 That concludes topical questions. The next item of business is a debate on motion 9107, in the name of Angus Robertson, on Scottish Connections Framework. I would ask members who wish to speak in the debate. Please press their request to speak buttons. I call on Angus Robertson, cabinet secretary, to speak to and move the motion. Up to 15 minutes, cabinet secretary. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I'm pleased and honoured to move the motion that stands in my name. It's an honour and privilege to launch this debate on the Scottish Connections Framework, Scotland's new approach to diaspora engagement. The opening line in the framework states, and I quote, Scotland's diaspora is an extension of Scotland itself, our living bridge with people, organisations and communities around the world. Today I'll explain how the Scottish Government will bring reality to that pledge. I'll give the background to this important work, I'll explain why we plan to redouble our efforts to engage Scotland's diaspora and to set out some proposals. I hope that the ambitions set out in our framework are welcomed across the chamber. I was delighted to see colleagues from the Scottish and the UK parliaments attend Tartan week in New York this year, which shows support for engaging with Scotland's diaspora. This Government pledged to expand our connections with the diaspora in the programme for government 2021-22. Given the amount of diaspora activity already undertaken by other Governments and by members of the diaspora themselves, we commissioned independent research to shape our approach and learn from others. Both pieces of research are available on www.gov.scot. The research underpinned the Scottish Connections Framework, and I'm grateful to all the researchers for their work. The research suggested that upwards of 40 million people consider themselves to have Scottish heritage. Many represent Scotland in their own ways from organising St Andrew's Societies, burn suppers at Highland Games to teaching traditional dance or the Gaelic language. Scots have long travelled the world and this is evident in place names such as Neu-Shotland, Nowe Scotsie in Poland and its namesakes, Nuevo, Esgotsia in Argentina and Nova Scotia in Canada. They travel for different reasons as traders, as economic migrants, as victims of the Highland clearances or simply to make a better life for their families. Many were also part of Britain's imperial adventures, including the transatlantic slave trade, and we've committed to be open and learn from less comfortable chapters in our history but also embracing those who descend from those times. Thousands of Scots migrated to countries, including the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the 18th and 19th and the 20th centuries seeking better opportunities. Many families in Scotland therefore have links to these countries today. Over five million Americans claim Scottish heritage, Scottish Government's office in Washington DC and SDI offices across the country, collaborate with our trade envoys and with Global Scots to increase trade and investment between our two countries. However, they also work closely with a range of US-based organisations such as the Caledonian Club of New York City, the American Scottish Foundation, the St Andrews Society of the State of New York and Clan Campbell to deliver a spectacular and a growing series of events at Tartan week. Tartan week draws huge crowds providing a platform for Scottish business, for higher education, for culture and tourism to be showcased in many American cities. Canada's 2021 census confirmed that 4.4 million Canadians claim Scottish descent. Our Ottawa office engages Canadian Scots across the country from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia via Toronto and Montreal to Whitehorse Yukon on the edge of the Arctic. More than a quarter of Nova Scotians claim Scottish heritage. Many speak Gaelic and regularly celebrate Scotland's culture. The province also dedicates two weeks of the year to Celtic Colours, a festival that took inspiration from Celtic Connections in Glasgow, which let Scottish artists bring their talents to new audiences while supporting our own Indigenous language. Over 2 million Australians identify as having Scottish ancestry, as do many New Zealanders. I was delighted to receive the proposal from my colleague Stuart McMillan MSP, suggesting that we promote Scotland via Tartan week in Australia and look forward to discussing that issue further with him. Large Scottish communities also exist in Argentina, home to the St Andrew's Scott School since 1838 and Balmoral College, which was established in 1959, and also in Brazil, where Scottish traders and industrialists imported football only to see their newfound compatriots improve the game. I think that everybody who commits to keeping our country's traditions alive around the world and as somebody who lived abroad myself for a decade, I understand the pull of home and desire to celebrate and gather with other like-minded diaspora Scots. That is why we have decided to expand our approach to adopt a broad and inclusive definition of diaspora. We want to strengthen and expand Scotland's links not only with those of Scottish heritage but also to include people who have lived in Scotland for any reason. That includes alumni of Scotland's world-leading educational institutions, those who lived and worked in Scotland, including our fellow Europeans, who came here under European Union freedom of movement and contributed so much to our country. Scotland's relationship with Europe remains strong. The Caledonian Society of France celebrated its centenary in 2022. There is a Scotland hub at the University of Mines promoting Scottish culture. Diaspora and community is one of the priority areas in the Ireland-Scotland joint bilateral review. Beyond that, we will reach out to those with a professional, a business, cultural or other links to Scotland, our affinity diaspora. Expanding our definition of diaspora means that we must work across many geographies. Tens of thousands of students from China, from India, from Nigeria, the United States and many other countries besides, over 82,000 of them alone in 2021-22 benefit from Scotland's world-class universities. Not only does this boost Scotland's economy by nearly £5 billion each year but it creates a global network of hundreds of thousands of professionals who know Scotland and I hope possess a fondness for Scotland. The Scottish Government's office in Beijing is strengthening the relationship between Scotland and China and an important part of that is engaging with alumni of Scottish higher educational institutes. About 25 per cent of all international students at higher education institutes in Scotland are from China, so over 18,500 in 2020-21. I hope that that will lead to lifelong relationships with our country. Will he be able to discuss the role that the British Council will play or should play with regard to the alumni platform? It is an excellent intervention in very timely. Of course, the British Council hosted an event last night in Edinburgh with trustees from the British Council, the UK-level being in Scotland, where the opportunities of their work internationally were stressed by themselves but also myself. I look forward to working with the British Council internationally to further the aims of the framework, particularly in that educational and alumni space. I am delighted to see positive interventions from different members of the chamber. I think that I am wanting to make a serious point about this. I really hope that this framework is one that we can all adopt, we can all be part of shaping, getting the priorities, the alignment right to make it be the success that I believe that it can be. I will be happy to give way and then I will have to make progress. The cabinet secretary is making a very positive speech and I congratulate him on that. In relation to the Scottish Connections framework, how will we know if the framework is delivering on what we expect it to deliver? What material thing should we be looking for that we can recognise as a success? What does success look like? That is another excellent question and is one of the reasons why we are accepting the Scottish Conservative Party's amendment this afternoon, because we believe that it is right to make sure when one is rolling out an initiative like this that there are measurables, that there are metrics, that there are areas for success, that we can understand how the framework is being rolled out and how its integration with the diaspora community is reaching its full potential or not. I am coming on to some of the technical suggestions and that will make it obvious how one will be able to reflect on this in future years. I return to my comments. Professional Scots are prominent in companies based in the world's global business centres, be it New York, Singapore, Tokyo, the Middle East and elsewhere. Some act as Scotland's trade and investment envoys in Asia, the Americas and in Europe or as global Scots in over 60 countries. They are embedded in their own communities as well as leading lights in local Caledonian societies, bringing visibility and bringing experience. We know that EU nationals who made Scotland their home when they could exercise their treaty rights here have returned home. Now we host over 20,000 displaced Ukrainians in Scotland and they are of course welcome for as long as they need to, but many will one day, we hope, be able to return home to rebuild a peaceful Ukraine following Russia's barbaric invasion. We hope that they will remain connected to Scotland when they do so. Each and every one of these people has a connection with Scotland. All are part of Scotland's international community. Many already work with Scotland and promote our values around the world and more may wish to do so. Others may want to find that sense of Scottish community overseas, building links with other members of our diaspora. That is the scope of Scottish connections to create a truly global diaspora connected to Scotland and to each other. We are not undertaking this work from a standing start. The Scottish Government, its agencies and international network already work closely with our diaspora. Our 1,200 strong global Scots and the network of trade and investment envoys volunteer their time to support Scotland's economic ambition, working closely with our Scottish Development International offices around the world. They will continue to promote Scotland's prosperity and I extend a huge thank you on behalf of the Scottish Government and I hope everybody in the Scottish Parliament to them today. The Scottish Government's international network of offices have strong local relationships with Scottish diaspora organisations and alumni networks. Our Berlin office works with Showcase Scotland to promote Scottish music in Germany, building relationships in the country, promoting a new and traditional Scottish artists in the German market, including artists performing in both Scots and Gaelic. We will continue to do all of this because of the value such activity brings for Scotland. For the success of the Scottish connections framework we will be to build on this existing work, creating new relationships and new opportunities for Scotland and the diaspora. Our culture connects diaspora communities and Scotland and our culture sector has been hit by Brexit, Covid-19 and now the cost crisis, so developing international opportunities can help the sector's recovery and I've committed to developing an international culture strategy to that end. Scotland's diaspora is dispersed, it's well integrated and the Scottish Government will take concrete steps to engage as many of our diaspora as possible. We will improve our digital offering. Connecting digitally provides us with an opportunity to reach new members of the diaspora wherever they are in the world and, of course, it means that they can connect with us too. Ahead of this year's tartan week we updated www.scotland.org, our international facing website, providing a new home for Scottish connections activity. We updated several pages covering the US and Canada to reflect our enduring and our evolving relationship in these countries. This year we will launch two new online resources for the diaspora. We will create a digital directory promoting hundreds of Scottish organisations worldwide. Any member of our diaspora will be able to find out about networks, organisations and services near them, forming a touch point for Scots new to a country or already there who want to connect with their community. The directory will also be a resource for organisations in Scotland who want to expand their international reach whether they be businesses or performers looking to take their services abroad. Later this year we will create a means by which diaspora can register themselves as a member of Scotland's international community. We expect this to be live by St Andrew's Day 2023. This new direct contact will supplement the excellent work of our international network of SDI and agencies. All of this work will be supported by a redoubling of effort to engage our diaspora. Recognising the efforts of the diaspora is vital if we were to succeed. I therefore decided to take a number of steps to strengthen connections with Scotland to build a vibrant, visible and connected network that we strive for. This includes piloting a Scottish connections fund, the fund that is under design will be open to bids from the Scottish diaspora, individuals and organisations to support the aims of the Scottish connections framework. Successful bids will support the creation or strengthening of Scottish community of alumni, cultural or similar groups or improve existing links between organisations and with Scotland. The spending will have to show clear outcomes and strong value for money. I have also asked officials to provide recommendations on how a diaspora recognition award could encourage and reward the work of Scots around the world, either in services to their own countries or what they deliver for Scotland's interests. Forgive me, I am running out of time. In order to benefit from the extensive expertise in Scotland and among our diaspora, I will appoint a Scottish connections advisory panel to advise on priorities, opportunities and specific initiatives to improve our diaspora activity. The panel will be diverse, both Scotland-based and international, and contain experience and expertise covering business alumni and affinity diaspora, and those with specific cultural and tourism interests and design of that group is under way now. I am also delighted to hear that the University of the West of Scotland plans to inaugurate a centre for diaspora, migration, citizenship and identity later this year and look forward to exploring how we can work together. Presiding Officer, in conclusion, we have a lot to do. Our approach will be incremental and inclusive, and we will learn both from our experiences but also by the feedback from our diaspora, our advisory panel and others, including members on all sides of this chamber. We will also continue to learn from those already active in diaspora work, especially in Ireland and in Wales. The framework commits to review progress biannally, so I expect to be reporting on successes and lessons learned in two years' time, and no doubt before, with parliamentary questions asked from across the chamber. I hope that our efforts encourage our diaspora to see and promote Scotland as a favourable destination in which to live, to work, to study, to visit, to do business, and I hope that it can draw support from across the chamber. I want the Scottish Connections framework to evolve based on the involvement of MSPs of all parties. I hope that it will become a platform for Scottish communities, businesses, universities and cultural organisations to build bridges with our global diaspora, but recognising and engaging our diaspora is an objective in itself, not a means to an end. Our framework shows how we can work together to build a truly global network of Scottish Connections that recognises, supports and benefits everyone who wants to be a part of our nation. Thank you. Before we move on to the next speaker, members will wish to be aware that we do have time in hand this afternoon. I now call on Maurice Golden to speak to and move amendment 9107.2. