Chamber and committees

Thank you for that. We are in a fairly challenging financial situation in the public sector, and I know that members will be keen to look fairly closely at the 8.4 per cent overall increase that Audit Scotland is proposing. It would not be wrong to say that, in general, increases in the public sector are fairly limited at the moment, with many thinking that, if they get any increase or even a non-increase, they have come out well. All that should come out during the questioning today, and I hope that we will get to a conclusion on that.

Let me start with the first question. We welcome the fact that you did not look for additional revenue funding in 2023-24 in the spring budget revision, but can you tell me what steps you took to identify the significant efficiency savings that have been used to alleviate staff cost pressures and to fund capital investments, particularly in view of the extent of the challenges and risks to the 2023-24 budget, which you previously reported to the commission?

I will hunt through for that later.

Will you apply the same measures in 2024-25 that you have taken in 2023-24 in relation to cost management?

So you have a system for work in progress.

I welcome Neil Gray, the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, and Colin Cook, who is the director for economic development at the Scottish Government. I invite the cabinet secretary to make an opening statement.

I call Kevin Stewart.

There are no further questions from members. Thank you very much, cabinet secretary and Mr Cook. I suspend the meeting and we move into private session.

The ultimate aim is to return the airport to the private sector. How does that impact on the strategic direction of the airport?

I will begin with a general question. What involvement does the Scottish Government have in setting the strategy for the airport?

You will always have the possibility of a sale looming in the background, so any strategy that you set for the short to medium term is bound to be affected by that, to some extent.

Good morning, and welcome to the Economy and Fair Work Committee’s 31st meeting in 2023. We have received apologies from our convener, Claire Baker, who cannot be here because of illness.

Agenda item 1 is a decision on taking business in private. Are members content to take in private item 3, which is consideration of evidence that has been heard?

Members indicated agreement.