 Y gallu cyfasiliad yn y ffordd ond ein môr 8105, ar yfel Gilyne Martyn, ar y Gwasiwn Clifff? Mae cyfasiliad yn ei ddweud o edrych i loed, ac nid ymwneud amsógwysig, i ddweud i gafodd cyfasiliad i wneud teimlo i ddweud. Felly, i gael Gilyne Martyn i gafodd cyfasiliad, mae per!... Fy berthynas, sydd wedi eu cychwyn nhw gan dd料wyddiad. I think that the committee today for their support for this debate which marks the return of global entrepreneurship week. I'd also like to thank the hard work my friends and colleagues in women's enterprise Scotland who lead the way in promoting and supporting women into business work which they are tirelessly committed to all year round and each year they go from strength to strength there in the gallery today. I convene the cross-party group on women in enterprise and in the 18 months since we started we've had tremendous support from a wide range of stakeholders including women's enterprise Scotland to help me run the CPG and I feel that the voices of women in business have been amplified somewhat by our work there because it's not just the talking shop we get things done not least securing funding for supporting women in business through training and mentorship programmes from the Scottish Government. In 2016 Wes brought female business owners to Holyroods where they received training on giving evidence to committees here and since then we've met women starting out in business in a number of recent events in Parliament like the business in Parliament event last month and Christine Grahame's excellent evening event showcasing the business achievements of army spouses of the Glencoast barracks in her constituency as a result of workshops put on by Wes. The economy jobs and fair work committee also published a report on the gender pay gap earlier this year which has become a key indicator of where we currently are and the strides we must take in order to close the gap but alongside the gender pay gap sits the gender enterprise gap there is one and we must as a matter of economic urgency get it closed. If we get the same amount of women running businesses as men the injection into the Scottish economy is significant it's estimated that an increase it's an increase of over 7 billion that's 5.4 per cent in economic growth and that's a growth figure that any government minister would be shouting from the rooftops. Following on from that inquiry into our inquiry in the economy committee into data we're identifying that lack of gender disaggregated data only masks the issues further. The scale of the shortfall in women led businesses for example getting business support needs to be identified and I'd argue needs to be targeted as we go forward as a matter of urgency. I'm delighted to see so many colleagues in the chamber today because that must mean that you two are also keen to champion the benefits of helping to support and encourage more women into business and since it's global entrepreneurship week our goal has to be supporting women led business to trade and work all over the world. We all know the Scottish Government's strategy the four eyes of innovation, inclusion, investment and internationalisation women led businesses must be included in all of those if Scotland is to fulfil its potential and if I may be given a wee bit more thought at the time of lodging the motion for this debate I maybe should have called it inclusion in internationalisation. Maybe next year don't anyone pinch that it's mine. Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the women's enterprise awards in Glasgow where the keynote speaker was our first minister. The winners and runners up of the awards are an inspiration to those who follow in their footsteps and I say follow but in reality what we often hear is that women running businesses are very giving of their expertise and experience to other women starting out. They pull others up behind them, they mentor, they support and they champion one another. All over Scotland in global entrepreneur week there are celebrations of those who are operating abroad from Scotland and rightly so but I say this to women in business don't look at globally operating businesses and think you'll never get there that it's for someone else that it's too hard because the women who won those awards the other week were once you. Don't look at their success and think you can't achieve it. Speak to them and ask them. Say I would like to achieve what you've done. Have you got time to tell me how you did it? Because women will share experience and gladly. Across the mentoring and support systems that are growing amongst female entrepreneurs there will be many conversations that revolve around experience sharing that can encourage women who are not already doing so to reach global markets. I hope next week in global entrepreneurship week there will be as many conversations challenging and offering support to business to go global as there will be about reveling in the success of those who have already done so. On to the traditional members debate speech section where we all get to make a fuss of someone in our constituency which is my favourite bit. I am looking forward hugely to hearing my colleagues use today as an opportunity to champion women-led businesses in their constituencies but I am going to get in first with one of Aberdeenshire East's success stories right in my doorstep in the wee village of Newmacker where I live. Eight years ago Lindsay Richie took a part-time course at North East Scotland College to learn how to make kilts. Since then her passion has turned into a business and she now employs eight staff in the local area and is a fully fledged global brand with customers all over the world. By the end of this year her firm Kilts Wehe will have achieved a turnover just shy of one million. I have had the pleasure of visiting Lindsay's business both as her MSP