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Scotland's greatest ever export has always been our people. It is hard to overstate the impact and legacy that Scots have had and continue to have over the four corners of the globe. For a country of only 4.5 million people and on a per population basis, our impact of the world has been without compare, our contributions to science, commerce, education, medicine, culture and politics across the globe are vast. I welcome the tone set by the cabinet secretary. It is not always the case in this place, but I certainly welcome it today. I also wholeheartedly support the motion. I think that the aim to build a more vibrant, visible and connected Scottish community around the world is something that should unite us. I also welcome that we have a 1,200 strong global Scotland network. I would like to see more, and I know that that is what the framework will help to deliver. I share the aim that the Scottish Connections framework will encourage many more people to consider Scotland as a destination in which to work, live, study, do business or simply visit. Our amendment essentially attempts to make two points. Firstly, it recognises the importance of engaging the Scottish diaspora within the terms of the devolved settlement, perhaps should be taken as a given. Secondly, and more importantly perhaps, we are very keen to have more details with regard to the metrics upon which the delivery of the Scottish Connections framework can be measured and how its impact will be monitored and indeed reported on. We will also be supporting the Labour amendment today. I am not quite convinced that we needed a reference to the Welsh Government, but nonetheless I think that the sentiment behind the amendment is something that we can support. I am very grateful for the member giving way. I am disappointed that he finds any offence possible in Wales, but not just to add a point of discord in what has been a good debate so far, it is a disappointment that students in Scotland cannot travel the world for university and further education the way students in Wales can. No, certainly I am a big advocate of studying abroad, having studied in America for a year as part of my higher education. I think that it is invaluable. It should be two-way because we have lot to give international students and likewise we should be engaging in that global community. With 40 million people worldwide claiming some degree of Scottish ancestry, maintaining Scotland's links with our Scottish diaspora is of crucial importance both economically and culturally. In the Scottish Conservative 2021 manifesto, we made it clear that we would like to see the Scottish Government make better use of the Scottish diaspora. We believe that it is one of our greatest assets, both as a market themselves but also ambassadors for Scotland and for the produce reaching larger markets abroad. That is why, as part of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee's recent inquiry into the Scottish Government's international work, we welcomed the committee's call for more detail on how the Scottish Government intends to maximise its engagement with the Scottish diaspora. On this basis, we welcomed the publication of the Scottish Connections framework and we are very supportive of its intentions. However, the commitments that have been made in the framework require further details. We call on the Scottish Government to provide more information regarding metrics on which the delivery of the framework will be measured and how its impact will be monitored, measured and reported on. I know that the cabinet secretary is a regular attendee at committee and we look forward to the scrutiny that is duly considered at committee. However, we are looking for more information regarding resource allocation, timescales, responsibilities and targets emanating from the framework. For example, the Scottish Conservatives have previously called for a doubling of sign-ups to the global Scott network by the end of this Parliament, but it is also about the impact of that network. I fully recognise that we need firm targets made by the Scottish Government as part of the Connections framework. Monitoring, measuring and reporting has been missing from the Scottish Government's international work for some time. That is why the Scottish Conservatives have called for greater transparency and accountability with regard to international work. Our call is aligned to a number of the European External Affairs and Culture Committee's recommendations in their inquiry into the Scottish Government's international work. In that, the committee called on the Scottish Government to make objectives of its international work clear and detail how it will measure the impact of and report on its work. Furthermore, the committee highlighted that the Scottish Parliament should have a role in scrutinising that work. Within the delivery of the Scottish Connections frameworks, ministers should take account of those views from the committee. Transparency and accountability throughout the Scottish Government's international work are required, and I welcome the commitment to that. The Government's motions today also express its hope that the Scottish Connections framework will encourage many more people to consider Scotland as a destination to visit. We welcome that and we stand ready to support the Scottish Government's objectives in this area. Surely, the cabinet secretary must recognise that, in order to attract visitors to Scotland, we have to make Scotland an attractive place to visit. The latest regulatory changes on the tourism sector are, in my view, not aligned to the aspirations of the Scottish Connections framework. Ben Macpherson, does the member agree with me that, although it is important to continue to be attractive in terms of cost, if we do not invest in our offering as a country, which of course the transient visitor levy is seeking to do, then we run a danger of becoming complacent about what we are offering here in Scotland? We do need investment, but there is also an economic realisation that the sector has had so much to deal with over recent years, not least Covid, not least a global cost of living crisis that increased regulatory burden is increasingly problematic. I was visiting an agri-tourism business just yesterday and they are really at their wits end. The owner said to me that she just feels scunnered by it all. I think that there is of course a role for investment, but we also need to get our regulations to support tourism and ultimately support Scotland as a destination that we would all like to visit. On that, we are at least aligned. Scotland also has some of the most wonderful historical sites, which are top of the list for anyone visiting Scotland, particularly those of Scottish ancestry. In a recent committee submission, Historic Environment Scotland themselves highlighted that half of international visitors reported heritage as the key motivation for visiting Scotland and that every year more than three billion is contributed to Scotland's economy by tourism generated by the historic environment sector. Yet it was also reported last month that 90 historical sites are still closed or have access restricted, an issue that has been ongoing for years. In my own region, we have Arbroath Abbey, home to the declaration of Arbroath, which is one of those sites that has been partially closed for years now. There is no opening date in sight. Having such a historically important site closed for this long is incredibly troubling. With the cabinet secretary in the unique position of having responsibility for external affairs and culture, the member should be best placed to recognise the importance of historical sites in attracting international visitors. Reopening our historical sites must be a priority if we are serious about attracting international visitors. Having previously had responsibility for elements of what Maurice Golden is talking about in terms of high-level masonry, the programme to ensure the safety of visitors and staff at those sites is realised, which I am sure Maurice Golden would accept has to be a top priority. Does he also accept that at Arbroath there is a fantastic visitor centre that gives really good interpretation and people should not be put off by the partial closure in terms of ensuring that they can continue to visit those really important sites? Of course, safety must be the number one priority. There is much more to Arbroath than just the abbey, not least the smoke as I am hearing, not least a visit to Gayfield, where you can watch a match while getting some seawater, perhaps, drizzling you if you get lucky. Make sure that you are in a stop-in on Dundee for the V&A or the verdant works on your way through. Lots more to see. The Transport Museum is very good in Dundee as well, cabinet secretary. It is well worth a visit. Three halls and some vintage cars. However, there are many businesses that require support to grow and internationalise, and we need to make sure that we do that. For example, a manufacturing in Tayside currently has no SMAS support, and I think that that is something that needs to change. We have called for the Scottish Government to provide more information on how it will engage with the diaspora. We support the Scottish Connections framework, and we stand ready to be part of that journey to see a successful international Scotland. I now call on Neil Bibby to speak to and to move amendment 9107.1 around nine minutes, please, Mr Bibby. I move the amendment in my name. Scottish Labour welcomes this debate and the publication of the Scottish Government's Scottish Connections framework document. I can start by agreeing with Maurice Golden that Scotland's greatest export has been its people, but Scotland has also recognised around the world for our landscapes, our culture, our brilliant universities, an educational tradition, our food and perhaps especially our drink and so much more. Burns Night, as Mr Robertson said, is an annual celebration across the globe in Blantyre, Malawi, in Hamilton, Bermuda, in Dunedin, New Zealand, in Glasgow, Kentucky and even on Antarctica. Members may be interested to consult the university of Glasgow's outstanding interactive map on Burns Suppers, which detailed over 2,500 events from all four corners of the earth. It is no wonder that many around the world continue to feel affinity and love for Scotland, because we have also been, Presiding Officer, through our history, a diasporic nation. For centuries, Scots have migrated across the seas and oceans in search of a better life. As has been said by the Cabinet Secretary, at least five million Americans claim Scottish ancestry and millions more Canadians, with some estimating that up to 15 per cent of Canadians alone may be of Scottish descent. Tartan Week has also been mentioned in April as a huge celebration of Scottish ancestry and heritage across North America. Scotland's global brand is incredibly proud and incredibly strong. Diasporic links are enormous and many doubtless are untapped or underutilised. With connections literally in all corners of the globe, the potential power of the Scottish diaspora network cannot be overestimated. A serious and strategic approach to the definition, support and deployment of the Scottish diaspora worldwide is very much to be welcomed. The framework correctly identifies a whole raft of areas in which there are potential benefits of engagement, both for the diaspora community itself and for those of us closer to home, be that in terms of heritage, culture, immigration, education, tourism or business. There is much to welcome in the framework. I welcome the commitment to direct national records Scotland to prioritise the development of online and digital resources. We know that many in the diaspora wish to visit Scotland to trace their ancestry and heritage, and that is not always easy. That measure is welcome and supported. Many are unable to make such a trip and through the development of online and digital tools to aid those around the world in finding their Scottish connections is vital. Two other frameworks profess the aims to promote business and employment opportunities in Scotland for members of our diaspora and to offer a pathway for those seeking to make Scotland their home. Scotland and the UK as a whole has been and continues to be greatly enhanced and enriched by immigration, socially, culturally and economically. The demographic trend suggests that Scotland in particular needs immigrants, so I welcome the introduction of a talent attraction and migration service, or TAMS, to help bring talent to Scotland and the Scottish economy. There are also plenty of encouraging noises in the report about the use of the global Scotland network to promote cultural connections and business links. I await the development of those proposals with interest. Above all, the framework is to be applauded for stressing from the outset the importance of reaching out to historically marginalised groups such as minority ethnic communities and LGBTQ Scots, and of promoting young people and women's participation through its international offices. Scotland's national identity must always be defined in civic terms as open to all who live here and regardless of their race, gender or sexual identity. In a similar vein, it is important as the cabinet secretary acknowledges not to whitewash Scottish history or to romanticise its past any more than we should romanticise our present. I hope and believe that we are a welcoming and open society, but minority ethnic communities in 2023 are still experiencing racism, prejudice and discrimination in Scotland, and I know that it is something that my colleague Faisal Soudry will speak about later. There is also still homophobia, misogyny and bigotry in our society. Scotland's role in global history is not unalloyed goodness. Far from it, Scotland played an important role in the appalling history of slavery and the slave trade as well as colonialism. I welcome the framework's acknowledgement of Scotland's role in its atrocities and of the impact of the emigration on other countries. The framework is to be applauded for its commitments to working with academic institutions to better understand these chapters in our history. In that vein, our rekindled relationship with Malawi, which was launched in this chamber by First Minister Jack McConnell in 2005, can perhaps serve as a model of how acknowledgement of past injustices can be effectively channeled in a positive, civently engaged and socially just direction. The cabinet secretary is also right to highlight the importance of the Scottish Government working with universities and colleges to diversify the international student population and promote Scotland's reputation internationally as well as to promote alumni engagement. Scotland has a proud history of education, a pioneering scientific discovery and a pioneering social and political thought. I welcome developments at the University of the West of Scotland that the cabinet secretary has mentioned and Glasgow and Edinburgh universities were key centres of the enlightenment, dialogue and engagement with cities and centres of learning across Europe. It is there for a still regrettable that contemporary Scottish students still do not have access to a proper replacement for their ASMS programme, and that is why our amendment calls on the Scottish Government ministers to follow the example of the Welsh Government and establish an international exchange education programme by the end of this year. Across the chamber, I believe that we would all like to see better global engagement and for the connection framework to be a success. However, I think that, as other members have mentioned, and I think that this has been recognised by the cabinet secretary as well, there are concerns that have been expressed about what we expect from the framework, how we measure that success and what targets are in place. So we too look forward to details on the value of the Scottish connection funds and what that will be used for. I do welcome what the cabinet secretary said about achieving value for money and checks in place regarding that. Our amendment also stresses the importance of literal physical connections and the importance of good international air links. If we truly want to be an outward-looking nation connected globally, then Scottish airports should be supported, developed frequent and accessible air routes to key international destinations and economic hubs. I urge the Scottish Government to use its conversations abroad to promote Scotland's large aviation industry and its role in enhancing opportunities for people to come here to visit and to work. I thank the member for giving way. What is the member's thoughts on how net zero is compatible with an expansion of the aviation sector? Obviously, the aviation industry is making great efforts to try and reduce emissions globally, so there is an important work that is undertaken to do that. In terms of improving global connections for Scotland across the world, aviation is going to play a key part of that. In many ways, people having to take two or three different flights to get to different parts of the world will benefit from more direct international flights. I urge the Scottish Government to use its conversations abroad to promote the industry in that regard. Co-operation between the Scottish Government and the UK Government? Sorry, Mr Bibby. I ask you to resume your seat for second discussions going on across the benches here from sedentary positions of which I think it is disrespectful to the person, the member who has the floor. Neil Bibby. The issue that I was just going to raise was about the importance of co-operation between the Scottish and UK Governments. I do not know if that is an example of the Scottish Government and the Conservative Party co-operation. In the spirit of co-operation, I will give way to Mr Kerr. First of all, I assure