Chamber and committees

You mentioned finance. Is it correct that voluntary registrations and keeper-induced registrations were partly funded by the financial reserve model that you had previously? We heard earlier that that is no longer the organisation’s financial model. You said that you are now getting to bits of land that will be difficult and resource intensive to register, so that will also mean a financial commitment.

At the moment, it has been paused. What does that mean?

So, it would be the responsibility of the Scottish Government to make the changes in those areas, to come into line with this legislation.

That might be helpful. MSPs have a lot of knowledge on consumers, and an approach through the committee similar to what Audit Scotland does might work.

That is great, thank you.

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the 16th meeting in 2023 of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. I have received apologies from Colin Beattie, and John Mason is attending in his place.

Our first item of business is a decision on whether to take in private items 3 and 4 today and consideration of two legislative consent memorandums at a future meeting. Do members agree to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

Will somebody say a bit more about the cost of living? Do you have examples of your work that is focused on directly supporting consumers or on looking at the cost of living issues that impact on consumers?

The Competition and Markets Authority has looked at dynamic pricing, which is an area where reserved and devolved areas cross over, so it is a question of what is in the capacity of Consumer Scotland to do. It is an area of ticket pricing that has moved on, and it is the mainstream ticket providers that now, in my view, exploit fans with dynamic pricing. However, that is for another day. We will move on.

To add to Maggie Chapman’s point, Audit Scotland, as an organisation, consults MSPs about its work programme through the Public Audit Committee, and we are asked for our views on the work programme. I do not know whether that is something that Consumer Scotland would consider doing in the future.

Thank you.