Chamber and committees

That is very clear. You are suggesting that there is no economic impact, and, in cases in which there might be, you prioritise those. Is that the position of the organisations and other stakeholders that you work with, or have they raised concerns with you?

Good morning. What assessment do you make of the economic impact of the backlog on your customers and on the wider economy?

With the digitisation, how do you evaluate duplication? Do you have an administrative process to avoid or reduce duplication in applications and the like? Have you already got on top of that?

The amounts of money for AI that Willie Coffey mentioned are relatively small. Do you anticipate that, if what you are trying works, they will increase significantly over the next few years?

Thank you, deputy convener. I have nothing to declare other than the fact that I am a partner in a farming business and the owner of a registered croft.

I am sorry, but the question was about how it is being set up, not about local government utilising it. It is being set up in a way that means that the levy itself incurs VAT. Are you happy with that?

I would have thought that that would have been run past your office, if it was being considered—but okay.

I will move on, as I am conscious of time. There has been a lot of focus on winter fuel payments, the decision by the UK Labour Government to means test and the implications for Scotland in relation to what is now a devolved benefit. Has the Scottish Government made a request to defer the block grant adjustment?

I appreciate that. I accept that, if the block grant adjustment were to be deferred, the funding would still have to be paid back. That has been established. However, you are suggesting that you have not made a decision. Is there a timescale within which you have to make that request?

That is helpful. You have not made a decision on it yet.

So money has already been spent and staff have already been taken on, although maybe not to the—