my friend that I was not having a conversation. It may have been misinterpreted. One of the things that he mentions in his motion, which is mentioned in the Scottish Connections framework, is the need for us to leverage the UK Government assets in countries such as embassies and consulates. Is that something that he argues with me that we ought to do a lot more of? There is a lot more that these assets can do to promote a positive image and vision of Scotland. Neil Bibby. Yes, I very much agree with that. I think that we need to ensure that the Scottish Government is doing its role in promoting Scotland abroad, but we also need the UK Government to be working better for Scotland and promoting Scotland across the globe as well. I do want to make that point again about co-operation that is needed between the Scottish and UK Governments and its agencies to progress this framework and to progress the aims that we all have in the chamber and to ensure that we are delivering on that. Forgive me if I am a little sceptical given the recent record of co-operation between the Governments over recent years, but it is the duty of both the Scottish and the UK Governments to, regardless of the political colours, to work in the interests of the people of Scotland and the interests of the people of the rest of the UK. That should certainly include the promotion of brand Scotland abroad and in the Diaspora. Both of Scotland's Governments should be working together to maximise the opportunities that our Diaspora offers. I therefore call on both Governments to develop a plan to better use the Scotland Office and the global network of UK embassies to celebrate Scottish culture and support trade envoys. The Scotland Office should be transformed into a powerhouse for Scotland, leading trade missions, hosting Scottish culture events around the world and using the UK's global network to promote Scotland to the world. Whatever our politics, we can all agree that boosting Scotland's place in the world lifts every scot up. I would encourage both Governments to use the power of brand Scotland internationally to create jobs and opportunities at home and abroad. Finally, we welcome the document and we hope that this framework will be a success and we hope that the Government will respond further to the issues that have been raised today. I thank everyone who is involved in the global Scots network for their immense contribution, their time, their effort, their knowledge, often in voluntary time using their expertise, helping people here, helping people abroad. That is a great contribution that should be appreciated. As is the contribution for those who are involved in the staff team behind the Connections framework, there will be unanimity across the chamber in support of the framework. They are involved in impressive work connecting, informing and educating about opportunities abroad. That is why we are going to be supporting the Scots Connections framework, as I am sure others as well. That is why we should look back at the deep heritage since almost the beginning of the Scottish Parliament, when the Liberal Democrat Labour Government sought to develop the network across the globe and has been taken on by subsequent Administrations, which is a great thing. The First Minister, Jack McConnell, back in 2006, said that Scots must embrace globalisation. He was right about that, and we have tried to endeavour to achieve that ever since. It is valuable to have assistance of people with an affinity to Scotland, helping people here to connect to the world, because learning new systems, bureaucracies, laws and overseas can be daunting, especially at first, and especially when you have limited time. However, it can be filled with opportunities, holding out your hand to help, making introductions and offering advice on the local sensitivities can be immensely helpful. There is no doubt that our heritage is rich, that our reach is broad and that we have tangible connections across the world. We have genealogy, which has already been referred to, the whisky, the burns, culture, the enlightenment, and strong characteristics of our country. I know that it is unusual for me, but let me just be a little bit challenging for the next bit of my contribution. That should be practical and helpful, not political or based on some misty-eyed concept of Scotland. Character and culture are important for many, but for others, especially in business and academia, it is not all about tartan and burns. We need to make sure that it has a broad-reaching appeal, because not everyone is motivated or interested in Scotland the brand, but by the elements contained within Scotland, whether that be our excellent universities, or the whisky industry, or the fish farms, or the medical trials, or the excellent work that has been done in our—I told you, I will get them going. John Swinney. I am grateful to Mr Rennie for giving way, and if Mr McKee was trying to intervene as well, I suspect that he would be making the same point. Let me reassure Mr Rennie from my experience in government of leading a very successful delegation of university principles to India, which resulted in significant opportunities, based on the strength of those institutions and their willingness to work with the Government to promote Scotland overseas. I assure him that what he is calling for is being actively delivered by the fantastic people who serve Scotland overseas in Scotland Development International. Immediately I get a response from the former Deputy First Minister, which is a very welcome contribution for it, but I think that it is important that people outside this chamber hear and listen to those assurances, because the strength—let me take St Andrew's University, for instance, in my constituency—has enormous global reach. The alumni association is just huge. It attracts talented people from abroad, educates and sends them off back into the world, often to change the world quite dramatically. I would hope that those individuals would join the global Scots network, but I am sure that they will be in the St Andrew's alumni network. That is because they developed a strong allegiance to the institution and to the town, and Scotland's global outreach must not suffocate that connection between those institutions, because different people have different motivations, and it is not just about Scotland, the brand. As much as I support that brand, and that is why the connections framework needs to be agile and recognise the pragmatic, practical support that should be involved to help us and to help them. Can I be helpful in amplifying Willie Rennie's point here and suggest that anybody who is interested in the point that he is making, please visit www.scotland.org. It is the portal of how Scotland is promoted internationally. It is, yes, about heritage, and it is about where people have come from. It is also about cutting-edge technology, and culture, and education, and all the things that he rightly says. Scotland is many things to many different people, and we are going to do our best to make sure that we are speaking to all of them. That is very welcome. In the case of St Andrew's University, I would argue that that brand is far more important to the people who have been to St Andrew's University and have connections with St Andrew's University than the Scotland brand. It is not necessarily inconsistent with the two, but we need to recognise that talent and that economic potential for Scotland. That is why we need to protect our universities. We need to make sure that we enhance them and support them and make sure that they continue to be successful. However, I have to say to the minister that he knows the next fact that the UK research council funding share from Scotland has dropped from 15 per cent to 12.5 per cent. One of the clearest indications that I think we are taking are institutions for granted, and if they have tremendous brand that reaches across the globe, we should be worried about that, because that will undermine our connections framework in the long term. The final point that I want to make, Deputy Presiding Officer, is about Erasmus. The last time we had an exchange with the minister, he claimed all sorts of problems with the Tithe scheme in Wales. I spoke to the Tithe scheme after that, and they were a bit surprised by that claim, because they have been spending people right across the globe. In fact, to 40 countries in the rest of the world and 23 countries in the EU, they have 5,000 people who have been spread right across the world from Wales. They have offered to meet the minister to discuss how they could make that happen here, because Scottish students and Scottish educators have been denied that opportunity for at least one year and potentially another year, unless the Government gets its finger out and makes sure that we have a replacement to the Erasmus scheme. I hope that the minister takes up that offer. I can give him the telephone number to make that call, because it is important that, if we are going to make sure that Scotland is truly connected, that we use every single possible lever to make that happen. Before we move to the open debate, I advise members that we have some time in hand. Should members wish to undertake interventions, that is entirely a matter for themselves. Just for the sake of clarity, if we get to a point in the debate when we have run out of extra time, I will let members know whether any interventions at that point will require to be subsumed within the member's speech. On that, I call Ivan McKee to be followed by Stephen Kerr. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and thank you for what has so far been an excellent debate. I thank the cabinet secretary for bringing the debate to the chamber and also for the work on the framework, which I think really covers all the points that are hugely important to taking forward this critical agenda, not just to Scotland's heritage and reaching out to the Aspera and Scotland's image in place in the world, but very much around Scotland's economic impact and the points that Willie Rennie made in that regard, I think, are worth reflecting on. I will come on to talk on some of those around burns and tartan and their economic impact, as I go through my remarks. I welcome the digital focus within the framework and the ability that it gives to provide that one-stop shop for everyone to be part of that. A very important point around about knitting together all those different groups that engage with Scotland, at different levels of commitment and for different reasons within the one framework, be it a trade envoys who commit a phenomenal amount of time on a regular and ongoing basis to supporting Scotland's economic development, or global Scots, likewise, or alumni and, of course, affinity Scots, who have lesser time commitment but are nonetheless very supportive and feel a deep affinity with Scotland. It is very important that all those groups and more are part of that framework and that it recognises the co-ordination within that. As I said, the economic impact of the framework and of leveraging the broader diaspora is where I want to focus. I believe that that is a huge, untapped resource, as I have no doubt that the cabinet secretary and the Government know that they do as well. Just to reflect on a couple of experiences that I had during my time in Government, I remember going to Jakarta and an event organised by our excellent trade envoy, the Ainsley man, with the alumni of Scottish universities. Many Scottish universities, including St Andrew's and others, in the room. 300 students, Indonesian alumni, came to that event. We could have sold that double or three times that number. That was the capacity of the hall. Ainsley had organised a full orchestra with singers and songs in Indonesian English and Gaelic, which was surely impressive. The key point was that almost to a man or a woman, those alumni were destined for high roles within Indonesian Government and business and their connection with them was hugely important to develop Scotland's place. Secondly, an event that I was at in the Emirates with a group of global Scots. Again, they filled their room and the global Scots were there to talk about, as they always do, insisting that I give them more to do, because they wanted more work to do to help support and drive Scotland's agenda forward. In one company, there was a motive offshore where I meet the work that they are doing on renewable energy. I meet them regularly in different parts of the world. They have gone as far as designing and patenting their own tartan. I am honoured to wear their tartan tithe today, which is a demonstration of how much they took Scottish heritage forward. That is a key attractor in helping them to drive additional business. I welcome the focus on ancestry, and that is something that opens doors to economic opportunities for tourism, but also more widely for FDI. An interesting statistic is that around 50 per cent of the opportunities that come through Scotland House and London for investment in Scotland are from individuals who have an affinity or a connection with Scotland. Building on that is hugely important, and that ancestry piece working with the broader diaspora to make them deepen and understand more thoroughly their connection with Scotland is hugely welcome. I want to return to a couple of the points that are in the Labour amendment. The first round about co-operation with the UK Government. I am a great believer in the principle of if we are paying for it, we should use it. While we are paying our share of the UK Government footprint before we become independent, we absolutely should use it. That is a key point that was in a trading nation. It is part of that wider network of resources that we should use in leverage. Rest assured, I, on my travels on behalf of Scotland, and I am sure that current ministers do likewise, I have always made the point of leaning on the relevant ambassador to encourage them to run as many Scottish themed events and use their UK Government resources to support that as much as possible. I also must say that every opportunity to make sure that Scotland could be part of Nordic hubs where we come across them as well, so it is not just the UK Government that we work with on the international co-operation field. The second point about the air connectivity and its importance. Labour should know that there is on-going and significant work happens there with Visit Scotland, with the SDI, with the sector itself, against something that was firmly part of a trading nation. Understanding what routes are important for Scotland's connectivity and working to maximise the potential and persuade the airlines to connect as much as possible. To pick up on Maurice Golden's very important point about net zero, of course direct flights help to reduce the amount of carbon that is emitted with anybody making connections from Scotland to international destinations, and Scotland is very involved in sustainable aviation fuel and the work that is going on there. To wrap up, I have three specific asks of Government that they can perhaps take forward and consider as they develop the framework. The first is roundabout again building on the point that Willie Rennie made, the importance of universities accessing those alumni networks to redouble their effort to address the GDPR issues roundabout sharing alumni databases with Government so that we continue to, I know that universities can, I have to say, be slightly protective of that. That database is really important that we open that up and are able to connect and bring those alumni into— The member is closing his remarks. I'm a little—sorry. The second one was roundabout Government not being—and in Scottish Enterprise, to be fair—not being too controlling for one of a better word over the network, let the network flourish like groups self-organised, let them do that on a geographical basis or on a sexual basis, as we saw recently with the Global Scott space network or wider Diaspora and where possible delegate that because that allows things to be tailored and work more effectively locally but also frankly doesn't mean being a big expensive team at the centre to try and manage what hopefully will become a rapidly growing network at all levels. Also, it's part of that to make sure we use the excellent private sector networks that are out there. Scottish Business Network, for example, and I see Russell De Gleish is in the gallery this afternoon to take in the debate. With many, many, many thousands of members globally, I've got a really important part to play in this. The third one is perhaps slightly more controversial but I'll throw it out there anyway. Ireland has been mentioned as an example of how to do Diaspora well, and anyone who's met Irish Government ministers will know what they do for the week of St Patrick's days. They effectively leave one poor minister to run the country and everyone else gets in a play and goes somewhere. I'd like Government to reflect on the opportunity or the possible to do something similar for Burns week. Let's move recess to the end of January. Let's shut the Parliament. Let's all go out and promote Scotland for the week of Burns. