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I thank both of you for the clear summaries that you have provided this morning and for your detailed submissions.

I want to follow up on how legislation might have an impact on healthcare professionals, among whom I would include psychotherapeutic professionals. How can we ensure that the way in which we craft the definition the legislation provides clarity on which practices are allowable and which are not? There is an issue around medical professionals being able to offer support, guidance and advice on a range of options for people who may suffer from gender dysphoria, for instance.

I would be interested to hear your views on how we get that element right so that we ban what we need to ban but do not encroach on some of the very sensitive conversations that a medical professional should have with a patient—with the person in front of them.

Thank you—that is helpful.

I have a second question, in which I will seek to draw out some of what Barbara Bolton has just said. What is your response to the suggestion that medical practitioners and psychotherapists could be criminalised if they do not affirm a young person’s gender identity? There is an issue around the balance between consent and affirmation, which can be seen as blurred. Even in law, we cannot legislate for blurred lines.

Thank you both for coming today, and for your powerful and informative contributions, previously and this morning. I am very mindful of the view that we should stop talking and get on. I share somewhat your frustration at the fact that we are still talking about the issue.

Igi Moon talked about the importance of intersectionality. Thank you for raising that issue, because I do not think that we have previously heard the matter being articulated in that way.

My questions draw on strands of what Pam Duncan-Glancy and Jeremy Balfour talked about earlier—in particular, medical professionals, in which I include the full range of healthcare professionals from clinical and medical professionals to psychotherapeutic professionals. How do we provide clarity on what is and is not allowed in respect of that setting being the safe space that you mentioned, and in relation to therapists being able to allow challenging and confusing exploration with patients, clients and survivors? I am interested to hear how you think our definition in law will impact on that.

I thank the panel for joining us. I have questions on two different but connected areas, the first of which is place-based economic development. The advisory group on economic recovery suggested that we need more regional place-based approaches to economic development as the current system is perhaps a little too top-down. Do you expect to see regional place-based approaches in the new economic development strategies that are under development? Given that your organisations are regionally based, what learning can you give us for thinking about this more generally? I ask Jane Morrison-Ross and Carroll Buxton to answer those questions.

We might come back to you on the learning that you get from that tool, because it sounds really interesting.

You both talked about linking economic transformation to community wellbeing. That is really important, and it is a strand of work that is in development around the wellbeing economy. My second question is on that subject. How are you supporting businesses and modelling the leadership to enhance activities in line with the wellbeing economy? I am particularly interested in the links to community wealth building and those kinds of fundamental transformations that will change how people relate to their local economies, never mind a broader economic system.

Thank you all for the information that you have provided so far this morning. I am going to pick up on something that allows us to look ahead and see how planning is shaping up for the immediate future and longer term. The transition to net zero is expected to be a significant theme across the new economic strategy for Scotland. I have a question for Adrian Gillespie and Malcolm Roughead. How aware and prepared are businesses in your areas, and what is your organisation doing to support the transition? Do we need to be thinking about different approaches around increased conditionality, for instance, with notions of fair work and the move to net zero as we look ahead? Adrian Gillespie can go first and then Malcolm Roughead.

That links to what you said in answer to a previous question around diversification and loves local. There is a huge opportunity there.

I want to extend this a little bit and look more broadly. Decades of business support and economic development have not really changed systemic issues in our economy, with low productivity, stagnating rates of entrepreneurialism and so on. What could we do better in the coming years so that we do not just keep doing more of the same? How can we do that better and in a way that will drive the change in direction that we need, not only around net zero but longer term and more broadly? That question is for Adrian Gillespie and Malcolm Roughead.

I have no relevant financial interests, but I refer members to my entry in the register of member’s interests. I am a member of Unite the Union.

I have a couple of questions on how we embed equalities and human rights into our budget process in a meaningful way. What steps is the Scottish Government taking to build the capacity of all Scottish Government members and officials to ensure that budget spend advances our equalities and human rights agenda? Further, how do we ensure that our budget processes are as transparent as possible, especially around those issues? How do we inform those who are doing the budget setting while being transparent in the interests of those who might want to be involved in that process?