and as one of her customers. The way she runs her business is an exemplar of all that I rave on about frequently in this chamber. Those who know me know I am never tired of talking about the benefits of flexible working and this is something that Lindsay says her workplace prides itself upon. It means that she and her other staff can put as much effort and enthusiasm into their business as possible and still arrive on time at the school to pick up their children. The business is all the better for it and our employees are loyal and committed. Lindsay has become a global ambassador for her business and also for female entrepreneurs showing that they can spin a small idea into their very own brand and do it in a way that fits in with their lives beyond work. There is a map of the world in the packing area of Kilts Wehe, with dots showing where the company has shipped kilts, gifts and accessories. It is absolutely covered in dots. If a small business from Aberdeenshire is tucked away in a B road, beside some fuels of horses, it can sell kilts and spolins to four continents any business can. We can all point to reasons why there are not as many women operating globally as there are male counterparts and why not enough women set up in business. I want to leave that for another day. Today is about encouraging entrepreneurship and recognising that, without women, we will not hit those four eyes. Today is about making a right good fuss of the women in our constituencies who are reaching out beyond our borders and making things happen for their businesses across the world. Women who are going global will help Scotland to reach its potential. We move to the open debate. I have Alexander Burnett followed by Jackie Baillie. I thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I start by noting my register of interests, particularly regarding my general involvement with businesses that I have started. I congratulate Gillian Martin for achieving cross-party support for a member's debate on such an important topic. Removing obstacles and ensuring that women have the same tools and opportunities as men to flourish in business and beyond is important not only for our economy, but our society, too. Indeed, I have seen the impact that empowering women through business can do. For 10 years, I worked out in Azerbaijan and was involved in setting up and supporting many small businesses. One enterprise in particular that I am proud to have been involved with was the carpet workshop in Azerbaijan's northern region of Guba. This workshop was not only a culturally valuable enterprise keeping traditional carpet weaving skills alive, but, more important, it provided a unique refuge for women suffering from domestic abuse. In a country where there is still much progress to be made on women's rights, the enterprise and entrepreneurship of those women was an eye-opening experience and certainly stands out as a project that I was proud to be involved with. Whilst for Scottish Conservatives fully support efforts to improve women into business here in Scotland, I am cautious that that does not detract from efforts to improve business start-ups across other sectors of society. Latest statistics have shown that Scotland has a significantly lower rate of businesses per head of population than the rest of the UK, with the UK sitting at 499 enterprises for every 10,000 adults. Meanwhile, Scotland is lagging behind at 393. Due to the Scottish Government's poor track record, the number of businesses in existence is 27 per cent lower in Scotland than the rest of the UK. In addition to the motion put forward today, I would call upon the Scottish Government to ensure that they review burdens that they are putting on businesses that are having an impact on the number of enterprises flourishing. However, the best and brightest start-out in an integral part of our lives, our education system, and enhancing our education system is the foundation of being able to improve business start-ups in Scotland. The Federation of Small Businesses is campaigning to have every Scottish school offer specialist courses that teach pupils about running their own business. With a study by the European Commission, finding that 28 per cent of those who took part in enterprise education wanted to start a business and become an entrepreneur, I would fully support that campaign. I am proud to represent my constituency of Aberdeenshire West for many reasons, and this week I was delighted to see that Aberdeenshire West has been named by the FSB as one of Scotland's top five most entrepreneurial hollywood constituencies, containing some of the healthiest local business communities in Scotland. I will continue to add my support to promoting women in business and look forward to working with members from across the chamber in helping to achieve a gender-balanced business society. I thank Gillian Martin for bringing this debate to the chamber again this year, and for highlighting the hugely important work that Women's Enterprise Scotland does in promoting and supporting women into business. As I said last year, it should be our ambition to focus on women's enterprise every day, not just one week of the year. However, let me declare an interest because I am the deputy convener of the cross-party group on women in enterprise, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to work with a great number of inspiring women, including the convener Gillian Martin. Many organisations aim to advance the position of women throughout the business sector. Global Entrepreneurship Week is about celebrating women and the work of Women's Enterprise Scotland. It is agreed that developing women's enterprise is critically important for Scotland's economy. Currently, just one-fifth of Scottish small and medium-sized enterprises are majority-owned by women. Those make an important and valuable contribution