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Thank you, Ms McKee. I now call Stephen Kerr to be followed by Stuart McMillan. Well, I suppose it is a debate but I don't think we've disagreed very much so far, which some people will think is a good thing, but I think in a democratic chamber it's good to have sometimes contrary opinions. I wish to offer some contrary opinions, I think, in my speech. I wouldn't want to disappoint my colleagues on the nationalist benches in that respect, but there's never been any doubt in my mind about the impact that Scotland has on the world. I've had the opportunity to travel far and wide in my professional life and it never fails to astonish me the reach that our country has around the world. There's something about the very idea of Scotland, the very idea of Scottishness, and there's been some comments made about romanticised imagery, but that romanticised imagery is a powerful influence in the way that many people see our country. Scotland captures the imagination and the hearts of people and, like many of you, I am both proud and grateful for that. There's also no doubt that Scotland and Scottish are valued brands that the world over. They can coexist, in my view, with institutional and localised loyalties. In fact, the more people have different connections to Scotland, the better, because we need to maximise that franchise and build on what we have. The diaspora in how we use it is, of course, the essential component of this. We've heard about the 40 million people with Scotland's ancestry around the world, and beyond that there are many millions of people who feel a strong affinity with Scotland. We all have stories about meeting people in the most unlikely places in distant lands who proclaim their affinity to Scotland. Generations on, they are still Scots at heart, but there's one group of people who have already been mentioned, but I'd like to touch on them again briefly, because they will spend the rest of their lives, if we do our job properly, being Scotland's unpaid ambassadors at large. That's the international students who choose to make Scotland their home while they study here. It's true that international students in Scotland make a huge financial contribution to our country. They are a massive export industry in their own right. More so than ever, we need them. As Willie Rennie mentioned, the Scottish National Party Government has been very willing to cut the funding that goes to Scotland's universities and at a cost. They are leaving our institutions, I think, vulnerably dependent on international students. The paid tuition for Domicile Scottish students doesn't even cover the teaching costs that go with each student. International students are a source of vitally important revenue. Their tuition fees are underpinning Scotland's universities finances. He makes an important point. It also leaves our universities vulnerable, because while they are so dependent on international students, they are very much welcome to play a huge contribution. However, if those patterns change, it could leave our universities in a very precarious position, indeed, in which they were almost in during lockdown. It is something that we all need to think about. Do you agree with that point? I agree with Daniel Johnson. He cites correctly the examples of the shock of Covid and the further shock of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. There are great uncertainties in the world at the minute, particularly around China and Taiwan. We should be mindful of all those things. The minister is busy heckling in making some unhelpful suggestions. I think that he will take an intervention from every wishes. I just sought to add to that list of unfortunate events the impact that Brexit has had on our international students coming here and studying in Scotland. I am sorry, but that is the usual utter nonsense from the Government front bench. Because the statistics prove otherwise, Minister Gray, we have record numbers of international students coming to the United Kingdom and, indeed, to Scotland, and we are the beneficiaries of that. There are so many red herrings to deploy in this debate, and usually they begin with B in the end in T, Brexit. I am afraid that it is nonsense. The Scottish Government has been reckless with our universities. That is why Daniel Johnson is absolutely right when he talks about the vulnerabilities that currently exist. However, according to a recent article in The Times, the international students are worth £7.75 billion to the Scottish economy. Beyond that financial calculation, those international students are a soft-powered asset that circumnavigates the planet, a flowing tide of goodwill to be celebrated and harnessed. When you speak to an international alumnus of a Scottish university, who has returned home as many as will have done, and they make a life for themselves, the very mention of Scotland brings a smile to their faces. That is an important power that can work for her advantage if we harness it. They love Scotland and they are some of the great proponents of Scotland and the great salespeople that Scotland has—in fact, the greatest salespeople that we could ever hope for. The idea of a Scottish higher education is known around the world, and our universities are renowned not only as being among the very best in these brishels, but as being world-class. In a similar but separate vein, I will forever remember walking into a convenience store in the middle of Tokyo and seeing a whole section of the shop display devoted entirely to Scottish produce. Scotland's food and drink sector is a massive cultural ambassador in its own right. Take, for example, Scotch whisky. In the past year, Scotch has sold record amounts of exports—over £6 billion—making up 25 per cent of the total UK food and drinks export. I mention that as a reminder to my friends in the United Kingdom Government that when Scotland's unique heritage, industry, beauty and cultural independence is embraced by British institutions, British reputations are embellished. However, like any good relationship, the union empowers Scotland through the UK's membership of NATO, G7, G20 and the Five Eyes and our permanent membership of the UN Security Council. Scotland's voice is heard at the top of international affairs, as are Scottish voices. With 162 embossies and high commissions around the world, as well as 190 consulates and 35 other diplomatic representations, our position within the United Kingdom allows us to project Scottish influence at all levels around the world. British embossies are there representing the best of British, and that means that they must represent and should represent and do represent Scots and Scotland. The member is going to be closing his remarks quite shortly, thank you. I have said through sexual time in hand that that does not mean that every single member gets to speak for endless periods of time. Mr Kerr, please continue and please start to wind up. I cannot take the intervention. Yes, but I am happy to indicate that that is a management of this debate that falls on my shoulders. I would like you to continue with your thoughts about bringing them to a close. I will bring them to a close by saying that those comments are just made to lead to significant questions. What is the SNP's true motive for spending scarce resources on new separate offices in foreign capitals when we are not maximising the asset value that we already have in the presence of British embossies? Why did Angus Robertson need to be called out? I have already explained that Mr Kerr is concluding his remarks. Could Mr Kerr please conclude his remarks? Thank you very much, Mr Kerr. This is a debate now. Why did Angus Robertson need to be called out for posturing? I will conclude. I hope that we are on that trajectory now. Thank you very much, members. Thank you. Mr Kerr, please conclude. Do we have a minute left to conclude? I would give you 30 seconds, Mr Kerr. 30 seconds, please conclude. 30 seconds to conclude. Well, let me conclude by concluding that question. Angus Robertson should not need to be called out for posturing as a foreign minister which he isn't and holding official talks on matters which are reserved. I say to the cabinet secretary in conclusion, do not waste the Scottish public's money. Do not do that. My colleague Maurice Golden is right to call for greater transparency and accountability throughout the Scottish Government's international work. Thank you very much. I think that we have worked on the conclusion. Well, we will have a debate, which is a revelation in this way. Thank you, Mr Kerr. I do have other members to accommodate in this debate. Thank you very much, Mr Kerr. I now call Stuart McMillan to be followed by Christine Grair. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I was actually getting quite worried for the first couple of minutes, so I agree with Stephen Kerr. Then he turned it right, and thankfully I disagree with the vast majority of the latter part of his contribution. I certainly am pleased to speak in this debate. Some of the open comments from Maurice Golden and Willie Rennie, their contributions seem to be quite positive about Scotland's role internationally. However, it seems to contradict Donald Cameron and Christine Jardin's previous comments regarding Scotland's outward investment. To paraphrase the opening lines of the framework, I agree that, while international relations are fundamentally about relationships between Governments, ties between people and communities are also vital in increasing global peace and prosperity. That is why today I will focus on my comments on two key opportunities that, in my opinion, would benefit Scotland and our global diaspora. The first relates to conversations that I have had with colleagues involved in the Commonwealth parliamentary association. Through the CPA, I have had the privilege of meeting politicians from across the Commonwealth, and I take my role on the Scottish parliamentary branch and international executive committee very seriously, as colleagues who have served with me on the branch would certainly testify to that. However, while you are away and engaging with folk, I would like to make the time to work and engage with other members of the Commonwealth outside of the official business to learn more about their cultures, their politics and, crucially, their connections to Scotland. I am always looking for a hook to raise the profile of Scotland, but also of my Greenwick and Inverclyde constituency and to highlight the many opportunities that we have. The official parliamentary piper is easy for me to strike up that type of conversation that often leads to other CPA members asking me about Scotland's culture, because sometimes I take the picture with me on some of the events. Those conversations have me to think about ways to celebrate our culture in global diaspora on a bigger scale. I keep coming back to the issue of tartan week in New York. Those events are significant and attract a lot of Scots to New York from all over North America and the various events that are often receiving lots of press coverage, but also both within North America and further afield. America is not the only place with connections to Scotland, and through the CPA, I have learned that Australia actually has its own tartan day held annually on 1 July. The day that it was chosen as it marks the anniversary of the repeal proclamation of 1782 annulling the Act of Prescription of 1747, which banned the wearing of tartan and was punishable by transportation. From my engagements with colleagues from Australia, those celebrations do not appear to have the same reach or impact as those in North America, but with more than 2 million Australians climbing Scottish heritage. I believe that there is a huge opportunity to elevate a tartan day event in Australia and to promote Scotland. I thank the member for taking the intervention. On the subject of tartan and Australia, he was talking about the clan network in Scotland and the wider clan diaspora. Every Scottish clan will have international associations, etc., and a huge network that the Scottish Government could use. That does not have to be just about tartan, but it can be about exchange programmes, which I know has happened. Does the member agree with me? Mr Cameron, you will be pleased to hear a moment. I am going to point to that point in a moment, because that is the second point that I am going to raise. Through an intervention, I will address Donald Cameron's point and report for those who are unaware that Donald McLaren of McLaren, who is one of those who is responsible for Scotland's clan network, was in New York during tartan week, and the organisers of that event very much welcomed the involvement of Scotland's historic clan association. They formed very much part of international outreach efforts, and we are very grateful for that. As the cabinet secretary touched upon earlier on, I wrote to him and also to the Presiding Officer with a suggestion, a proposal by way of not replicating what happens in North America, but having something bespoke for Australia in terms of a tartan week type of event. With more than 2 million people claiming that it is Scotland's heritage, I can only see a positive impact for Scotland and its diaspora. I also want to highlight one interesting point to add into the debate. I touched upon my Cabinet Secretary's constituency. There is a very strong link with Port Glasgow to Australia, and that is that the composer of the national anthem was Peter Dodds McCormick, who was born in Port Glasgow in 1834. He was a teacher and also a composer. I will not go into too much of the detail about the proposal, as I am conscious at some time, but when I consider the de-population challenges that my constituency faces, but also the population challenges that Scotland faces, as has been said in the Scottish Fiscal Commission report recently published, the aspect of dealing with it and really engaging more with the diaspora presents such a huge unique opportunity to entice others, whether they have a Scottish connection or not, to consider visiting or living here or even investing here. The second point that I want to touch on is the one that I am sure that we can all relate to. That is when we do meet tourists visiting Scotland or when we are abroad and meet people who have a connection to Scotland. I have often found that, particularly if they are visiting Scotland, visitors have traced their family history and are trying to visit areas where their relatives grew up, worked or lived. That is by making sure that we do not only preserve but amplify our own history. It is also crucial for engaging Scotland's global diaspora. On Sunday, I was invited by the Society of William Wallace to take part in the unveiling of the Wallace Oak at Henderson Castle. During the visit, I spoke with Madame Pauline Hunter of Clan Hunter and I told her that I was going to be speaking in this debate this afternoon. I was pleased to hear that, first of all, she welcomed the Scottish Connections framework and its commitment to support heritage organisations and improve access to information targeted at Scotland's diaspora. Working with Clan Hunter, who has already engaged with Clan McMillian, who is my constituency, but also with Clan Buchanan, would be a great benefit not just for tourism purposes alone but for engaging with Scotland's diaspora and making those connections. Who knows where it can lead to in terms of investment and jobs? International engagement is not just about talking about the past. It is an investment in the present and also the future. Economic opportunities can open up if we are prepared to engage. Staying at home will certainly never succeed. In those tough, straightened economic times, it is more vital than ever that Scotland is outward-focused, outward-minded and outselling and promoting our nation. Anything less is failing the 5.5 million Scots here and the 40 million of the diaspora we have across the globe. Scotland, notwithstanding some dark moments in its history, its role in the slave trade and the British Empire, for example, has that lucky advantage on the world stage of being an instantly recognisable brand. It is identifiable as a nation even though we are not yet a completed nation independent, so we are therefore excluded from the United Nations and other international organisations and treaties. It is not just a piper on the shortbread tins and do not underestimate shortbread or whisky, as Stephen Kerr indicated. Global exports grew to more than £6 billion for the first time in 2022, according to figures released by the Scottish Whisky Association, up 37 per cent by value, all into UK treasury coffers. I hope that this is going to be worthwhile, Mr Kerr. Stephen Kerr. It's worthwhile, I can assure you. It's quite wrong. Scotland is not excluded from any of these bodies or any of these treaties. We're there very much for square and centre as part of this United Kingdom. Christine Grahame. You get a strange idea of what a nation is when you've got to stand outside a door and ask permission to have your voice heard of another