Chamber and committees

Our second agenda item is consideration of whether to take in private agenda item 5, which is consideration of the committee’s work programme, and to take in private future consideration of its work programme. Do members agree to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Agenda item 3 is an opportunity for the committee to take evidence to inform its understanding of what its key priorities should be for this session. It is also an opportunity for the committee to inform its pre-budget scrutiny. The committee will take evidence virtually from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy and then take evidence from the Accounts Commission.

I warmly welcome to the committee for the first time in this session the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy. I also welcome her officials from the Scottish Government. Andy Kinnaird is a strategic engagement and planning reform co-ordinator, and Bill Stitt is team leader for revenue and capital, in the local government finance team.

I invite the cabinet secretary to make some opening remarks.

Thank you, cabinet secretary, we have a range of questions. We appreciate your coming and confirming that we will work together during the session. I look forward to that work.

I am curious to hear what you have to say about the policy areas that are key to economic and community recovery. Will you talk about that?

Many councils have declared climate emergencies and have climate officers or climate teams in place. Does the commission intend to assess the extent to which councils are contributing to Scotland’s net zero ambitions?

Thank you for that response—it is good to hear that you are planning to take on that work. I have talked to various climate officers in councils across the country, and they feel that they need some feedback on what they are doing and the impact that they are having, so it will be important to do that work. It is also heartening to hear about the idea of a national scope, too.

We have time for one more question; I will give it to Miles Briggs.

Thank you both for sharing your perspectives. We should absolutely celebrate the work of local government and every single person who works in it.

I call Elena Whitham.

I congratulate Elena Whitham on her appointment as deputy convener of the committee. I look forward to working with you, Elena.

Thank you very much. I was delighted to hear the declarations of interests from councillors who are on our committee; I believe that Willie Coffey is a former councillor. I think that we are starting out with some great perspectives.

Agenda item 3 is to choose our deputy convener. The Parliament has agreed that only members of the Scottish National Party are eligible for nomination as deputy convener of the committee.

Elena Whitham was chosen as deputy convener.

Under agenda item 5, the committee is asked to thank the session 5 Local Government and Communities Committee for its legacy report—which was brilliantly done—to note it for now, and to agree to consider the report as part of our discussions on our work plan.

Do members agree to note the legacy report? No member has indicated that they are not content to do so, so that is agreed.