to our economy, but goodness me, it could be so much more substantial. If the number of women-led businesses in Scotland increased to equal those of men, our economy would grow by a staggering £7.6 billion. Think of how much our economy could flourish with an extra injection of £7.6 billion in the pot. One of those fantastic small enterprises run by women is just up the road here at Cranican and Crowdy on Cannongate. When I visited last year, I was really inspired by the passion that both Beth and Funer have for their business. Not only are they women owners, but the majority of products that they stock are also created by women. I can recommend, Presiding Officer, the gym. Whilst businesses like that give us a lot to celebrate, there is still so much more to be done to advance the opportunities for women in business. We need more than warm words, we need substantive action. We know that there are real challenges. Research undertaken by Women's Enterprise Scotland shows that gender stereotyping persists around women-owned businesses. 80 per cent of their survey respondents stated that they faced specific challenges as women business owners, including achieving credibility for their business. 46 per cent of women-led businesses said that they had experienced discrimination. That is not good enough. Whilst I welcome the efforts of the Government and the framework for women's enterprise, we must do more to address those issues. I urge the Scottish Government to take on board the recommendations from Wales, from the European Institute for Gender Equality, adopt a gender-aware approach to all enterprise and growth policies, as well as introducing gender-specific training and gender-specific business support, because there is a differing nature to women's enterprise. The minister knows that I like to talk always to him about funding. That is not going to be any different today and about how much we should be providing. I am sure that the minister absolutely agrees with me that Women's Enterprise Scotland is the acknowledged expert in advancing opportunities for women in enterprise. However, women's training and leadership programme, which delivers such positive results, launched in Fife with Fife Council in June, receives no Scottish Government funding. I believe that that is an oversight. I absolutely do. If you contrast that with Scottish Enterprise, an organisation that receives hundreds of millions of funding from the Scottish Government, it was awarded £60,000 from the Government to fund a similar programme. I welcome the fact that Women's Enterprise Scotland enjoys other support from the Scottish Government. However, it is a fraction of what is needed and just think with their training programme what you could achieve, because it is a tested scheme, one that is so successful that the number of places had to be doubled. Minister, it is a good investment. It is nearly Christmas. I know that you want to do the right thing. When you leave the chamber, I look forward to finding that extra bit of money that allows Women's Enterprise Scotland to do so much more. Finally, it is only when we do those things and encourage more women into business that we will unlock the huge potential of our economy—£7.6 billion—increasing Scotland's GVA to £13 billion, an increase of 5 per cent, and my final point, Presiding Officer, at time of economic uncertainty, slowing growth and public sector job cuts, we want more growth, more jobs, more revenue through taxes. It is the right thing to do. Let's support Women's Enterprise. Even the minister clapped. Jenny Gilruth, followed by Bill Bowman, please. I congratulate my friends and colleagues, Gillian Martin, MSP, on bringing Global Entrepreneurship Week to Parliament. Her motion for today's debate rightly focuses on women in business and as entrepreneurs. Here we stand in the national parliament of our country, where 35 per cent of our members are women, aren't we lucky? Where the corporate body, which decides upon the business that we debate as MSPs, is comprised of six men. In an institution in which we both have our progressive commitment to equality on the one hand, but where the average women's salary in Holyrood is 11 per cent lower than the average man. Where yesterday, this Parliament's local government committee met with five male MSPs and me. Today's debate isn't about this place and our lack of direct action to tackle gender inequality. Let's talk about the entrepreneurs, let's talk about the women who succeed in business, even when the odds are stacked against them. Figures from the United Kingdom Office for National Statistics show that women in Scotland, where average salaries are lower than south of the border, are still being paid on average 15.2 per cent less than men. This is Fife Council's draft economic strategy for 2017-27. I was interested in Jackie Baillie's comments with regard to Fife Council, but there is not a single mention of gender in this document. As Gillian Martin's motion notes, we need a gender-aware approach to economic development, enterprise and growth policies. In June of last year, women in my constituency had a 10 per cent lower employment rate than the Scottish women did nationally. It is clear that Fife Council needs to consider gender in their plans for driving economic growth. Later today, I will be writing to the chief executive of Fife Council to ensure that they go back and look again at how they adequately addressed the gender barriers that women face in terms of accessing work and in terms of starting their own businesses. In 2017, women are still paid less and still find it harder to get into the labour market. I welcome the First Minister's recent announcement of funding to tackle the gender gap in business, and I note that Business Women Scotland's BWS live events programme is to receive £60,000 for events across Scotland for networking