nation. There is the skill of the pipes, a national identifier. As are the songs of burns, the clans and their tartans, the internationally recognised online sign, none of which we should apologise for. It is the landscape, urban and rural, often used for film locations which shout, this is Scotland. Despite more than 300 years of the union, we have kept our identity strong. I speak as one being by birth English but a proud Scott. Any advertising company would give its right arm for just one such internationally recognisable badge, let alone a whole coverful. And to that upwards of 40 million people across the world claiming Scottish heritage, then you have an enviable foundation to expand and build international relations through all swears. But let me correct Maurice Golden. The current population of Scotland is around 5.5 million and we are the beneficiaries of net migration in 2021 from the rest of the UK net 10,000 and from overseas net 20,000. But I do recall in the mid 50s neighbours on either side of our council house, where families emigrated some under the £10 scheme to Australia, others to Canada and New Zealand in particular. It is never not surprising that in Australia recent stats of 2021 indicate that there are 130,000 residents born in Scotland and a total of 2 million who claim Scottish ancestry. In Canada in 2016, nearly 4 million or 14 per cent then claim Scottish ancestry today and it is estimated to be as high as 25 per cent. You can add another 4 to that as one of my sons and his family emigrated there just last year to Nova Scotia of all places. For family balance, the other son emigrated to London. In New Zealand though accurate data is difficult, it is estimated that there are between one and two million New Zealanders claiming part or whole Scottish ancestry. All of that provides a ready-made base of goodwill towards Scotland which can be and is translated into economic benefits, a goodwill which extends to our European neighbours whom of course we did not want to leave. Interestingly, even Nigel Farage considers Brexit has been a failure with no economic benefits. One might add the damaging consequences, economic consequences, as Scott Garpole has just disclosed. I am grateful to Christine Grahame for giving way. Isn't it absolutely absurd that the leader of the Brexit campaign, Nigel Farage, has admitted Brexit as a total failure, yet the Scottish Conservatives here are still insisting that Brexit was an emigrated success and they are proud to own it? Isn't that absolutely absurd? Christine Grahame, I couldn't have said it better myself, Mr Swinney. A recent Scott Garpole has disclosed that only 9% consider Brexit has been a success, while 62% consider it a failure. I am happy to take an intervention on Mr Kerr on that point. Oh, no, he's in his seat. I welcome Scotland's overseas network of offices in Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Dublin, London, Ottawa, Paris and Washington, and more than 30 Scottish Development International Trade and Investment Offices in around 20 countries to promote co-operation in areas of devolved responsibility at the national and sub-national levels. But back to Scottish culture, one of Scotland's greatest exports, which can support our wider international connections, including trading relationships and tourism, based inextricably in our history and culture, which is a key economic contributor. I'll be a bloke parochial and just say representing as I do the Scottish borders. We have the eclectic Abbotsford home of the talented and colourful Sir Walter Scott, who did much to revive Tartan, and Mel Rose Abbey, where the heart of Robert Bruce is buried. How many here also know the Wilken children's song, Alley Bally Bee? I would suggest the first-ever advertising jingle, which is the creation of a gallous heels weaver, the mischievous confectioner-trader Robert Coltart, and there are, of course, the common ridings that bring expats back to their communities. We have the history, we are the culture, we have those millions of Scottish ancestry across the globe, and we have the saltire, recognised the world over as a flag of Scotland, we do not have our own voice. I congratulate the Scottish Government on the international measures. It is taken constrained by devolution, but I say gently to Willie Rennie and certainly not gently to Stephen Kerr how much more we can do with our independence. I now call Daniel Johnson to be followed by Emma Harper. Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you very much for taking me before Martin Whitfield. I apologise for not being in the chamber for the closing speeches of a constituency matter that I have to attend to. I think that the cabinet secretary invited us to think of a fundamental question, I think, is what contribution do we want to make to the world as a nation? I think that that is a fundamentally important one. It is one that, yes, speaks to culture, but I think that it also speaks to the economy and also, indeed, in terms of the contribution we can make to the world. I think that, often, I think that Scots do not necessarily realise our true context. I think that Scotland is, in some ways, a much smaller country than we realise. The world is a much bigger place, but, most importantly, I think that we often underestimate our contribution both in the past and currently to the world. I think that that is one that we can make a great deal more of. I think that that is fundamentally what the framework seeks to look at and expand upon. Just taking one facet in particular, whisky, is something that we all very much take for granted, but it contributes 75 per cent of Scotland's exports, but 20 per cent of, sorry, that is food and drink exports, 20 per cent of UK food and drink exports and 1.3 per cent of all UK exports. That is serious business and a major contribution. One that we should be celebrating and our key challenge should be how can we get other food and drink categories to that level of global ubiquity as Scotch whisky? I think that that sort of framework, as part of a wider economic strategy, is absolutely key to doing exactly that. I am happy to take Mr Kerr. I want to intervene to underline what Daniel Johnson is saying and highlight the fact that last year was a record year in exports globally for Scotch whisky, a fantastic success story. Now, where is the argument about Brexit? Daniel Johnson. I am going to ignore the Brexit point, but let me take the fundamental point, which is that we need to recognise our strengths and build upon them. I think that often we do not do that, but, of course, Scotland does have good standing in the world, which some people might want to refer to as soft power, but I think that it is about the place we play in the world. We have a legacy that is renowned the world over for the contribution through our thinking, through the Scottish Enlightenment and onwards, engineering through James Watt, but perhaps lesser known by Scotch is our contributions to finance. The overdraft was, in very much a Scottish invention, an investment trust, perhaps not invented by Scotland, but absolutely promoted and developed by Scottish banks through the 19th century. Also in medicine, Scottish contribution to medical research and indeed the development of the medical profession, Scotland and Edinburgh in particular was absolutely key. Indeed, that is how many parts of the world got to know Scotland, was through physicians going out into the world and helping various other parts of the world. It is this contribution both in the past but one that we continue to make. Already a number of members' contributions have highlighted the absolutely pivotal role that our centres of higher education play in terms of that on-going contribution to thought and indeed exporting that thought. However, I was also very pleased to note in the Government's motion that we are debating today acknowledgement of Scotland's history, because many of those contributions historically have not always been associated with positive things. Scotland played an absolutely key part in the Atlantic trade, which obviously involved slave trade, and is the reason why many of our street names, both here in Edinburgh and Glasgow, refer to Jamaica and other places for sugar plantations, many of which were owned by Scots. I think that we need to acknowledge that. Likewise, I think that there are other elements of that global history that we need to acknowledge, such as Mrs Jardin and Matheson, Scots who were absolutely pivotal to the Opium Wars. I think that we need to, as we think about our global contribution historically, need to acknowledge those facts. I am very happy to give a way to the cabinet secretary. Can I add to the list of things that we should be imaginative about embracing in addition to the points that are quite properly being made here? There is a group in North America who have been overlooked as part of Scotland's diaspora, and those are African Americans. There is a difficult conversation that needs to be had with that community that does have a connection with Scotland, but having met African Americans who are proud to have a connection to Scotland, it is something that we should fully explore with them. I could not agree more. It is one of the topics that we could avoid uncomfortably or deal with matter of factly. I think that we may get a great deal, get better reception than we might have expected, because it is something that we need to think about and acknowledge, but it is also something that I think can be the source of future bonds. The number of members have discussed these matters as not purely being about branding. As someone coming from business, I understand what you are talking about. That cannot be brand in terms of superficial sense, but it absolutely is about brand Scotland in the broader sense, because brand is much more than just window dressing. It speaks to deep-seated values and connections, and that is what we should be focusing on. Scotland has good will, we have good standing and we have good fundamentals of geography, institutions and people. That is what I think the basis of our global contribution should be, but Willie Rennie and others have been absolutely right. That has to be grounded in practicalities and making sure that we are additive. I think that the contribution that our universities make, especially through their alumni associations, as Willie Rennie rightly pointed out, is absolutely key to getting this right, because they are both a source of strength, but we should not be seeking to replace them, but actually add to them and build upon them. As somebody who probably does view themselves as a St Andrews alum before I'm a Scot, and that might be controversial, I can understand the point that he's making about that fundamental connection that many people have to certain institutions here. However, we also need to look at physical links, such as our airport links, about whether or not our overseas officers are in the right places doing the right things, and I think that critically where they're located and what we've tasked them to do, very much to Ivan McKee's point, is that we should get what we've paid for, and if we're paying in addition, let's make sure that it's genuinely additive. On that point, I will close. Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I want to focus a wee bit on America, the Scottish diaspora in the US, and our connections there. Having lived in Los Angeles in California for 14 years previously and with experience of work and travel in many of the other states, I know the depth of feeling for Scotland for people right across America, and whether it be with those with family history traceable to Scotland, those working in business, finance and the arts with links to Scotland, or indeed those working in academia, science and innovation, we have great connections with the US. It is right that the Scottish Government build on those connections and work with our diaspora to learn skills, gain experiences and share achievements to enrich our culture and society. As the motion states, Scotland's diaspora is an extension of Scotland itself. The framework described by the cabinet secretary considers the diaspora to be a living bridge with people, organisations and communities around the world. Scotland has influenced America in the fields of economics, engineering, architecture, philosophy, business, medicine, geology, politics, law, chemistry and sociology. Many cities and towns were named by Scots who, after arriving in America, named their new locale after their hometown. The USA has eight Aberdeens, seven towns named Glasgow, eight Edinburgh's and eight towns that are simply called Scotland, and there is a Dumfries in Virginia. In politics, 35 of the 46 US presidents were Scots or Ulster Scots. Just recently, I had a meeting with the Department of Corrections and the DOC staff from Massachusetts. After the business part of the meeting, the staff were very keen to talk all things Scotland. They wanted to recall their previous trips themselves and to come and visit to Scotland. They were more interested, I think, in talking about Scotland than they were in the business that I had to attend. It was great to hear about the DOC's willingness to work with the Scottish Government where we can continue our connections that are related in the justice area, and that is needed. Last week in Parliament, I hosted students from the University of South Carolina and Business Minister George Adam, Paisley's MSP, joined me in the session. The students and staff remarked on how the Scottish Parliament and Government is so directly in touch with people, not only here in Scotland but right across America. If university students can pick this up after a few days' travelling in the UK, I think it puts Scotland in incredibly good international standing. Indeed, in the most recent US-Canada census, more than 5 million Americans claim Scottish ancestry, and the USA is both Scotland's top international export destination and our largest inward investor. As a co-convener of the USA cross-party group, we have heard many presentations regarding trade in Scotland at the USACPG over the past few years. Annual exports are worth 6 billion in recent years, with the engineering and advanced manufacturing, food and drink, which has been mentioned by colleagues already, financial and business services, technology, digital and media, and energy sectors all performing strongly. In total, US companies account for around 25 per cent of the total of foreign inward investment in Scotland. More than 650 US-owned businesses employ around 115,000 people across Scotland, but we do not just exchange goods, we also exchange ideas. The US is Scotland's top global collaborator when it comes to research. 16 of our higher education institutions share 82 unique links with US counterparts. I will, if I have got time, to talk about exchanging ideas. Given that the member has mentioned exchanging ideas, does she welcome the fact that the US is unavoidly low-tax, pro-business, pro-nuclear, strongly defends its oil and gas sector and is undoubtedly a free market that believes in economic growth? Is that the kind of ideas that she would like Scotland to be sharing with the US? I think that Scotland needs to be able to share ideas independently from other areas in the UK. I think that we have a lot to offer that we should be allowed to be right at the door and out there speaking to people so that our ideas can be conveyed, especially when there are some fundamental different ideas that we have in Scotland, as far as wellbeing economy, for instance, to take our ideas forward. Every opportunity that we can have in Scotland is where we need to propose strong cultural affinity between Scotland and the USA, for instance. Every year we welcome performers to the Edinburgh festivals and the world pipe band championships as well as US military personnel who take part in the Edinburgh tattoo. Scots also make their own work, their own mark in America, with innovative partnerships between National Theatre of Scotland and NYC's The Joyce Theatre. Even our baby box, Presiding Officer, has been on tour in the USA, featured as part of the designing motherhood exhibition. The muckle cultural ties between our countries are absolutely worth shouting about. As a Scot, who has lived and worked in America, as I said at the start, with many American friends, I support this framework and highlight its importance. I ask the cabinet secretary for a commitment that the Scottish Government will continue to take all action possible to support our Scottish-US connections and to work with the Scottish diaspora to share business, culture, science and innovation. One final point, Presiding Officer. I had the privilege of meeting Gerry O'Donovan, the Irish Consul General in Scotland, a couple of times recently, and we were discussing how to further boost relations between our countries, including through our minority languages, Scots and Gaelic. It was insightful to hear from him, and I look forward to continued engagement, including through the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly, which I am a member of. Working with the diaspora and working with countries across the globe has a proven track record of improving relationships with countries, and I look forward to Scotland taking on this challenge as we build our own independent nation. I now call Ben Macpherson to be followed by Martin Whitfield for around six minutes. