SNP MSP Kate Forbes asks whether the government will provide an update on plans to build a new Belford Hospital in Fort William.

Image source, bbc

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf says Fergus Ewing last met them on 10 May on decisions about the future.

Mr Mundell asks if Mr Yousaf is aware of concerns from staff over the current appraisal system.

Mr Yousaf says the government are aware of this and there is a review into skills gaps.

Of the review he says: "We should give it the time and space to be undertaken."

Tory MSP Oliver Mundell asks when ministers last met representatives of Forestry Commission Trade Unions and what issues were discussed.

Image source, PA/Thinkstock/Getty Images

We now move to general questions

The committee considers a series of biannual reports produced by the Scottish Government in relation to EU issues.

Read more here., external

The committee moves into private session.

Image source, Scottish government

Europe Minister Alasdair Allan says the government has sought to provide information to the UK government with Scotland's Place in Europe, external and beyond, but the UK government has not been enthusiastic.

He says the Scottish government got a few hours notice ahead of Theresa May's statement on EU citizens.

Mr Allan says we should not be in the position of taking rights away from citizens.

Mr Allan says the bulk of the work is done through the international development side of government but there is cooperation around climate justice and the climate ministers.

He says there are cross-overs between the work the government does in developing countries and the work here.

Mr Allan says an example may be where health in Malawi can be prepared with that in Scotland.

Joanna Keating from the Scottish government says it has been important to raise awareness of global goals and map that across the national performance framework.

Ms Keating says the national performance framework is used as one of the monitoring programmes.

Image source, UN

From the UN website, external;

17 Goals to Transform Our World

"Governments, businesses and civil society together with the United Nations have started to mobilize efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Agenda by 2030.

"Universal, inclusive and indivisible, the Agenda calls for action by all countries to improve the lives of people everywhere.

"In 2015, countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, external and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

"In 2016, the Paris Agreement on climate change, external entered into force, addressing the need to limit the rise of global temperatures.

"Explore this site , externalto find out more about the efforts of the UN and its partners to build a better world with no one left behind."

Committee convener Joan McAlpine says one of the key things that emerged from stakeholders in international development was the the importance of the UN Development Goals.

Mr Allan says the global goals are something that the government seeks to align its policy with.

The international development minister says the goals are something that the government tries to live up to at home and abroad.

International Development Minister Alasdair Allan says following a wide participative consultation there was a new international development policy published last year.

Mr Allan says he is delighted by the reaction this has received and it is about being a good global citizen.

He says global citizenship is about who we are as a nation and international development work is a key part of that.

We now move to an evidence session on international development.

MSPs will hear from:

• International Development and Europe Minister Alasdair Allan
• Joanna Keating from the Scottish government

Green MSP Ross Greer asks what is the thinking behind targeting primary school pupils in with the experience fund initiative.

Ms Hyslop says "innovation".

The culture secretary says it has not been implemented yet but if young people are involved in arts and culture then they are more likely to be audiences of the future regardless of parental income.

Mr Greer says there are difficulties in engaging with senior high school pupils and what is being done to help with this.

Ms Hyslop says the government are in the process of gathering an evidence base.

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott asks if there have been any discussions around the R100 programme.

Ms Hyslop says there have been discussions around digital coverage and the commitment and expenditure from the Scottish government is welcomed by the tourism industry.

Ms Hyslop says tourism is integral to the Inclusive Growth Agenda.

Ms Hyslop says the tourism industry is conducting an assessment of the financial pressures having an impact on small businesses.

The culture secretary says the government will accept the Barclay review when it is presented and the industry assessment will be taken into account.

Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton says Derek Mackay announced a cap of business rates on 14.75%.

Ms Hamilton asks about the implementation of that cap.

Ms Hyslop says she thinks the cap was welcome and almost 50% of hotels are outwith business rates almost completely.

Mr Lochhead says the former RAF Base in Kinloss in Moray has been suggested for a location for a studio for outreach work.

Ms Hyslop says there is a constant search for popup studios and it is in the thinking of the government and being pursued.

The culture secretary says a permanent studio is required to be complimented by outreach studios.

She says she will speak to the MOD about Kinloss and others.

Image source, Pentland Studios

In April we reported Scotland's first purpose-built film and TV studio is to be created outside Edinburgh after the Scottish government approved the plans in principle.

It is hoped the vast Pentland Studios development will help attract more feature films and high-end TV productions to the country.

The privately-funded project had been mired in a planning wrangle for the past two years.

Its backers now believe the studio can be operational by the end of next year.

The studio, which will feature six huge sound stages, will be built on about 100 acres of greenbelt land at Old Pentland Farm in the Straiton area.

The decision to approve the plan in principle overturns a previous recommendation by a Scottish government reporter, external, who said permission should be refused.

The reporter concluded that the facility "would cause significant adverse effects on the character of the local landscape and on the visual amenity of those who live, work and travel nearby".

He also said there would be "clear conflict" with a number of provisions of the Midlothian Local Plan.

But Scottish ministers have now ruled that the economic and cultural benefits of the studio outweigh these concerns.

Read more here.