and support. I would like to use this opportunity to invite Business Women Scotland to consider Glenrothes or leaving in my constituency as locations for future events. Women's Enterprise Scotland has also trained members of staff at Business Gateway Fife on gender balance training. That is welcome, but we could be doing better, and I think that we could be moving faster in the kingdom. Gillian Martin notes in her motion that if the rates of women-led businesses equal those of men, the contribution of Scotland's GVA would increase from £7.6 billion to £13 billion, as has already been said. More women in business, therefore, is clearly good for business. In my constituency, I would like to give a specific mention today to Eden Fife accountancy, who operates nationally from her headquarters in Glenrothes. Founded in 2007 by Christine Convay, all staff in the company are women. Eden Fife director, Lisa Bray, works with the Fife Women in Business Networking Group to give women more confidence and more contacts in business. I would also like to mention the fantastic Leslie Reid, who runs her own business, the Willow and Plum soap company. Leslie established her own business in 2013, which specialises in cold press soap using natural ingredients that are kinder to skin than conventional soap. Leslie taught herself how to make soap from scratch, and she even managed to train her husband as well. Today, she is a thriving family business who ships their products globally, all from their premises in King Lassie. Business Gateway supported Leslie when she first came up with the idea in 2013. As Leslie states herself, while very pregnant, she liked the idea, she saw my vision and I qualified for a Cretan Fife fund, which covered my start-up costs. What an accountancy firm and a soap maker share in common is this—female ingenuity—a spirit of entrepreneurial aspiration that says, I've got an idea, I'm going to make it happen. There are female politicians who, in this place, who later today will work across the party divide to hold this institution to account. The work of people like Leslie Reid and Christine Convay teaches us all irrelevant of your workplace. Women's voices are powerful, they are valid, and, if you truly listen to them, it's not just good for a fairer society, it's good for business. First of all, I thank Gillian Martin for bringing this debate forward. It gives us an opportunity to show our support for Global Entrepreneurship Week and the work of Women's Enterprise Scotland. Both of which I support for the efforts to promote women in business, not just this week but every week. Each November, entrepreneurial events are held around the world, inspiring millions. It is a little bit disappointing that it appears that none are being held in the north-east this year, but perhaps in the future. With the recent downturn across our region, it would have been a tremendously positive sign to send out to prospective entrepreneurs and investors alike had there been an event. That is perhaps a sign of a larger problem, however, and we must ask ourselves the question why more businesses are not being formed in Scotland. Certainly part of the solution is to encourage talent and attract more investment. The Scottish Conservatives are dedicated to pro-growth policies, but there are barriers to overcome. Sadly, some are of this SNP Government's own making. Increasing taxes and business rates will merely serve to stagnate economic growth and place increasing burdens upon businesses. It is those barriers facing entrepreneurs that must be tackled. I say this not to be combative, but in the spirit of wishing to see the best environment possible for small entrepreneurial businesses to grow. Making Scotland the highest tax part of the UK does not create such an environment. Another does complacency about the challenges that we face, as we saw from the Economy Secretary Keith Brown's assertion that Scottish growth statistics were good news. Compared to the UK as a whole, Scotland's growth is sluggish, businesses face enormous rates increases and we only narrowly dodged a recession earlier this year. It is not just myself and my Scottish Conservative colleagues making those points. Both the IFS and the Scottish chambers of commerce have warned about a high tax agenda. Those warnings must be heeded if we are to help Scotland's incredible small to medium-sized businesses. They made up 99 per cent of Scottish firms last year, helping to drive our economy forward and we must ensure that they can flourish. I acknowledge efforts that have been made to offer support, for example the Unlocking Ambition Challenge. That will support up to 40 budding entrepreneurs each year and help Scotland become a world-leading entrepreneurial nation. According to the First Minister, we will ensure that the most talented entrepreneurs create the companies that we need to grow the economy. The First Minister must not forget that businesses that have already set up shop in Scotland are struggling with slow economic growth and business rates and are looking for help, not hindrance. There is little evidence that the Scottish Government's tax hikes will be beneficial to the country. It will have a particularly negative impact on those looking to start their own business, which is something that the First Minister should consider. Where there has been success, we must recognise and encourage it, such as the increase in the number of self-employed women from 76,000 in 2007 to 113,000 this year. That is welcome news and is thanks to the efforts of organisations such as Women's Enterprise Scotland, who aim to create a commercial culture where women-led business ownership is not simply an aspiration but an achievable goal for women everywhere. Unfortunately, gender imbalance in Scotland is still an issue, with men twice as likely to launch their own businesses as