Chamber and committees

If you want to say your piece on that, feel free.

I will let Michelle Thomson ask a question and then will let Heather Williams in again.

I am impressed with these one-word answers. [Laughter.]

Yes, I think that the name is a bit dull as well. I have to say, though, that I do not think that the inclusion of the word “framework” in any title is helpful.

Does anyone else want to comment on that before we move on to other stuff?

Max French, you were not impressed with the consultation exercise that the Scottish Government carried out.

That is why I always give people a chance to wind up—so that they can fill in any gaps in our questioning. Do you wish to comment, Lukas?

Thank you for that.

Yes, it does. However, there are issues to do with the fact that the Scottish budget is more or less fixed, and concerns have been raised about the fact that, in Scotland, almost £1 billion more is paid out in social security than would have been the case if we had retained the same social security levels as the rest of the UK. That £1 billion has to come out of other areas of spending in the Scottish budget.

Another thing that you said in your submission is that you want to make use of

“national level taxes, including income tax, to the fullest extent possible.”

This morning, Mairi Spowage, who is the committee’s budget adviser, said on behalf of the Fraser of Allander Institute that the perception exists—I believe that it is a perception, rather than the reality—that Scotland’s taxation level is already potentially deterring investment, and that one in six businesses has argued that. What is your view on that? Would using taxation in the way that you suggest not be counterproductive?

I will make one other point on that before I widen out the discussion. In the evidence that we took last week from Professor Heald, an eminent economist at the University of Glasgow, he referred to the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s belief that the behavioural impact of last year’s increase in the top rate of tax is that 85 per cent of that revenue has been lost. We will come on to discuss that later. How can we get the balance right in that respect?

Lukas Bunse, you also seem to feel that the Scottish Government paid lip service to the consultation. Your submission said that you were

“very disappointed with the Scottish Government’s lack of investment into a meaningful consultation process”.

With regard to policy priorities, in your submission, you said that there should be

“an emphasis to include the voices of those that are seldom heard”

and

“a recognition that a thriving democracy requires opportunities for participation to be accompanied with the sharing of power”.

Can you expand on that a wee bit for us?