Chamber and committees

David, do you have any comments to make on Scotland Excel from SCVO’s perspective?

I welcome our second panel of witnesses. They are Lindsey Millen, who is the head of policy and development at Close the Gap, and Martin Rhodes, who is the chief executive of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum. Dave Moxham from the STUC is unable to attend this morning and has sent apologies. As always, I note that, if members and witnesses keep their questions and answers as concise as possible, we will get through business.

I have an initial question. We are undertaking a post-legislative inquiry on the 2014 act, and we are interested to know whether panel members feel that the act has been of benefit. What are the key changes that have happened, and what are the biggest challenges that remain? Perhaps Martin Rhodes would go first.

I thank our witnesses for their evidence—it is much appreciated.

I now close the public part of the meeting and we will move on to the private session.

Good morning, and welcome to the seventh meeting in 2024 of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. Under our first agenda item, we must decide whether to take item 3 in private. Are members content to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

The submission from the SCVO that we received said that the recent Scottish Government spending review highlighted procurement as an area where efficiencies could be achieved. Do you have concerns that that puts further pressure on the cost components of bids? We passed the budget yesterday, and we know about the pressures that there are on Scottish spending. However, do you have any concerns that procurement is being seen as an area in which we could gain efficiencies? That area was highlighted in the paper.

The SCVO has provided in its written submission six suggestions for improvements, one of which involves necessary accreditations.

That is great. Thank you very much for your evidence this morning. I suspend the meeting to allow for a changeover of witnesses.

Do you have an example of a local authority that has successfully brought procurement and equality together? The committee heard about the community wealth-building pilots when we last looked at the issue.

There is also the £4 million threshold, which means that, with contracts of a value equal to or in excess of £4 million, authorities must consider including community benefit requirements. Martin, do you have any views on that? The committee has heard previously about the community wealth building pilots—I think that there is one in Clackmannanshire, and that five regional authorities are involved overall—but do you think that that threshold is still appropriate and effective in driving community benefit policies?

Under our next item of business, we will take evidence on the draft Consumer Scotland Act 2020 (Relevant Public Authorities) Regulations 2024. I welcome Tom Arthur, the Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance, who is joined, from the Scottish Government, by Heather Galbraith, a solicitor, and Neal Rafferty, the head of the heat strategy and consumer policy unit.

I invite the minister to make a short opening statement.