Seòmar agus comataidhean

I was talking about automatic registration, but equally it has been suggested that there could be pilots to assist the registration process through the utilisation of other data sources or other points at which people register their information. Could, for example, the national health service or other council services provide a means by which people could simultaneously register to vote? That sort of thing could be piloted, too. Of course, the purpose of having pilots is to learn from them, and if they work, we can consider making them a feature of our system. Wales is looking at the issue just now, so we will be able to look at the experience there.

It could be, and I have not closed down that option. It may be that, for a transition period, we can make it clear that those devices will still be available. The change has been made south of the border, and concerns were raised at the time, but the practical experience has been such that the concerns no longer remain, because the other devices and approaches have been successful. However, I am open to considering that approach if it is felt to be some form of reassurance in the immediate period.

I hope that most people would recognise that that is a sensible thing to do. We are still going through the process of looking at how we would put that into operation.

A balance has to be struck. By and large, yes, of course, on an operational basis, the Electoral Management Board must be able to operate independently of political direction and interference. That is a given; we would all agree with that. I have made the point about the activity that the Electoral Commission might undertake, funded by the Scottish Government. We cannot compel the Electoral Commission to undertake work, so that would be done through a process of dialogue and agreement.

Of course, Parliament is a pluralistic entity, and if any individual member of the Scottish Parliament has concerns, they will raise them. In the same way, if organisations out there have concerns, I am sure that they will raise their voices, too. By and large, we have a transparent, open and democratic system that enables people to raise their concerns and allows us to deliberate on them.

To a large extent, they have been achieved. There has been a reduction in the duplication of course provision; that delivers efficiencies and benefits of scale, which, in turn, positively impact on front-line delivery for students. Since regionalisation, there has been greater agility, flexibility and responsiveness in the college sector to the needs of its learners, employers and the wider communities that it serves.

There has not only been a reduction in the duplication of course provision; it has also been done on a basis that maintains core provision across geographical areas. An enormously important part of the equation is that we have greater clarity on learner pathways and better collaboration and joined-up activity between our academic institutions—for example, between colleges and universities. We also have greater levels of provision of senior-phase school learning in the college environment.

Those positive developments were reflected in some of the evidence that you heard from principals about the pathways that have been created. They articulated that those pathways were probably not possible in years gone by.

I would like the rates to improve—I certainly agree with that proposition. In the past couple of years, we have seen inevitable disruption as a consequence of Covid-19, but we are seeing recovery from that, which is welcome. However, I would, of course, like higher completion rates. I suggest that we still see very positive outcomes in terms of post-study destinations, which is welcome. We want higher completion rates, and I am committed to working with the sector on improving the rates.

Where any good practice exists, both management and unions should recognise it, because they will be involved in the process. I am all for good practice being drawn on to inform the wider process. Again, where there is a role for it and where we are aware of an example, I will not hesitate to point to it as a good, positive example for the wider consideration of the whole sector.

I beg your pardon, Ms Callaghan, but I missed the start of your question.

That is the point that I was trying to make in response to Mr Kerr, although I was clear that I could not do it in a month. I do not think that that would be a reasonable timescale in which to do the issue justice. However, what Ms Gosal raises is a perfectly legitimate thing for us to consider, and I am absolutely committed to doing so.

I take the point and will come on to it. However, in the first instance, it is important for us to reflect—collectively, I hope—on the fact that international students are very welcome in Scotland. They play an important part in our university communities and, indeed, in our wider society.

I am alert to some of the challenges that Mr Marra refers to. I take those challenges seriously, and we have to be cognisant of them. We are committed to developing our international education strategy, and a core part of that has to be how we make it clear that the sector can be resilient in the face of any particular type of shock that you may refer to. We are alert to and conscious of that, and we want to work with the sector to ensure that that resilience is embedded within our institutions.