Chamber and committees

Before we move to the next section, I have a question. Brexit has undoubtedly had an impact. However, given that we are where we are, what work is the Scottish Government doing to identify how much of the reduction in numbers is down to Brexit, how much is down to the Covid pandemic and how much is down to other issues that other European countries are also facing?

Prior to Brexit, and prior to Covid, Scotland appeared to attract few overseas workers who came to the UK; a relatively small percentage of those who came to the UK ended up in Scotland. What work are you doing to identify all the impacts in order to look for solutions to address labour shortages?

Jim Fairlie has a short supplementary question.

Okay. We move on to questions from Beatrice Wishart.

Yes. Go for it.

We will move on to further questions on islands.

Mercedes Villalba has a supplementary question. [Interruption.]

I am afraid that we cannot hear Mercedes. We will try to sort out the technical problem.

The next questions are from Ariane Burgess.

Certainly.

Our portfolio concerns issues around rural disadvantage. If policies that are created in the health or transport portfolios, for example, have a detrimental effect on the islands, and given that we have a sort of rural-proofing rule, do you have any contingency budgets to address such disadvantages?

Absolutely. Thank you for that offer. It would certainly be interesting, and most helpful, to find out how we can allocate a percentage of the reduction in numbers in the labour market to the various crises that we are facing.

I will bring in Karen Adam to ask her questions, and then Rachael Hamilton can ask a brief supplementary.