Chamber and committees

On finances, I understand that the Scottish Parliament information centre requested data on income and expenditure plans but Registers of Scotland was not able, or not willing, to provide it. We also have questions about transparency over staffing. The impression that we get is that less information is being shared than in previous corporate plans. You have set out why there is vagueness on staffing levels—it is because you are undergoing a workforce planning project. We feel that less information is available on income and expenditure projections compared to what we have previously received. Why were you not able to share more of that information with us?

I am looking at the time.

Before I bring in Alexander Burnett, I also want to ask about the issue of expedited cases. Do you have any figures in that respect? I see that, in 2020-21, the expedite option had a 54 per cent success rate—that is, only 728 out of 1,359 applications were accepted for the expedite process. Why is the rate of refusal of expedite applications so high?

I see that, in 2021-22, 49 per cent of requests were approved, which is actually below 50 per cent. It looks as if the rate might be increasing this financial year, although the number of applications is lower. Nevertheless, it still seems quite high. If it is not appropriate for cases to be expedited because people have made mistakes, can you not try to deal with that situation by ensuring that there are not so many requests coming in? After all, it is your organisation that has to process them.

Rejections have been mentioned. There has been an increase in the number of rejections. In 2021-22, which is the last full year, the increase in the number of rejections has been significant; the number of rejections of applications over three months old has more than doubled. Why has it gone up at that rate? Do you think that the number will stabilise? I know that it is a small percentage of all cases, but the rejection rate is on an upward trajectory.

In 2021, 716 applications were rejected. In the following year, 1,247 were rejected. The number of rejections went up quite a lot. Was that for the same reasons that you outlined, or is there another reason why the number spiked?

I will bring in Michelle Thomson, who has a quick supplementary question on that point.

Thank you. I take the opportunity also to thank you for the monthly reports that the committee has been receiving. This is an area of interest to the committee, and there are a number of areas that we wish to explore this morning. I hand over to Colin Smyth.

Yes.

I remind witnesses and questioners to be as concise as possible. We want to get through quite a lot this morning. After this, I will bring in Jamie Halcro Johnston for a wee supplementary, before the next question.

Our next item of business is an evidence session on the activities and performance of Registers of Scotland. Registers of Scotland is a non-ministerial office and part of the Scottish Administration. It is directly accountable to the Scottish Parliament and responsibility for scrutiny falls mainly within the remit of this committee.

I welcome Jennifer Henderson, keeper of the Registers of Scotland, who is joined by Christopher Kerr, registration and policy director, Registers of Scotland.

As always, I ask members and witnesses to keep their questions and answers as concise as possible. I invite the keeper to make a short opening statement.