women, which is why it is important that Women's Enterprise Scotland is successful in making their efforts a reality for women in Scotland. Their success would benefit the entire country. Scotland's female entrepreneurs boost the economy by £268 million, and, as the motion and other speakers have mentioned, if women started businesses at the same rate as men, it could add up to £7.6 billion into the Scottish economy. It is a simple message, but the truths often are that more women-owned businesses are good for Scotland. Ivan McKee, to be followed by Kezia Dugdale. I thank Gillian Martin for bringing this debate on global entrepreneurship week 2, the Parliament, in particular for our focus on the role of women in enterprise, correctly identified as part of raising the levels of entrepreneurship across the economy as a whole. I would first like to respond to some comments that Bill Bowman made. The small business bonus enables 100,000 businesses in Scotland to be lifted out of rates altogether, helping many businesses, including women-owned businesses. Scotland, with its lower council tax, £400 lower than the UK average, is not the highest tax, but the lowest tax part of the UK. The Conservatives might want to focus on the top 10 per cent that benefit from the tax cuts given down south in Scotland. The SNP Government focuses on all business, including small businesses and all people, including all those at all levels of the income spectrum. Moving back to the substantive topic, it is estimated that women in Scotland comprise a majority of shareholders in only about 21 per cent of businesses. That is just not bad news for equality. It is bad for the bottom line. We cannot afford not to fully engage the talents of half of our population. To do that, I have shown that women-owned businesses are more resilient in recession. We can help future proof of our economy and create more stable prospects by investing in nurturing women in business. If women started businesses at the same rate of men, as has been heard, that would add another £7 billion to the value of Scotland's economy. I would like at this point to take an opportunity to mention Fona Colbron Brown, who runs East End Connections business networking in my constituency, a fabulous initiative that is bringing businesses from all around the East End together to share ideas and opportunities. Business startup requires creativity, seeing opportunities where others do not and figuring out new ways of meeting demand. Women often bring a different perspective to problems, a different appreciation of market needs and a different understanding of how to meet them. Women's Enterprise Scotland, the organisation leading the way on this issue, makes some simple recommendations to support and encourage more women-led business startups. Business balance panels and role models are important, along with appropriate imagery and language and advertising. We need to set an example for women and girls and men of their part to play in delivering that. They can do so by challenging gender stereotype attitudes that restrict the start-up and growth of women-led businesses. That will deliver benefits not only here but in other areas of the economy where gender imbalance is marked. The pay gap is one of the most significant of those. Where Scotland's pay gap is significantly below the UK average, the gap is still too high, and much of that inequality is caused by gender stereotypes that help nobody. Many women are still expected to go into the caring professions and men into technical work. Having more women going into STEM subject careers can go a long way through addressing this balance, as can getting more men into traditionally female-dominated jobs, such as care and early learning sectors. The issue of homework balance, including childcare responsibilities, is a fundamental barrier to equality in employment and in running businesses. 8 per cent of women are economically inactive because they are looking after the house and their family compared to only 1 per cent of men. Redressing that balance, challenging the assumption of women as primary caregivers, will also go a long way to enabling more women to become entrepreneurs. Gabriella Ramos, chief of staff at the OECD, named lack of childcare provision, is the single biggest barrier to inclusive growth in developed countries. I am proud that the Scottish Government has recognised those barriers and is actively trying to break them down by doubling childcare provision in Scotland. I would also like to address some comments to the universal basic income and the role that can play and encourage entrepreneurship. While often cited as a means of tackling poverty in our country, we should not underestimate the potential basic income that has to support a new wave of entrepreneurs by de-risking the decisions to start up a business for both men and women. In particular, for women entrepreneurs, as a consequence of the flexible approach to work, a basic income can enable. I am glad that the Scottish Government has given this some focus to understand how to deploy a basic income and look forward to the assessment of what it could do to boost economic and inclusive growth. In conclusion, a gender-balanced economy is a more stable economy, a fairer economy and a more prosperous economy. Inequality hurts us all and we need to engage the talents of all of our citizens, men and women to take part in our economy to the fullest extent. The last of the open debate contributions is Kezia Dugdale. Like colleagues, can I pay a tribute to Gillian Martin for hosting today's debate, but also for the consistency with which he comes to this chamber to highlight the role of women in business and, indeed, her unstunting commitment to gender equality throughout her life—a life that brought her to this place. Equally, can I congratulate everyone who is involved in