottish statutory instrument. The committee is invited to note the instrument, the purpose of which is to amend the figures that are contained in part 3 of the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987 that relate to how much money an individual is allowed to keep before a payment can be taken from their wages to recover debts.

Members will be aware that, in our stage 1 report on the Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill, the committee recommended that the amount protected from being seized by creditors in diligence against earnings should be increased to £1,000, in line with the amount that applies to bank arrestments. I am happy to open the discussion to members.

I see that no other members wish to comment. Lorna Slater is proposing that we invite the minister to the committee—next week, we hope, given the tight timescales for the instrument. Are members content to do that?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you very much. I will bring in the deputy convener.

Has the workforce been adequately informed and supported by the company throughout the process? Are members being supported with tailored advice and careers support, given that you are, unfortunately, in a process of redundancy discussions?

On that point, whose role is it to establish that independent review? I presume that you need the agreement of the company to do that.

Another time.

Before I go back to the deputy convener, I will bring in Murdo Fraser and then Gordon MacDonald.

Kevin Stewart has a supplementary question before I bring in Lorna Slater and then—I promise—return to the deputy convener.

Petroineos clearly does not see the refinery as viable in its current form. Last week, we took evidence that highlighted the fact that the refinery is making an average loss of around £385,000 each day and that it expects to lose more than £150 million in total during the course of this year alone. Do you believe those figures? What is your response to the company’s view that it is not a viable going concern?