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Thank you.

With the previous panel, I talked about mainstreaming and the role of the EHRC and the Scottish Government in that. What are your thoughts on public authorities’ understanding of the PSED and mainstreaming? For me, the key point is that this should not just be an add-on for public authorities; it should be an integral part of what they do. What is the Government’s role in trying to promote that in public authorities to encourage them to take ownership and, rather than relying on guidance from the Government and the EHRC, take it on and make it an integral part of what they do?

Thank you, convener. I am conscious of time, so I will try to keep my questions as brief as possible. In talking about the proposed reforms, the Government talked about its mainstreaming strategy, and we will be asking the minister about that. The report mentions the role of the Scottish Government. Jennifer Laughland talked about the role of the EHRC and how limited that can be, given your staffing. There is also a major emphasis on the role of public authorities, whether local authorities, police, health or others.

What are your thoughts on the Government’s evolving approach to mainstreaming? There is a strong onus on public authorities to take ownership of this, too, which is really important. They cannot just wait for guidance from the EHRC or the Scottish Government. In my opinion, public authorities have to do that little bit more to move this on.

Maggie Chapman said that we all come at this from different viewpoints on equality. The massive worry that I have is about the increase in racism that we have seen and the discourse around asylum seeking and so on, which is really concerning.

What more can the Scottish Government do? What can public authorities do, other than just waiting for guidance from the EHRC or Scottish Government? What do public authorities need to do to try and move this forward? This is about data collection, but it is also about doing the right thing, to make sure that everybody is treated equally.

The role of the strategic group is important, and you chair that group. I think that you are saying that data is the number 1 key thing at group meetings. I know that you have to speak to other members of the group, but what are your initial thoughts on how the group will engage with the data question at future meetings?

I have asked this question when Mr Macpherson has attended the committee previously. It is about the regional opportunities for colleges. In my constituency, there are opportunities for renewables. How can we focus funding on increasing such opportunities?

A related key question is about interactions with universities. How do we see the role of closer working between colleges and universities in looking at that broader approach? My questions are primarily on apprenticeships, how we can focus on regional opportunities and how those things will work moving ahead.

Minister, you touched on opportunities to work more closely with universities, and I understand your point about colleges. However, in my discussions with colleges and universities, there have been questions about how such opportunities might work. Where does funding flow between the two institutions? What opportunities are there in innovation and outside funding? My question is also about those areas, the opportunities there and the work that we are doing specifically on those points.

Thank you. I am conscious of the time, convener, so I will leave it there.

On that point about pathways, I have a niece and nephew who both went to college and then went on to university. The fact that they went via that particular route is really important, because, at the start, they did not see themselves going to university, but they now have their qualifications and have progressed. I just wanted to make that important point before the minister came in.

I want to come back to the data issue. This question is probably for Iona Colvin. You probably heard the earlier questions to Alexis Jay regarding the current outlook on data collection. That was an important part of the earlier evidence session, and the committee has talked about it previously. What are your thoughts on the situation with data collection previously and where we go from here?

Building on that point, I should say that, a few days ago, Miles Briggs and I had a meeting with Who Cares? Scotland about the issue. When it comes to widening access, it is important that we do not lose sight of it.

My question for the panel is this: what more can we do to widen access and to give those who have not been able to go to university in the past the ability to do so now? That is a really important point that we cannot lose sight of. I do not know whether you want to come in on that, cabinet secretary, but, with regard to the budget, what broader plans do you have to ensure that we continue the good work that we are doing in that area?