Chamber and committees

Colleagues might want to ask more about that, but I want to touch on one other issue. The medium-term financial strategy mentions that the Scottish Government will

“unapologetically direct our resources to those in greatest need”,

and it talks about

“effective targeting”.

Is that a hint that support and benefits for people will be more targeted, rather than universal?

I thank the Deputy First Minister and her officials for their evidence today. That concludes the public part of today’s meeting.

The next item on our agenda, which will be taken in private, is an evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, on a proposed contingent liability.

Yes. If we have a little time at the end, I might let you back in, but it is Michael Marra’s turn now.

Douglas, you are keen to come in briefly on something else.

Good morning, and welcome to the 17th meeting in 2023 of the Finance and Public Administration Committee. Under agenda item 1, we will take evidence from the Scottish Fiscal Commission on its economic and fiscal forecasts from May 2023 and the medium-term financial strategy. I welcome to the meeting Professor Graeme Roy, the commission’s chair; Professor Francis Breedon, a commissioner; and John Ireland, the commission’s chief executive.

Before we move to questions, I invite Professor Roy to make an opening statement.

Mr Ireland, if you want to come in at any point, just jump in—that will be fine.

In December, the Fiscal Commission forecast that tax receipts would be £384 million less than you are now forecasting. Can you explain why that has changed so much since December?

Yes.

So, in some ways, that was a one-off because of Covid and turbulence.

Thank you all for taking part and for your clear answers.

We will have a break and start again at 11 o’clock.

Welcome back to the second half of our meeting this morning. We now continue our evidence taking on the Scottish Government’s public service reform programme. Today, we will hear from Claire Burden, the chief executive of NHS Ayrshire and Arran, whom I welcome to the committee. We were meant to also be hearing from a representative of the Argyll and Bute integration joint board, but they are unable to attend today. I apologise that you are in the spotlight, Claire, but I am sure that we will get on okay.

We have about an hour, but we do not have to use all that time—we will see how we get on.

We are looking at public service reform. Initially, we thought that the Government was going to have a very clear path for that; more recently, it has been more the case that each organisation will be looking at reform itself. Do you think that that works, or do we need a stronger steer from the Government about the kind of reform that it is looking for and where we should be going? Are you comfortable that your organisation and similar organisations can drive forward reform yourselves?