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The member is generous in spirit, therefore he will want to be thankful for and warmly welcome the fact that the Scottish National Party’s 2026-27 budget includes a 10 per cent uplift for our colleges, reinforcing the Government’s on-going commitment to the college sector, to people across the country and to the economy.

As part of the annual allocation process, the Scottish Funding Council will publish indicative university and college allocations for the financial year 2026-27 during the coming days, and the Scottish Government’s increased support for our colleges will be reflected in those announcements.

Whether it is at the Alloa campus, Forth Valley College or other colleges across the country, as I said, this Government’s stepping up of support for our college sector is making all the difference for learners and institutions.

I spoke earlier about the difference that has been made for the Alloa campus and I said that it will stay open for this year. We are in a very positive and constructive dialogue with the sector as a whole and with Forth Valley College about the future of the Alloa campus. There is huge potential and there are economic opportunities. There is a need for more skills in the area, and that will have an impact on the community, so that the Alloa campus can have a bright future. The Government will keep working proactively to support the whole of our college sector, Forth Valley College and the people of Alloa.

My engagement and the Scottish Government’s wider engagement with the college have been enhanced by the work of Keith Brown, as the constituency MSP, in informing the Scottish Government and working collaboratively and proactively with it to promote the interests of the college and the people it serves and he serves.

Through the process of wider engagement with partners in industry and the public sector, which I mentioned in my first answer, it is clear that the need for skills in Clackmannanshire, Stirlingshire and Falkirk will increase in the period ahead as a result of the inward investment, the opportunities in the economy and the growth that we are seeing in the area, so Forth Valley College should have a positive future across the three campuses. It is important that all partners—with the Scottish Government at the heart of the process—work together constructively in the year ahead to develop the case for continued investment in the college so that it can realise its potential for the region and the people in the area.

Investment in our college sector has increased significantly in this financial year, and the Government is now taking part in a process that was formally announced on 12 March, along with the college sector and the Scottish Funding Council, to consider what our college sector should look like in the future. It is clear from the voice of industry and the needs of communities that we must have a thriving college sector if we are to meet the needs of the future and to realise our potential. The more we are united in that task as a Parliament and as a country, the more we will achieve together.

The member is right to emphasise that, because of the additional resource that the Scottish Government has provided to our college sector, the board of Forth Valley College has confirmed that the Alloa campus will remain open for the academic year 2026-27.

In January, using the Scottish Government’s convening power, and working with the college principal and the wider college, we were able to bring together senior representatives from the public and private sectors to consider and explore how the college could strengthen its engagement with industry and ensure that the potential of the Alloa campus was fully realised. That was a very constructive discussion, which highlighted the strong commitment that exists across the region to creating a skills system that is responsive and resilient. The group expects to meet again in the summer to review progress and consider next steps. That represents a positive way forward for the potential of the Alloa campus.

Will the member take an intervention?

Many of my constituents have been affected by the challenges of cladding remediation. Does the member, on behalf of her party, accept any responsibility for the then Conservative UK Government—her Government—being so unresponsive and inconsiderate about recognising the fact that Scotland has a different property law system, which caused significant delay in remediation here in Scotland?

Many of my constituents have been affected by the challenges of cladding remediation. Does the member, on behalf of her party, accept any responsibility for the then Conservative UK Government—her Government—being so unresponsive and inconsiderate about recognising the fact that Scotland has a different property law system, which caused significant delay in remediation here in Scotland?

Will the member take an intervention?

Will the member take an intervention?