Chamber and committees

Euan Page mentioned the exclusion that Scotland took on single-use plastics. Can you highlight any examples from that process that might be relevant to the rural affairs and islands portfolio in respect of taking an exclusion from the UK IMA?

How will future trade agreements interact with the common frameworks within the remit that you have as cabinet secretary?

On that point, have the common frameworks led to an increase in the devolved nations’ decision-making powers?

Were there legislative amendments that had to be considered in order to export lamb to the US, for example?

I have another question on that group. You defined the difference between trade agreements in the UK and the trade engagement group, including the different scope of the work within that group. What kinds of discussion do you have in the trade engagement group about agriculture and fisheries? What scope do you have?

Last week, the Scottish Women’s Convention suggested that women and girls were being overlooked in the current budgeting arrangement. The First Minister’s national advisory council on women and girls wants intersectional gender budget analysis to be integrated into the Scottish budget process and for that to be put on a statutory footing. I wonder what your opinions are on the current arrangements for gathering disaggregated data. Do you agree that putting intersectional gender budgeting on a statutory footing would support policy making in relation to how women and girls are funded in terms of, for example, childcare or social care?

That was a generous contribution, minister. There are things that we can do right now and not in the future. You have probably looked at the evidence that we heard last week from people with lived experience, but if you have not, I urge you to do so, because it was fantastic.

You are absolutely right. There are challenges to do with the gathering of disaggregated data, as has been highlighted by the Fraser of Allander Institute and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Last week, we heard that there were issues to do with non-disclosure—the general data protection regulation—and working within the parameters of the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that all data on people with protected characteristics is not only gathered but disaggregated, which does not necessarily happen. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how the Scottish Government takes that forward.

Audit Scotland has highlighted that there are data gaps in social care that are much wider than in healthcare. Those data gaps are contributing to problems in social care, which is causing a huge challenge. We need to consider how the Scottish Government works with local authorities and how those bodies understand the national picture so that they can work together. Do you have any opinions on how the Scottish Government could improve that relationship? National data gathering is not necessarily being done, even though it is on a statutory footing, and data is not being shared with local authorities. That does not allow local authorities to provide the social care that they need to provide.

Good morning. I am Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire.

On that point, Elaine, do you believe that Marine Scotland has sufficient resources to be able to improve its data collection and scientific evidence that everyone round the table craves?