Chamber and committees

Thank you; that is helpful to know.

Before I bring in Jeremy Balfour, who will cover the points that you raised about cost pressures, the fiscal framework and the costs of the adult disability payment, which is the real driver behind the increased cost of social security to the Scottish Government, I want to take you back briefly to Pam Duncan-Glancy’s question about employment. What is your expectation for how much of an impact the omicron variant will have on employment levels and, therefore, social security levels in the coming months? Do you have any update on that from your previous forecasts?

Professor Smith, you are shaking your head.

Thank you.

I can see that Claire Murdoch wishes to come in.

That is very helpful and interesting. Just to be clear, are you assuming that the assessment process for ADP will be more accurate and will therefore result in fewer reviews?

Do you have any further questions, Jeremy Balfour?

Item 2 is post-budget scrutiny of the 2022-23 Scottish budget. This morning, we will hear from two panels. The Scottish Fiscal Commission will be followed by the Scottish Women’s Budget Group. From the Fiscal Commission, I welcome Dame Susan Rice DBE, chair; Professor Alasdair Smith, commissioner; and Claire Murdoch, head of social security and public funding.

I invite Dame Susan to make an opening statement.

Thank you very much. If members would like to come in at any point to ask a question or witnesses would like to supplement an answer, they should type R in the chat box and I will do my best to facilitate that. I ask members to direct their questions, in the first instance, to Dame Susan, who can delegate from there.

Thank you.

I will bring in Pam Duncan-Glancy next, followed by Jeremy Balfour.