Global Entrepreneurship Week and all those people who are involved in women enterprise Scotland. Like so many issues affecting women, this fundamentally boils down to two things, and injustice about women's inability to fulfil their potential and the missed economic opportunity. Those arguments have been well rehearsed in this chamber by other speakers already today. I have been angry enough on behalf of my gender this week. I would like to spend the rest of the time having this debate celebrating some particular women in business. It has been a real privilege and pleasure for me to travel the country as leaders of the Labour Party and meet women in business. I want to talk specifically about some of those women that I met along the way and using Gillian Martin's words to make a right good fuss of a few of those women that I met along the way. Gillian also encouraged us to think about the words inclusion and internationalisation and those words that apply to the four women that I am going to mention. First of all, earlier this week I had the great privilege of hosting the social enterprise awards in the Parliament. I was quite struck by how many women are involved in social enterprises. There are not only businesses but contributing back to their communities. My favourite one of those is Comas, who runs the Serenity cafe just around the corner. Ruth Campbell is a huge social innovator, leaving her civil service career behind to set up a social enterprise that provides work and employment opportunities for Edinburgh's drug and alcohol recovery community. They also do a project in the Dumbydikes across the road trying to increase the incomes of some very vulnerable and disadvantaged people there. Something that could be more different than that is Jane McMinn, who runs the lobster hatchery in North Berwick. She is single-handedly providing sustainable lobsters in the North Sea, from which we can all joy the fruits of her labour in North Berwick. She was a skipper before she went into business, so she really is quite an inspirational woman. From those examples of inclusion, people that provide employment in their own local communities, it is worth moving to the internationalisation agenda. The two women that I want to mention come from the Western Isles. If you think about the challenges that people in the Western Isles face, I am often reminded of Peter May's works and his novels, where he tells us all how the adversity of the land in the Western Isles forces people to be more creative with their outlooks. Two of the women that I met there were our inspirational figures. Not least, Rona MacDonald, who runs Charlie Barley's Black Pudding, an expert, whom we have all appreciated in our time, has exported into some of the finest restaurants in London and, indeed, around the world. Separately from that, I think that it is worth recognising the work of Margaret McLeod, who is the brand development manager for Harris Tweed. I spent a day with her in the Western Isles. She even let me go on the mill, but I do not think that the fruits of that labour will ever leave the Western Isles. There are four examples of inspirational women succeeding in business that I am sure that we can all learn from. I could go on, I could mention people such as Jackie Gail, who is the chief executive officer of Arran Aramatics, who has taken a product produced in Arran and taken it all around the world to Japan, where it is sold and provided in some of the most exclusive hotels. I will stop and say that I am delighted to participate in this debate. I am delighted to spend a week celebrating the work of women in business. I know that everyone in the chamber will take part in that celebration, but I will then redouble the efforts to get back to the business in supporting women in business. I thank Gillian Martin for bringing this debate to the chamber. I also probably pass on a thanks from my officials for giving us a year's heads-up as to what her subject matter will be next year that she can get preparing nice and early. I should thank Jackie Baillie as well as the convener and deputy convener of the cross-party group in women in enterprise. I thank both of them for all that they do in respect of that important area of work. Global entrepreneurship week is, of course, very welcome, and it is right and justifiable that we have this debate today. I was, of course, designed to get people to think about taking the ideas that they have and making them a reality, to help drive our economy, to help drive social improvements. It is obviously designed to connect people together in terms of collaboration, in terms of mentorship, in terms of investment opportunities. It is, of course, an important initiative generally, but, as we have debated previously in this specific context and in many other contexts in relation to parts of our economy, it is especially important for us to reach out to those who are underrepresented in all parts of our economic activity. That, of course, has to include entrepreneurship. I very much welcome the terms of Gillian Martin's motion in focusing the debate, particularly in relation to female entrepreneurship. A gender gap exists in enterprises not in question. Currently, only around 20 per cent—a fifth of Scotland's small and medium enterprises—are women led. Our men are almost twice as likely to start businesses as women. Ivan McKee was quite correct, as others said. That represents a huge waste of potential and a huge loss to Scotland's economy and society. We are working to change that, and I will come to talk a little bit about that in a few moments. However, as I should do, I should try to pick up on as many contributions that have been made over the course of the debate. The first thing that I should say is that I was delighted to hear about the range of activity—good activity—happening in local areas and, indeed, across