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Can you explain a little further what you imagine that might involve?

Literally six.

It is an interesting concept. The question is: how attractive are such things to the wider public? It was something of a surprise to me when looking at sales to see how little Scottish Parliament-branded material is purchased online.

We have not looked at what you have suggested. As with all suggestions, I will go back and allow officials to give it consideration. However, I am slightly mystified as to whether there is the sort of wider appeal for these products that one might hope.

No—although I think that we are looking into that. For as long as we were in a sustained period of very low inflation, which was the case until the most recent issues became prevalent, this point did not seem to be one that mattered. We may well return to the ASHE index; we did not move away from it lightly. When I came to you last year and discussed the ASHE index, with a recommended increase of 1.5 per cent, I said that we were not trying to be virtue signalling. We believed that there was a lagging factor in the ASHE index, which would be reflected this year. We were surprised to find that that did not happen; we do not know why it did not happen. That is obviously a matter that we want to investigate. It has an impact on the salary increase of MSPs and on staff cost provision. We think that the average weekly earnings index is a more reliable index for us to use, while we investigate the issue.

You are right: over a period of time, the situation is as you suggest. There was a year when we did not take the ASHE increase of 5.1 per cent but took nothing, because we were reflecting the stresses and strains of the pandemic in that particular year.

As someone who is IT-blind, I share your astonishment at those matters. The corporate body, which I might uncharitably say is much like me on those matters, expects to be given some comprehensive understanding and briefing.

I assure you, convener, that we had a presentation on that, which was extremely persuasive. I am sure that we can facilitate your engagement with that presentation, if that would be helpful.

As we are a couple of old-school stalwarts, I will add that the Official Report is now sent to all members at the start of each day. That was at my request, which I made because of an underlying prejudice of mine. When there was a physically produced Official Report in hard copy on paper, members would regularly be seen in the chamber picking up a copy and perusing the wider discourse of parliamentary debate. Now that the Official Report is available only digitally, I wonder about the extent to which members spend any time looking at it to see what has been discussed in Parliament beyond their involvement in a particular debate.

To come back to the original point, on whether the Official Report is an important document, I think that it is, but the corporate body continues to think of ways in which we can ensure that there is wider engagement with the Official Report by members, because it is a valuable way of updating members on the wider portfolio of issues that are being discussed in Parliament.

Our final petition this morning, PE2054, lodged by Colin Anderson, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to establish an independent review into the proposed Spaceport 1 development on Scolpaig farm in North Uist that focuses on examining: whether there is any conflict of interests for Western Isles Council—Comhairle nan Eilean Siar—as the authority that approved the plans and is taking the project forward; the process for purchasing the land on Scolpaig; potential errors and omissions in the environmental impact assessment of the proposal; and the economic case for pursuing the project.

Mr Anderson tells us that the spaceport proposal has attracted little public support, with public objections outweighing support by a ratio of 45:1. The petitioner also raises concerns that the proposal has been fast tracked, which has limited the public scrutiny of the process.

In responding to the petition, the Scottish Government states that a direction requiring planning authorities to alert it to new planning cases for spaceport-related development was issued in June 2020. That allows the Government to have a national overview of such development in the planning system, while offering it the opportunity to put in place additional safeguards and intervene, if necessary, by calling in applications. In this case, it is stated that ministers gave full and proper consideration to the proposal and determined that it did not merit call-in. The response also states that the Scottish Government is supportive in principle of space projects that will contribute to its ambitions to become a leading European space nation and to deliver economic benefits to the local region.

We have also received submissions from the petitioner and from Angus McNab, a local resident, which set out their concerns about the way in which the process to determine the application has been carried out. Those include, but are not limited to, errors in the economic impact assessment, lack of effective and timely public consultation, and a general lack of transparency around the council’s intentions for the Scolpaig site.

Western Isles Council has also provided a submission that responds to the issues raised by the petition, as well as highlighting that a stakeholder and community consultation is due to begin in the new year—in January—as part of the airspace change proposal that has been submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority.

This is clearly a live planning application. In the light of that, do members have any suggestions as to how we might proceed?

Thank you very much, Mr Ewing. It is open to the committee to take action if the focus of a petition is a national issue. However, the focus here is much more specific to an individual planning consideration that is live. In those circumstances, Mr Ewing, you are probably correct to suggest that we move to close the petition, given that it would be inappropriate for us to involve ourselves in that process. Are members content that we pursue that recommendation?

Members indicated agreement.

Rona and Naomi, would either of you like to say anything before we move to questions? If you would like to speak, will you please just raise a hand? If you indicate anything below that level I will not see it because the screens are so far away. Okay—we will move to questions.

I will ask a general question. What are the petitioners’ views on the Scottish Government’s approach of addressing representation on boards through their recruitment processes? If anyone would like to speak, please just let me know.

Rona MacKay, would you like to add anything on that?

Thank you for that, and thank you to you all for your evidence. The petition was lodged at the start of the session and it has maintained the interest of the committee since 2021—as Fergus Ewing said. We are very grateful for the evidence that all three of you gave this morning.

Colleagues, can I get your agreement that we will consider the evidence further in private at a later date?

Members: Indicated agreement.