Thank you, convener. I was not going to say much. Basically, it is all there on the side of the tin, so to speak. The purpose of the group is primarily to consider how we can improve people’s health, particularly when it comes to reducing tobacco usage and alcohol misuse, as well as to consider the obesity epidemic.
I am delighted that it is truly a cross-party group in that all five parties that are represented in the Parliament have members. As you said, convener, there is a joint convenership between me and Jenny Marra. We will alternate convenership of the meetings, and we will meet four times a year.
We have already had substantial interest from outside the Parliament. About 20 organisations have already joined the group, subject to its being approved. We have started to consider the agenda that we will have over the next year. We are clear that we want to set goals that can be achieved and that we can benchmark year by year.
Like other cross-party groups, we hope to raise our group’s profile through debates in the Parliament and questions, and we also want to engage fully with the Scottish Government, for example by having members of the health team making presentations and answering our questions at various meetings.
That is it, really. The secretariat is being provided jointly by ASH Scotland and Alcohol Focus Scotland. There is no membership fee for anyone to join. I encourage MSPs on the committee, if it is agreed that the group should be formed, to join and participate in it.