Yesterday, Reform Scotland published its “Computing the Future” report on the state of computer science teachers. It found that one in eight schools is without a dedicated computer science teacher, which is denying 32,000 pupils access to that resource. It found that there had been a 25 per cent drop in the number of computer science teachers over 15 years, which represents a denial of opportunity to young people and a brake on growth in that critical sector.

Four years on from the publication of the “Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review”, Mark Logan, its author, stated to the Education, Children and Young People Committee yesterday that trying to drive reform in the system, especially with Education Scotland, had been like dragging a heavily sedated bull elephant backwards through cold treacle. Referring to the “Computing the Future” report, he said that it all adds up to a bad static picture, and it sounded to him like a crisis.

Does the First Minister agree with the Scottish Government’s chief entrepreneur?

I take very seriously what the chief entrepreneur says, and I understand that Mark Logan has been working on the implementation of the recommendations and trying to make progress. If he needs a bit more assistance from the First Minister, I will certainly offer it.

I know that the Deputy First Minister will be keen to support him in his efforts, because pupils accessing computer science education is vital as an investment in the future of Scotland. Work is being delivered to establish new courses with the University of Aberdeen, if my memory serves me right, to take forward those priorities. I am very happy, as will be the Deputy First Minister, to engage with Mark Logan on that important question.