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I'm delighted to speak in this important positive debate largely about how we enhance Scotland as an internationalist nation. The shared challenge and opportunity of engaging, nurturing and continuing to maximise the ancestral connections to Scotland and the affinity that thousands of people have around the world to our country. That manifests in many different ways. Today I am wearing McPherson tartan and I think of Clan McPherson and just in itself the connections that that surname has all across the world. I also think of the business deals that will be done today and toasted with a drama of whisky, the signature way of making sure that people come together after agreeing terms and moving forward, from Singapore to Seattle and everywhere in between. I'm very grateful to the members to give way, and of course all of those business deals that are also made on the gulf coast before the dram to seal them. Ben Macpherson noted that. I couldn't argue with that, not that I'm a good girl for myself. I also think of the quiet moments that people will be enjoying with a piece of shortbread, whether that's on an aeroplane or in a sitting room, some of which, of course, is made at Shortbread House of Edinburgh in Leith in my constituency. I'll never forget the power of Auld Lang Syne and the many forums in which I've heard it. The song that unites humanity as the year turns and an instantly recognisable tune. I remember 20 years ago when I taught conversational English in China asking my students if they'd heard of Scotland and they were a bit bemused, some of them, and then I whistled Auld Lang Syne and that instant recognition. Those are a few examples of the very powerful connections that there are around the world, part of Brand Scotland. As has rightly been argued, as well as the imagination and connections of the heart that those initiatives and products and bits of history connect us to the wider countries around the world and to the wider diaspora, those who have emigrated and those who have been educated here are, of course, more practical and important elements in terms of how we continue to grow those connections. That's why I absolutely welcome the framework and its commitments to enhancing the global Scots network, which of course is already at 1,200 people approximately. I was interested to read within the framework about the Scottish connections contact. I'd be really interested if there's anything more the Government could say about that in the summing up. How we practically build those connections in the diaspora is, of course, at the heart of what we're seeking to do here collectively. I think that the amendment is right to ask about reporting and perhaps I could give a suggestion that a year from now we meet again as a Parliament and reflect on the progress made. I also think that it's vital that the framework and today's debate has highlighted the need for all of us to play a part, including, of course, the Government, in enhancing those connections. First of all, in terms of those coming here, the Haste You Back initiative is vital to make sure that we continue to have an attractive place for tourists to come and continue to make sure that, as a senior diplomat here in Edinburgh said to me recently, Scotland continues to be on everyone's bucket list. I think that the continued support of the festivals across Scotland, particularly here in Edinburgh, is, of course, a key element of how we continue to build those connections. Also, the talent attraction and migration service is an excellent new initiative, and I look forward to seeing that develop. How we continue to encourage people here to make sure that they leave Scotland, champion Scotland and continue to grow that attraction that we already have? Part of that is about how we as Scots engage elsewhere. Part of that has to be about Scottish Government ministers travelling, engaging and promoting Scotland. Some have said, absent now, that this is a negative. I can say that, as a previous minister and external affairs directorate, the criticism couldn't be further from the truth. Apart from some comments that have been made, there seems to be now an implicit recognition that Scottish Government travel is right. Indeed, the member talked about being in Tokyo and the amount of Government ministers that have been to Japan in years past to promote Scottish interests is significant. Indeed, Mr Gray was there just recently. We would do better as a Parliament to accept the benefit, as the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Committee have, that Scottish Government ministers travelling is a really good thing for all of us. Just to confirm, the investment that has come off the back of regular engagement at ministerial and STI level over the back of that engagement over years has resulted in over £200 million being invested at the Summa Thomas site in the Highlands, an incredible outcome that can only happen by leaving and engaging. I endorse that. It also gives me an opportunity to commend the work of current ministers and previous ministers, but in particular Fiona Hyslop and the remarkable and tremendous work that she did over a long period of time promoting Scotland in business and good relations and tourism. During that period, when I supported Fiona Hyslop as junior minister for external affairs for Europe, I attended a number of events and engagements with her hubs. It is important to emphasise to some MSPs in the chamber that the hubs often are within the UK embassies, so that idea of new estates is not applicable in many occasions. It is about Governments working together to promote and to enhance the benefit of Scotland more widely. We need to just be accurate. In that spirit, building on what Mr McKee suggested about ministers having the freedom to go out on mass, as the Irish do, around Burns night. Perhaps as a Parliament, we could agree, as happened in Tartan week, that around Burns time we all engage in that, and then that would allow Opposition members to see the benefit for themselves of the Scottish Government's hubs. Great work. Let's build on it and let's do it together. I know Cole-Mart and Wakefield to be followed by Michelle Thomson for her in six minutes, Mr Wakefield. Very grateful, Deputy Presiding Officer. It is a pleasure to contribute to this debate and also to follow Ben Macpherson's very thoughtful contribution. It was never the policy of devolution to prevent the devolved areas reaching out in an international outlooking way. It's got to be the common sense approach, and not just within a country level at Scotland, but also within our cities and towns. Just to always look inwards is a very foolish and naive place, and indeed I'm very grateful to Spice, who have stolen the quote that I was going to give, which is, of course, the value of our diaspora that Michael D Higgins gave about the Irish diaspora, who described it as their greatest resource. Through the contribution people make to the nations they migrate to, through the bonds they forge with people of those countries, our migrants have allowed Ireland to have a global connection far beyond our size, and that too must reflect here in Scotland, as it must do, as I say, down even to the cities, to be able to punch above your weight, to be able to reach out through those that have visited here, those who feel historic connections to here, is crucially important as to where this country, where the United Kingdom, and indeed I would suggest where the world needs to go. And it has been on the main, again, to echo Ben Macpherson, a positive debate, and I very much welcome the cabinet secretary's call for constructive contributions at the start. And this is truly a global network, and the framework does set out a cohesive, and can I say, also agree, cross-cutting approach to the diaspora engagement. Although I would mention Christine Grahame, and I apologise that she's not here in the Chamber at the moment, but her comments on the location of the start of the saltire was, of course, Athel Steinfeld within Eastlothian, and although its birth was a bloody one, it was within Eastlothian rather than the borders. And I may say the small museum and indeed the hill at Athel Steinfeld is well worth wild a visit, both for Scottish diaspora, but also tourists who travel. And it does, again, echo the intervention that I made on Ben Macpherson about golf, because there is something that reaches out across the world, sometimes to an easier, sometimes to a harder individual who chooses to play it. I was remiss earlier not to mention, of course, that the rules of golf were invented on leaf links, and I think that's something important to remember. I'm very grateful, and I'm glad my intervention eventually brought fruit with the member, which was the intention the first time round. But I do want to take the opportunity to discuss both the definition of the diaspora, and I'm very pleased to see that the Scottish Government is taking almost as wide a possible interpretation as you can with regard to that, because I think that's particularly important, particularly with regard to those who consider themselves alumni from Scotland, and the importance of our educational institutions. And we've heard so much about the networks that the illuminate can provide around the world, because when we look at our further education, when we look at our brilliant universities, it is through networks of research that the greatest strides forward are made, and to break down those barriers is incredibly important. And I think it's worth commenting on Willie Rennie's point about the value of an academic brand. I think people can have different identities, and it doesn't take from any one aspect of those identities. And indeed, people will use different identities in different situations just to push that door a little further open in the hope of making a friendship, and the hope of making a business deal, which does bring me sadly, because there always has to be a sadly, to the Erasmus programme replacement, and the fact that we are a long way behind where we've been promised to be. And I would ask in summing up whether some indication can be given as to whether it is, whether or not it is the Scottish Government's position that this won't happen until independence, which is what a Scottish Minister said last week. I deeply hope that this is not the case. There's been an offer to pass on the telephone number from the Welsh Government. I am confident that those responding to this already have those connections, but we must step up and we must support our young people with regard to the ability to travel abroad, to learn abroad and to make networks there, which will carry them through the whole of their lives. And in the short time that I have left, I do want to make mention of another outreach from Scotland, which occurred on Thursday last week at the 2,716th meeting of the 93rd session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, when young people from here in Scotland went out and spoke to the UN, gave them evidence about what human rights were here in Scotland, and they stood as high and as tall and as eloquent as anyone who gave evidence over the two and a half days that the UN sat to take evidence from a number of countries. And it is worth pointing out with Leave of the Chamber one aspect of that, which I do agree is slightly to the edge of this, but talks about the strength of Scotland abroad. When the Scottish representative through the UK Government, who were the official rapporteurs back to the UN on this, said about the UNCRC, as soon as we are in a position to provide a likely timetable, we will do so. However, it is important to underline that fixing the Bill, the UNCRC Scotland Bill, requires extensive engagement with the UK Government to mitigate the risks of our further challenge in the Supreme Court. We have talked about soft power today. One of the most significant risks we are is failing the world as we fail our children if we cannot bring that bill back and put it on the statute. I am grateful to the Deputy Presiding Officer. I welcome this debate and the framework, especially the use of digital tools and social media, to increase engagement and drive traffic. The success of Ireland has already been outlined, and I would simply highlight the very successful framework and vision developed by Kingsley Acons from whom we can learn a great deal. For Scotland, the obvious touch points such as Burns and St Andrew's Day are being targeted, but there must also be one-off events such as in this year the tertiary of the birth of Adam Smith, who is as well known as a philosopher, as an economist and who undoubtedly took Scotland to the world. In this respect, much more can always be done. The coupling of sectors with cultural assets such as music brings benefit. Even a simple tune such as Odd Lang Syne has global reach with many states, including China, who imagines that it is their tune. However, many do not realise that the very reason that it is so well known is not actually the words, as there are multiple settings, but the fact that the tune is based on a pentatonic scale. Members can approach me in the corridor for a rendition of a pentatonic scale after the debate. The work to map organisations affiliated with Scotland is very welcome, but the scale of the on-going exercise cannot be underestimated, so can I ask the cabinet secretary whether any projection of extra resource has been undertaken? I wanted to make a few comments about brand. It can sometimes be quite the challenge depicting what Scotland is—a country, not yet a state. The literature review that fed into the framework notes that, and I quote, "...countries face challenges in connecting their nation brands to their national imaginary, how they see themselves, especially their values and symbols, to the perceptions of others or how others see them." I will reference this further later in my short speech. It brings me on to my primary interest, that of international trade. I, like everyone else, celebrate the work that has been done thus far to set up offices in the likes of Berlin, Beijing, Washington DC and Warsaw coming soon. That is as welcome as are the ambassadors from global Scots supported by SDI. I trust the clarity of purpose brought by Ivan McKee and his previous role will continue. The recent book Scotland, The Global History by Professor Murray Pittock, sets out the strong historical international trading from Scotland that predates the active union. It is quite literally in our DNA. With that in mind, the network of trade investment envoys will bring real heft and open economic doors for us. I, for a time, had the opportunity to build some knowledge in this area when working alongside my former colleague, Roger Mullen. Trading, as momentous change limited, we researched and published a report commissioned by Scottish business network, whose chair and co-founder was earlier in the public gallery. Our focus was from the outside looking in and contained contributions from over 1,000 of our Scottish senior business diaspora trading across 74 different countries. We use LinkedIn fairly extensively to reach into every corner of the earth to find contributions. As a tool, it has become much more sophisticated and can be used to target key sectors, individuals and locations with surprising accuracy. My second question to the cabinet secretary is whether his staff globally will include LinkedIn as one of their digital tools. As Arbard says, we will add some power, the gifty gaze, to see ourselves as others see us, always yields great insights. The report, as published in 2020 and available from all good bookstores, is obviously out of date, but a few key themes still remain highly relevant. Fundamentally, Scotland and the Scots were viewed positively as a place to do business and people to do business with. The feedback that we received highlighted soft values are part of our brand, including the perception that Scots are friendly, resilient, entrepreneurial, progressive and outward looking. Returning to my comments about the importance of brand, we had some commentary around a lack of simplicity. One respondent from Malaysia noted in a quote, some people in Malaysia are unsure about what Scotland is and its relationship with the UK, EU and Ireland. Some Scottish brands are marketed here as British, so any distinction can be unclear for consumers. On this occasion, I am not making a political point, although it would not be a surprise that I wish to see Scotland the global brand shouting loud. I make this comment, because another facet of our report was what we called trust factors. The trust factors in Scotland as a place to do business and the Scots as a people to do business with are extremely high. Of critical importance, and I quote, our respondents clearly believed that Scottish values, particularly around trust and honesty, were not only part of our national psyche but influenced how we are seen to conduct our business around the world. So, for genuine ESG investments, business and sustainability, those underpinning ethics and integrity are extremely important. Scotland has traditionally stood out in this area from its early beginnings as an investment trust that understood the importance of long-term patient capital. In contrast, the city of London is already viewed as one of the world's major money laundering centres, a set-out so eloquently by Oliver Bullock in his book, Butler to the World. To finish, I have spoken often in this chamber about the use of Scottish limited partnerships that are used and abused using Scotland's strong ethical brand name to launder money via a multitude of dodgy deals. Scotland has no ability to affect change in the regulation, and Westminster thus far has had limited appetite to affect changes. That has a fundamental impact on the cleanliness of Scotland's brand and, ultimately, too close a connection can have an impact on the perception of us and therefore our brand value. Another reason for a properly differentiated brand or, in political speak, a proper, normal, independent country like everyone else. I welcome the reaching out and pulling into the warm welcoming arms of a global Scotland, a substrate for the present time, but this is only temporary. We now come to the final speaker in the open debate, after which we will move to closing speeches and anyone who has participated in the debate should be in the chamber for those closing speeches. I call Evelyn Tweed for around six minutes, Ms Tweed. