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Sir Mark told MSPs that two allegations of racism had been made against senior staff and were being taken "very seriously". He said that HES took a "zero-tolerance" approach and said one had been "dealt with" while in the other investigation was ongoing. Green MSP Patrick Harvie put it to Sir Mark that a "zero-tolerance" approach would mean that anyone found to have expressed racist views would be removed from the organisation. The HES chairman replied: "No. that's not my understanding. "My understanding is that what it means is that wherever it's encountered it will be dealt with appropriately." Sir Mark said it would be "entirely misleading" to suggest that the HR staff had attempted to "cover up" the recommendation of a review into working culture. He said that concerns about the behaviour of senior managers would be investigated in a "rational order" before an overarching review was carried out. Sir Mark told MSPs: "Even during this troubled period it should be remembered that HES has many dedicated and experienced staff who are doing a great job. "But that is not to deny that we have problems. Clearly we do and they need to be tackled."
