Chamber and committees

It is good to hear of an alternative. I will move to a question from Miles Briggs.

We turn to agenda item 2, which is to take evidence as a secondary committee on the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill at stage 1. We will be joined by three panels of witnesses.

Our first panel will explore local authority governance and structural issues. Joining us are Andrew Burns, a member of the Accounts Commission and Carol Calder, interim audit director, both from Audit Scotland; Eddie Follan, chief officer for health and social care at the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; Eddie Fraser, representing the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers Scotland; and Derek Yule, a council member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, otherwise known as CIPFA. I thank all our witnesses for joining us.

I have some initial questions about public expectations following the Covid pandemic. The questions are for everyone but, as we have only an hour, my colleagues and I might put a question to just one person as it may be relevant to that person’s work.

My first question is a general one for everyone. The Feeley review said that the Covid pandemic

“demonstrated clearly that the Scottish public expect national accountability for adult social care support and look to Scottish ministers to provide that accountability.”

Do you agree with that? Does anyone want to pick that up?

Before we move on to a question from Mark Griffin, I just want to say that we are almost at half-past 10. I hope that it is okay if we go 10 minutes over, because the information that we are getting is really important and we have three more questions to ask.

Do you want to come in on that, Douglas?

Thanks very much for bringing in the rural and island perspective.

Douglas, I am going to keep calling you, because I imagine that it is hard to get in when you are the only person online. Do you want to make a comment?

Does Dawn Roberts want to come in?

There is no need to apologise. It is always good to uncover other perspectives. Mark Griffin has another question.

Yes, if witnesses keep their answer brief.

That concludes today’s evidence session. Thank you all for coming. It has been good to get your perspectives on the situation in relation to housing and homelessness, and that has added another layer to the evidence. We will be taking further evidence on the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill at our next meeting on 15 November.

As we agreed at the start of the meeting, we will take the next two items on our agenda in private. We have no more public business today.