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am very happy to speak today and welcome the publication of the Scottish Connections framework, which seeks to build a more vibrant, visible and connected Scottish community around the world. It is vital at this time that we continue to find new ways to cement our place on the world stage and connect with our diaspora across the globe. As the cabinet secretary mentioned and as Martin Whitfield mentioned earlier, we have taken quite a wide definition of diaspora, and I think that that is a very good thing here. There are different types of diaspora. There are those who share a common national civic or ethnic identity, who have left their territory and become residents elsewhere. There are descendants of these immigrants who are interested in their heritage. There are also affinity diasporas, those who do not have ancestral ties or shared national identity, but who feel some affection for that nation state, often acting on its behalf while resident in the state after they return home or from a third country. For Scotland, international students make up a significant part of our affinity diaspora, and that will be the focus of my speech today. International students support the range and quality of education provision in Scotland, bringing different perspectives and helping to create a multicultural learning environment that is beneficial to all students. Scotland welcomes many international students each year. Talented people from over 188 different countries make Scotland their home for all or part of their degrees. That represents a significant global network. Some stay longer, raise their families here. Scotland is facing significant demographic challenges at this time, with an ageing population. International students who stay on could play a key role in mitigating those challenges. Others go home or move elsewhere. They can do a great deal to support Scotland's reputation and visibility on the global stage. There is a strong network of alumni, as we have heard today already, with an affection for Scotland helping to advance Scotland's international, economic, social and cultural connections. That important diaspora needs to be nurtured. The relationship between the homeland and the diaspora is a partnership. It is reciprocal. We must explore what the diaspora wants and needs from Scotland. How can international students and alumni continue to feel like a welcome and valued part of the diaspora if we make it difficult for them to come, to stay or return? As Neil Gray pointed out earlier, Brexit has led to the end of the Erasmus programme. It is undeniable that Scotland's prestigious universities such as St Andrews, Glasgow and Stirling, to name but a few, are attractive to international students, but we are facing increasing competition from others for the best global talent. The Scottish Government has pointed out that the UK's immigration system must be improved to allow Scotland to retain students after graduation and draw them into the workforce through an inclusive migration system, which includes a post-study work offer that meets Scotland's needs. Maureen Wightfield, I am very grateful to Evelyn Tweed to give way on that point. Does she not also see the challenge that students here in Scotland have about their inability to travel abroad to study? I absolutely take that point on board, but I think that we probably need independence so that we can actually get back into the EU so that we overcome some of those challenges. Westminster has claimed that migration is too high, and just today, Soella Braverman announced plans to bar partners and children of graduate students on research programmes from applying to live here during their courses. Those prospective students will face difficult choices, as coming to study here will mean leaving loved ones behind. Ultimately, many will decide not to come to the UK and not to come to Scotland to our detriment. Scotland's attractiveness as a place in which to work, to live, to study and to do business is at risk of being overshadowed by exclusionary immigration policies from Westminster such as this one. I very much agree that the motion stresses the importance of connecting with alumni of Scotland's world-class educational institutions and expresses its hope that the Scottish Connections framework will encourage many more people to consider Scotland as a destination in which to study, work, live, to do business or visit. It was good to hear the cabinet secretary's positive comments on his work with the British Council. I welcome the Scottish Connections framework, and I look forward to seeing how that broad and cross-cutting plan will support international students as an important part of our affinity diaspora. We welcome the Scottish Connections framework and the picture it paints of Scotland as a global nation, but both the UK and the Scottish Governments should be working together to maximise the opportunities that this diaspora network can bring. So much more could be achieved if the Scottish and UK Government worked together to promote Scotland internationally. The Tories and SNP's failure to find a common ground on anything to do with Scotland could hinder the impact and reach of our international efforts. I just wondered if the member could give an example of where the Scottish Government and the UK Government aren't working together. I think that so much can be done, rather than just talking about independent and moving away from the United Kingdom. I would like to see the UNCRC come back on to the statute. Both Governments seem to be at odds on that. The framework commits to working with the UK and other devolved Governments to utilise the UK's full diplomatic footprint to achieve its aims. A UK Labour Government would ensure that it is used all means to help Bruce Scotland's international standing to create jobs and opportunities both at home and abroad. I hope that the Scottish Government stick to their commitment. To work with all Governments in the UK to make this happen. As my colleague Neil Bibby mentioned, the Scottish Government's commitment to direct national records Scotland to prioritise the development of online and digital resources is welcomed. It will allow many of the Scottish diaspora to trace their ancestry and connections to Scotland. Scotland is also a country rich in history and culture. Christian Graham rightly pointed out that culture is one of Scotland's greatest export. We have a lot to offer the world in terms of shortbread, whisky, Gaelic and Scotland language, medicine and much more. As my colleague Daniel Johnson spoke about how important all of these contributions are to the world, we also spoke about the still present evidence of Scotland's key role in the transatlantic slave trade in our street names and monuments. As the framework outlines, we cannot and must not quite wash Scottish history. I welcome the Scottish Government commitment to deliberately reach out to the historically marginalised communities and groups and to work with academic institutions to better understand our role in this history. It is long overdue. As my colleague Neil Bibby already stressed that Scotland's role in global history is not one of absolute goodness, it is equally important that we focus on addressing the role of Scotland in slavery and colonialism at home as well as abroad. Educating people about the legacy of Scotland's colonial past will help us to overcome the racism and xenophobia that are unfortunately still exist in our society today. As my colleague Martin Whitfield and Willie Rennie spoke about, one crucial way that Scotland could be better promoted in international arena is through an international student exchange programme. The UK's withdrawal from the Erasmus programme meant the loss of opportunity for thousands of Scottish students to travel and study abroad. This opportunity was also lost to thousands of international students who would have wanted to visit and study in Scotland. If the Scottish Government is serious in its ambition to build a more vibrant, visible and connected Scottish community around the world, it must replace the Erasmus scheme. The Welsh Labour Government has already implemented the state scheme to replace Erasmus with funding of £65 million over five years. Stuart McMillan I thank Fousal Chowdy for taking the intervention and for his comments regarding an international exchange programme. I was an Erasmus student and I think that it is desperate in terms of Scotland no longer having because we are no longer in the EU, but on the point of international students coming in and further to the point that Evelyn Tweed just touched upon regarding the comments from the Home Secretary, there are 30 students from Nigeria living in my constituency. They are here with their families. If the Home Secretary's comments that I have not heard, judging by what Evelyn Tweed has said, if these families are no longer allowed to come, that would be 30 students no longer living in my constituency and potentially anywhere else in the country. That would have a very much damaging effect upon my community and also upon this country. Fousal Chowdy, and I can give you much of that time back. Thank you very much. Thank you for that intervention. Yes, I do agree that we should make the report and this is what I said that withdrawing can damage the relationship. As I said, with an esteemed 15,000 participants from Wales by the end of August 2026, the Scottish Government must implement an international educational exchange program now to ensure Scotland stay visible and connected in terms of education. As my colleague Maurice Golden spoke about how the framework will encourage people across the world to consider Scotland as an area to visit and the importance of our historic sites in teaching visitors and tourists. He rightly pointed out that the closure of so many of these sites across Scotland should not hinder our tourism sector. However, as my colleague Neil Bibby pointed out, Scotland must seek to improve our international year link to continue to promote Scotland and its heritage sites. Our airports are our link to the world and proper investment and promotion of our international airports will encourage people to choose Scotland as a travel or a holiday destination. This month, Glasgow Airport is still only running at 86% of its pre-COVID capacity. This leaves Scotland's largest city with poor connections to international destination and economic hubs. The Scottish Government should maximise the potential of our airports through direct flights to ensure a sustainable aviation industry in Scotland. In closing, Presiding Officer, we welcome the publication of this document and wish for every success for the framework. We welcome the Scottish and UK Governments co-operation in implementing its success. We are all proud Scots here, and we should all do our part to promote Scotland internationally and seek new ways to enhance the Scottish brand. We are lucky to be from a country that is so universally recognised and held in such high regard. I take great pride to live in Allaway, where our national bard Robert Burns was born. He wrote the poem Auld Lang Syne, which is known worldwide and recited at big celebrations and especially at New Year. The cabinet secretary also mentioned Tartanwick, which is celebrated in New York, and Burns suppers that are held throughout the world every year in January. We should also recognise where we can do better. I know that the Government document published ahead of the debate today, the Scottish Connections framework, points out that we should be working with devolved and UK Government counterparts and I welcome that collaboration. Ivan McKee also mentioned learning from others and spoke of Ireland. In particular, the document highlights that UK diplomatic missions have engagement with Scottish communities across the globe and is linked to various cultural and educational networks that Scotland is free to tap into. I certainly believe that there is more that we could do to turn people's passion for Scotland into positive action, creating more jobs, investment and trade right here on our own shores. I thank you for taking the intervention. Something has been puzzling me since Stephen Kerr's speech earlier on and I couldn't get to interviewing him, so I will ask you the same question. You mentioned Ireland. I think that puzzling me is how has Ireland managed to be so successful without its diaspora efforts, without the broad shoulders of the UK to support it? That's where we take all the learnings from Ireland. We can work along with them and we can learn from each other, but we can also work along with the rest of the nations of the United Kingdom. I welcome the approach that is set out in this document to include everyone who sees themselves as Scottish in some way. Sometimes we find it amusing when people claim to be Scottish because of their great-great-great-great grandfather, but actually we should be welcoming their pride and encouraging others to be proud of their Scottish connections too, even if they've only spent a short time here to study or work. We can also promote Scotland through our creative industries, such as encouraging die-hard fans of the show Outlander to come here, which was mentioned in the report. It has helped to attract tourists to Duneur, which is just down the road from me, which was a key filming location for seasons three and four of the show. I don't see why we shouldn't seek to exploit and encourage more projects like that. Scotland has a lot to offer as far as the creative sector is concerned. For example, Edinburgh is famous for being the birthplace of the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling, and sometimes it's easy to forget that you're not on the movie set when you're strolling through the streets of Edinburgh. You only have to look at the roaring trade that New Zealand has done off the back of the Lord of the Rings movies to see what would be possible for Scotland. The Scottish Connections Framework document also speaks of the Government aiming to collaborate across its full network, although I hope that that will include the UK Government and its officials, particularly since so many of the SNP's trade hubs are housed in UK Government embassies, as was mentioned by Ben Macpherson. I had hoped to hear more details about the Scottish Connections Fund today, and I know that the cabinet secretary did touch on it in his speech, but we could probably all get behind a fund that promotes Scotland's reputation and interests, but without any information about how that funding will be used, it is difficult to evaluate. I note that the document promises to publish details of the fund this year, and I look forward to that, but we do need to see more than just funding details. There must be a mechanism to measure the success of this fund and to see whether the framework meets its aims. While there are points that we can all agree on today, we must confront some of the challenges facing Scotland. Firstly, how can we take full advantage of our wonderful heritage to attract tourists when so many historic Environment Scotland sites are still closed long after the pandemic has ended? The Federation of Small Businesses said that the closures have a detrimental effect on the local towns. Secondly—and again, it has been mentioned before—we need to look at immigration. We should be asking ourselves why so many Scots move abroad and do not come back, especially when our workforce numbers are declining long-term. We