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That is helpful. It is about enhancements.

Good morning. I will start with Russell McCutcheon. We have heard that North Ayrshire Council feels that the funding landscape is getting a bit cluttered. What are your views on that? What are the issues behind that comment?

You touched on the point that we want to reach out to as many diverse people as possible and on how that can be done. Are there any standout ideas from the consultation that have never been done on islands and that would attract more diverse individuals?

That is helpful. Thank you.

The Friday evening tradition at my gran’s house would be for my gran to don her camel-coloured Mac coat, put on her red lipstick and comb up her hair, ready for the big shop at the supermarket in Dyce. It was a weekly highlight and I would always ask for some lipstick too. My gran always took pride in her appearance and held self-respect in high esteem, and she would say in her accent—she grew up in Strathpeffer, so you will know that she spoke the perfect Queen’s English—“Well you never know when you will meet the Queen.”

On one such big-shop trip, a cavalcade of fancy cars was coming past us from the airport, and my gran excitedly thought that she might catch a glimpse of the royals on their way to Balmoral. Sure enough, she shouted, “It’s Princess Diana”—although she shouted it a bit louder than I just did. I turned quickly to my window and caught the princess’s unmistakable blonde hair, her head tilted against the window and her hand under her chin. That really was excitement for us. I will never forget that moment, but mostly because of my gran’s reaction.

To my grandparents, the royal family—particularly the Queen, as she became—were an anchor during some traumatising events in history. I do not underestimate how powerful it was for many women such as my gran, who was holding the fort at home and doing her duty as a firewoman in wartime, to see Princess Elizabeth do the same back then, in the final year of the war, when she donned a uniform and joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

It meant something to my gran to have a woman go on to become the head of that royal family. She was not least a model of feminine strength and someone who then, and during her long service, was a figure of strength during a series of crises. My gran’s generation took responsibility seriously and did what they said they would do. They knew that if they strayed even a tiny bit, it could have disastrous consequences for them and others. They were the “Keep calm and carry on” silent generation. The Queen emulated that, but she was quite clear that she did not want the distinction for herself. She always steered that to the Crown. She did not attribute the glory to herself, but to her purpose and, of course, her unwavering faith in it.

It is an incredible task to serve with such adoration, while diverting that to your cause and not absorbing it unto yourself or your ego. That is true integrity.

The Queen exemplified that humility while she served and she showed that that humility was as essential as the service itself.

A few historical interviews have been shown over the past few days. The most striking one for me was when the Queen was asked why she did it. She responded:

“Because I said I would.”

That is an example to us all, and it is especially poignant in our chamber, where trust is placed upon us. We know the importance of doing what we said we would do.

I will always remember the Queen, and those who followed her example, with the deepest of respect.

It was 10 per cent.

I know that we are running short of time, so I ask for an update on avian flu to be given in written correspondence. However, I will just quickly say that I have visited Troup Head in my constituency: it was absolutely heartbreaking and devastating. The effects of the outbreak will probably be generational and will continue for many years.

Good morning, cabinet secretary. I would like to discuss and get some clarity and answers from you on our fishing industry and Brexit. It is no secret that it has been a contentious issue in my Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency, where a lot of people feel that what they were promised has not been delivered. For example, most of the fish stocks that are of interest to the Scottish fishing fleet straddle international boundaries and still form part of international negotiations. Moreover, UK fisheries management continues to be in a state of interdependence and there is still significant EU access to UK waters. That is not what the fishing industry and its leaders thought that they would be getting. Indeed, Mike Park has said that

“It is clear, for the offshore catching sector, Brexit failed to deliver any benefits of being a coastal state”,

and we know that EU funds have not as yet been fully replaced by the UK Government as was promised. What are the implications for the industry and what has the Scottish Government been able to do over this time period to support it and to buffer any effects?

That is good to know. The Scottish fishing industry needs a bit of optimism just now. It has had a hammering in the past couple of years.

We are facing another period of economic turmoil. What is the outlook for the fishing sector? Is it optimistic?

I am glad to hear that the processing side of things will be a big part of what is going on. That is important.