Speeches by Smith.

“Presumably you have regular catchups with the local authorities. Do you sit down and plan a strategy for each city?”

“Do you have a long-term plan for individual authorities; do you have a long-term plan for Scotland? How do you work on a strategic approach?”

“You mentioned the Commonwealth Games. In that process, did the Commonwealth Games organisers come to you or did they go to Glasgow?”

“You do not have a role in deciding anything, by the sound of it. You are very supportive and it is clearly working well, but you are not an overseeing body that says, “You’ll do that. You’ll do that”.”

“This is a similar question to what I asked before. If you had a UK event strategy, what value could add to those individual cities? Because it seems that you are doing all the strategic support and co-ordination that they need. What would be the benefit of the UK strategy?”

“You mentioned the rally event. So that we understand how you fit into that, what was the process for bidding for and then organising that event?”

“Yes, or 1,000.”

“How do you work with local authorities? Say Glasgow and Edinburgh wanted to go for the same event. What is your role in managing that?”

“You mentioned the Commonwealth Games. In that process, did the Commonwealth Games organisers come to you or did they go to Glasgow?”

“This is a similar question to what I asked before. If you had a UK event strategy, what value could add to those individual cities? Because it seems that you are doing all the strategic support and co-ordination that they need. What would be the benefit of the UK strategy?”

“Ken, you have a very clear remit. Annie, you said that you are sometimes in the room at these events as an organiser. Can you give us an idea of the scope of the events that come under SAGs, aside from football and sports matches?”

“We have to talk a little bit about consistency in how they operate now, which you have both mentioned. First, with the culture, Ken, you said that this is an open forum where people are encouraged to come along and contribute. Is that culture consistent across the country? Is that the general practice where everybody i…”

“Ken, you have a very clear remit. Annie, you said that you are sometimes in the room at these events as an organiser. Can you give us an idea of the scope of the events that come under SAGs, aside from football and sports matches?”

“The people and the amount of time and commitment that they are able to give to it is one issue. What other issues are there with inconsistency across the country?”

“Annie, anything to add on the problems that that inconsistency causes?”

“We have to talk a little bit about consistency in how they operate now, which you have both mentioned. First, with the culture, Ken, you said that this is an open forum where people are encouraged to come along and contribute. Is that culture consistent across the country? Is that the general practice where everybody i…”

“You are nodding, Annie. Local government cost pressures must have an impact. How are they impacting the consistency of approach and the effectiveness of SAGs? Is it about frequency of meeting or other things? You are shaking your head, Annie. What are the other impacts on those cost pressures? Anne Marie Chebib: A lot …”

“Yes. Are you saying that the flexibility in the way they operate can be a benefit?”

“Have you had conversations with the Government or anybody else about putting something like that in place and what the framework would be?”

“You mentioned the rally event. So that we understand how you fit into that, what was the process for bidding for and then organising that event?”