should be asking why we do not attract as many international immigrants as elsewhere in the United Kingdom, especially when we have major skills gaps in many industries. The Government should reflect on how it could make Scotland a more positive place for foreign investment or for Scots to set up a business, since that is one area where we could be doing better. We need to do that. I generally thank Sharna Weaver for taking the intervention. I have now got the statement from Swill Abraherman today. Point 1 states, removing the right for international students to bring dependence on last day around postgraduate courses currently designated as research programmes. There are vacancies in the NHS. Those 30 students are here to train in the NHS. They are here with their families. According to the statement, they will no longer be allowed to come here and train, and then potentially stay to help to fulfil some of the job vacancies that Sharna Weaver has just talked about. I do not know the details on what you are talking about, but net migration is up. We welcome anybody who wants to come to the country to work and contribute to the society, so I do not know the details at all, but we are happy to get everybody to come through legal routes to the country and help. The Government should reflect on how it could make Scotland a more positive place for foreign investment or for Scots to set up a business, since that is one area where they could be doing better. We need to do more to remove barriers to investment. For example, it is worth looking at the regulation of short-term lets, business rates and the red tape that investors may be put off by. The SNP Government must do all it can to show that Scotland is open for business. Attracting investors to Scotland and encouraging them to set up shop here is made all the more challenging when they face difficult schemes such as the DRS. We need to learn from that by listening to businesses and working with our colleagues in Westminster and devolved Administrations to see how we can take a unified best practice approach. Daniel Johnson mentioned the success of Scott Twiskey and his contribution, and how we needed to help other food and drink industries to reach that level. A positive business environment in Scotland would make a real difference while that framework is a good start. It would be great to hear from the cabinet secretary in his closing remarks more details and a timeline on the Scottish Connections Fund, international culture strategy and international education strategy. There have been many worthwhile contributions in the debate today from across the chamber, and I will, if I have got time, highlight a few. My colleague Maurice Golden spoke of Historic Environment Scotland, who highlighted that half of all international visitors reported heritage as the key motivation for visiting Scotland, with £3 billion contributing to the economy from tourism. The cabinet secretary also mentioned the beginning of his contribution about the Ukrainians that will welcome to our country and our homes. They are welcome to stay as long as needed, and indeed we hope that some will choose to stay here, but I am sure that we all wish for an end to the war to enable them to return to their own homes. Neil Bibby said how we needed a strategic approach and to include all marginalised communities. He also spoke of the importance of the aviation sector in Scotland. William Rennie spoke of the great team behind the report and the amount of work that is done by the Global Scott network. He also spoke of Erasmus, and he mentioned that 5,000 people from Wales were spread around the world and the need for us to get our finger out and get a replacement scheme. Stephen Kerr spoke of the reach that we have around the world, the importance of international students, which was also mentioned by Evelyn Tweed, and the amount that the students bring to the Scottish economy and their soft power. He also mentioned his concern on funding for universities. Emma Harper spoke of her experience in California, and I think that I might be running out of time. In summary, we applaud any attempts from the Scottish Government to promote Scotland internationally, but we must see more details on the fund behind the framework and the tools that will measure whether it is delivering the desired outcomes. I thank all my colleagues for their contributions to what has, by large part, been a very positive debate. I will turn to Stephen Kerr later in my contribution. In his opening speech to this debate, Angus Robertson outlined the importance of the Scottish Connections framework and how it will support our huge numbers of international diaspora around the world. Better engaging our diaspora, family and friends of Scotland globally is the right thing to do for its own sake, but it is also important to support Scotland's wellbeing economy, our culture and our reputation. Work under the Scottish Connections framework can promote Scotland as a place to visit, study, live, work and do business—ambitions that I am confident are shared across this chamber. We already have a strong international network reaching out to the world, talking to our diaspora and promoting Scotland's interests. Our international offices, including Scottish Development International, our Global Scots, Trade and Investment Envoys and our public bodies such as Visit Scotland, Screen Scotland and others, all engage with our diaspora and play a critical role in promoting Scotland overseas. Scotland's international network has served and been supported by ministers from a range of administrations over the past two decades, as Willie Rennie rightly pointed out. Our offices have delivered significant benefits, connecting to the global Scottish diaspora, boosting trade and investment. I will give way to Jackson Carlaw. Will the minister also recognise the tremendous contribution that our national companies perform in promoting Scotland? This is their 60th anniversary season. Scottish Opera's production of Enadomare has been picked up by the Metropolitan in New York, and its performance of Pachini's Ealtrachico is to be picked up by a number of opera houses across the rest of Europe and the world. Those performances enhance Scotland's reputation as a centre of international culture. I absolutely concur with Jackson Carlaw's people across the chamber who have spoken about our cultural identity, our heritage and our traditions in Scotland and how they can sometimes be barriers to us internationally. I disagree. I think that for the reasons that Jackson Carlaw cited, our cultural institutions demonstrate the power of Scotland internationally and the doors that they can open. Again, I will turn to why that is the case shortly. Our network plays a vital role in helping us. Of course, I will give way to John Swinney. I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for giving way. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that this debate has helped to cement the view within Parliament—all shades of parliamentary opinion—that the network of international offices that we have on Scotland's behalf—many of them set up by the Labour and Liberal Executive before this Government came to office—are a formidable asset for Scotland, and some of the critique that we have had of recent months from the party over there will perhaps be silenced by the eloquence of this debate on the subject? Cabinet secretary, I think that there will be some of that turning back. I absolutely agree with John Swinney. I was going to turn in response to Maurice Golden's comments to the fact that no other party sought to amend the Government's motion today. One of the key elements in that is recognising the role of our international network and the role it plays. I really hope that that really parochial, petty political attack that comes from our international engagement stops today, and it absolutely must. Our network plays a vital role in helping us to build relationships, gather insights, help to identify new opportunities and ensure that Scotland's distinctive voice and offer is heard on the world stage. The Scottish Government's international network of offices works alongside SDI's 34 offices across 23 countries to promote Scotland on the world stage. SDI's trade and investment specialists help to support Scottish companies to trade and grow globally. People set up business in Scotland and attract investment opportunities into Scotland. That approach is working. Ernst Young's latest annual attractiveness survey shows that Scotland is outperforming the rest of the UK and Europe with the growth in the number of inward investment projects that are attracted. The latest HMRC data shows that Scotland continues to outperform the UK when oil and gas are excluded. My recent visit to Japan and that by my predecessors, such as Michael Matheson, Fiora Hyslop and John Swinney, is a great example of our successful engagement overseas. Sumitomo's proposed investment in Scotland can promote rapid expansion in the renewables industry by connecting hundreds of offshore wind turbines. The £200 million investment into the Highlands will create 150 highly-skilled green jobs from a business with a strong record in producing high-voltage underground cables. I cannot stress enough how important the direct and in-person engagement by ministers and SDI were in getting the Sumitomo investment to this stage. Scotland's international footprint is also critical in showcasing Scotland at major events. Scotland's presence at Dubai Expo, which focused on our energy transition space and digital health sectors, is forecast to deliver around £90 million in investment and revenue for Scottish companies that participated. To turn to the importance of our international networks, we have over 1,200 global Scots operating in over 60 countries. That is 1,200 influential business leaders located throughout the world, motivated purely to give something back to Scotland, acting voluntarily to support Scotland's economic ambitions. I once again want to thank them all today. Global Scots support companies by advising and mentoring, given companies the benefit of years of international experience. They also advocate Scotland as a place to live, work, invest and study. They tell Scotland what we need to do to remain competitive, but they also talk Scotland up, promoting our culture and winning more friends and connections for our country. Our global Scots are increasing engagement with international alumni of Scotland's world-renowned universities, especially in high-growth markets. I am conscious of time, so I will try to come back to Mark Woodfield if I can. The Scottish Government's network of 11 trade and investment envoys based on our priority markets provides us with critical business insights, intelligence, introductions and advocacy focused on building trade, as well as inward and capital investor relations. They open doors and identify strategic opportunities to support our export, capital investment and foreign direct investment efforts and provide critical business insights. They will build on those successes and galvanise a more engaged, vibrant and diverse global Scots network that will support our trade and investment ambitions alongside our envoys and work ever closer with our alumni, affinity and ancestral diaspora. Much of my focus today has been on our international representation, those working around the world to promote Scotland, but I would also like to mention those coming into Scotland. Tourism is one of Scotland's most important industries, creating wealth and jobs and strengthening our international reputation when those visitors return home. In 2019, almost three and a half million people visited Scotland from around the world. We know that many visitors identified their Scottish heritage as a key motivation for choosing to travel to Scotland. People may have been inspired by the regular appearances of our landscapes in film or TV, and our festivals performers who travel to Scotland in summer are in themselves a community, a strand of our diaspora who return every year. But each and every interaction with our international network, a member of alumni or our global Scots, raises Scotland's profile a little bit more. We continue to work with VisitScotland and other key partners to maximise tourism opportunities and achieve our aim of being a leader in 21st century tourism. For those looking to come to Scotland more permanently, we also look forward to promoting our talent interaction and migration service that Ben Macpherson referenced when it launches later this year. This service will improve Scotland's ability to attract and recruit people with the skills that our economy and public services need now, and in the future, and in the process of creating two even more connections between Scotland and the world. As I said, turning to the debate, largely consensual, I really appreciated Maurice Golden's contribution that our greatest export asset has always been our people. That is why this framework is so important. Neil Bibby spoke of the Glasgow University Burns Night spreadsheet. We need to tap into that knowledge and expertise to make sure that we are understanding that and to make sure that we are taking advantage of it. He also rightly challenged this, as did others, including Foysle Childry, on our colonial past, challenging homophobia, misogyny and racism. In that vein, I really appreciated the work that was done by the Empire and Slavery in Scotland's museum group, chaired by Sir Jeff Palmer, who was pleased to meet alongside Foysle Childry a couple of months ago. He referenced the co-operation between Scotland, Scotland and UK Governments. He is absolutely right. The evidence is clear. Our network advances the work of the UK. The embassy does not undermine it and leads the way in many areas, not least on net zero. It is not unfortunate and counterproductive for the foreign secretary to seek to undermine it. Mercifully, it would appear that many ambassadors and consuls general around the world are seeking to ignore that nonsense direction. Willie Rennie was also right that our culture and heritage often helped to open doors, as was Stuart McMillan, but also led to the areas of working together that he wishes to see. I hope that Mr Rennie would have been reassured by Mr Swinney's intervention around collaboration in India, which I was able to see in evidence the collaboration going on between Gurdjurat Biotech University and Edinburgh University that is at a very advanced stage, included within the SAFIRE grants scheme. I also really want to thank Ivan McKee for his contribution not just to this debate but also to this work previously. On his three asks, yes, we will be looking to take forward all three. I want to reference many more very strong contributions from Christine Graham and her usual tour de force, Daniel Johnson, Emma Harper, Martin Whitfield, but I have to return to Stephen Kerr. I am well used to Mr Kerr seeking to be the contrarian in the room, more so in this place than when we were together down the road, but, nonetheless, he seeks to play the part in here. His nonsense about our network and ministerial involvement really belittles the Conservative Party talking about global Britain when they looked to undermine Scotland's role internationally. It is crazy. He suggested in my intervention that I was talking nonsense about the impact of Brexit on our international student numbers coming to Scotland. Mr Kerr may well wish to know that we have seen a 75 per cent drop in those students accepted into Scottish universities from European countries since Brexit. It has had a direct impact on our international student numbers, so I will take no lectures from Mr Kerr in that regard. Otherwise, it has been a very positive debate today. I am very grateful for it and I look forward to our international network continuing to play the strong role that it does, supporting Scotland's economy and our country institutions. That concludes the debate on Scottish Connections Framework. It is now time to move on to the next item of business, which is consideration of business motion 9138, in the name of George Adam, on behalf of the parliamentary bureau on a change to the business programme. Any member who wishes to speak against the motion should press their request to speak button now, and I call on George Adam to move the motion. No member has asked to speak against the motion, therefore the question is that motion 9138 be agreed. Are we all agreed? The motion is therefore agreed. There are three questions to be put as a result of today's business. The first is that amendment 9107.2, in the name of Maurice Golden, which seeks to amend motion 9107, in the name of Angus Robertson, on Scottish Connections Framework, be agreed. Are we all agreed? The amendment is therefore agreed. The next question is that amendment 9107.1, in the name of Neil Bibby, which seeks to amend motion 9107, in the name of Angus Robertson, on Scottish Connections Framework, be agreed. Are we all agreed? The Parliament is not agreed, therefore we will move to vote, and there will be a short suspension to allow members to access the digital voting system.