the country. All members, virtually none more than Kezia Dugdale, I should say, have been able to reference to every part of the country virtually into our contribution, but it is well worth putting that on record. If there is particular activity that individual members think that I would benefit by going to visit and see, then I am very happy to receive such an invitation. Having mentioned Kezia Dugdale, I think that it was a very useful and salient reminder to mention the Serenchi cafe in particular, because we tend to think—and there is nothing wrong with it—of entrepreneurship in terms of commercial activity, but it is not always about that. There is also a tremendous amount of entrepreneurial activity around creating social capital, and Kezia Dugdale might like to know. In this context, as part of living wage week, I was delighted to go visit one of the winners of an award, the grass market community project, who won an award on Tuesday. Picking up on Alexander Burnett's contribution, I thought that it was very welcome that he brought an internet, because it is, of course, a global week. I thought that it was very welcome that he brought an international perspective to the debate. I cannot promise to visit Azerbaijan, but I thought that it was useful to have that brought to the debate. In terms of his specific suggestion about the Federation of Small Businesses in terms of classroom activity, we are clearly not going to sit here and direct what should happen in each specific classroom. I can say that there is the opportunity for us to better influence that through developing the young workforce activity that we are taking the length of bread to country, bringing employers across all sectors closer to the school environment. I think that that represents an opportunity to take forward some of that work. Ivan McKee and Jackie Baillie both spoke about gender stereotyping, which is an issue right across economic activity and clearly filters through to that specific area of entrepreneurial activity. We are working to challenge that. I think that we will all accept a long-term activity because gender stereotypes are so well ingrained. I have made the point before that, even all of us in this chamber who I think are working to challenge those gender stereotypes, will ourselves be susceptible to, from time to time, unconsciously reinforce them. We always need to challenge ourselves as well as others to step up the mark. In respect of economic activity, the Scottish Funding Council has a gender action plan, Skills Development Scotland has a quality action plan, with a specific commitment in that to better balance modern apprenticeship frameworks. Some progress has been made, more has to be made. Of course, my colleague Silly and some of us just a couple of weeks ago launched the STEM strategy, and a hugely important part of that area of activity is around challenging gender stereotyping. That is important to this particular debate, because we know that the area of STEM is much creativity, much happening there. That is a critical part of entrepreneurial activity, the creation of new ideas. Jackie Baillie tried to invite me to an early Christmas. I should say that my children already badgering me about Christmas, so I should not, members of the Scottish Parliament, start to do so as well. I cannot quite say that I am going to give her a Christmas present here or now, but what I will say is that that is an area of—I have not brought my Santa suit, Ms Baillie, so I am not going to be Santa today—but what I can say is that it sounds like a very worthy project, and if she would like to find more details, I am very willing to look at that particular area and see if there is more that we can do. One area that I must touch on was Bill Bowman's point about welcoming the rise in self-employment activity. I do welcome that cautiously, because I think that a number of us would accept that there has been a number of reasons that have driven a rise in self-employment. Some of it is very positive, and that is what we are debating today, but we have also seen some changes, some emergent changes in our economy in recent times, which have probably led to an increase in self-employment. That is not so positive because it is driving people to forms of employment where they do not have the full benefits and protections that someone in traditional form of employment would have. That is something that our labour market strategy is focusing on in the strategic labour market that I chair is focusing on as well to better understand. I have taken more time than I have meant to respond to everyone's contribution, so I should probably close by saying that there is a range of activity under way through our framework. I will shortly be taking forward an action group to further embed the work that we can take forward so that we can bring forward new ideas and continue to build on what we take forward. However, I am very delighted that we have had this debate. I should quickly thank our representatives here, Women's Enterprise Scotland, for all that they do, as well as that they will be a part of that action group. They are a fantastic organisation. I have been happy to work with them in the past and I will be happy to work with them again going forward. Let us commit to returning to the subject matter on an annual basis. It is clear that Ms Martin has grabbed the market in this regard. I am sure that it will be her member's debate again next year. However, I agree with the point that was made by Jackie Baillie that let us commit ourselves not just to having this debate once a year. We should be thinking about the subject matter on a regular basis. I commit myself to that and I am very happy to work with members of the length and breadth of the chamber across all parties towards that end. That concludes the debate. The meeting is suspended until 2.15.