Chamber and committees

I can take a question from Graham Simpson, if it is very brief.

Good morning, and welcome to the 25th meeting in 2022 of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. No apologies have been received from members. Jamie Halcro Johnston is joining us remotely.

Our first item of business is to decide whether to take agenda items 3, 4 and 5 in private. Are members content to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

I want to move on to issues around the labour market. One of the issues that came through in our inquiry was inactivity, which we discussed when you gave evidence. We recognise that it is not a huge factor here, but it is a factor, and the 10-year economic transformation plan says that it will systematically address Scotland’s Labour market connectivity challenges. Is work being taken forward on that?

In its budget report, the committee expressed concerns about the £53 million cut to employability services, and we wrote a letter to the cabinet secretary about that this week. Are timescales attached to any work that is being done in relation to the economic plan? Is there an action plan to address the issue?

Previously, our rate was higher than the UK’s.

There is a difference of 0.1 per cent. The percentage increase in activity is quite small, but it is equivalent to 20,000 people. Thank you for that clarification.

Seventy-four per cent of contracts through the public procurement system were Scottish. The committee welcomes that. We asked whether the data could be improved and whether we could see the data by region or by a smaller base rather than data for the whole of Scotland. Although we recognise the value of the contracts that have been awarded across the whole of Scotland, we want to see the potential for more value to local economies. Is it possible to get that information?

I am sorry to interrupt. It would be helpful if you could share that with us but, for example, in relation to Mid Scotland and Fife, which I represent, does the document tell us whether Fife Council’s contracts are going to Fife companies or companies in more deprived areas and so on? Do you understand what I mean?

Does anybody bring together those two types of reports? The committee probably wants to have the information in those two types of reports combined. It would be helpful if you could share the reports that you have referred to with the committee.

Any bodies that spend below £5 million are not covered in that report.

That is helpful. Thank you.