Scottish Parliament – Jan. 20, 2026 – 5.379.5

amendment 100, which sets out that advising on “work-based learning” should be part of the committee’s remit, so that foundation apprentices are represented;

and amendment 104, which would ensure that, when deciding who should be a member of the committee, the council must have regard to representation from business and apprentices. All that is fine. I hope that the minister has heard all the anxieties in the room, particularly regarding my point on graduate apprenticeships, to ensure that the system is a damn sight swifter than it has been so far, that it is flexible and meets modern needs swiftly, that it is not overly bureaucratic, as it is now, and that the committee’s composition reflects the need to include many employers—people who take on apprentices and have direct experience in the current system—while also maintaining the committee’s overall authority. I accept that the apprentice committee will be a sub-committee of the Funding Council, which is probably how it will be for accountability purposes, but I hope that the Funding Council fully respects the committee’s authority and, more often than not, just accepts what it says. It should not have to rubber stamp what it says, but it should accept almost everything that it says, because that is where the authority should lie. I hope that apprentices understand, engage and debate with the committee but that they understand that it should have the authority to gain the confidence of the business community and ensure that we get the policy right. I hope that the minister listens to all that.