Chamber and committees

So, the ONS decides that classification, which means that it is very consistent throughout the UK.

I saw Professor Flinders nodding at one point. Do we need commissioners to look at the long term?

That was all extremely helpful.

I have a final question. Earlier, you talked about round-table events and how they are safe spaces. Are those events recorded or the proceedings published? Is a summary of what happens provided? How does that work?

Okay—that is great. Thanks, convener.

Pursuing the cross-border placements issue a bit more, I presume that it is better for a young person to be nearer to the local authority area that is responsible for them. As I understand it, the local authority is still responsible for education and other measures of support.

Thanks. That is very helpful. I will come to Professor Flinders shortly, but I will press you on something that you said. You mentioned the short term and the long term quite a few times in your answer. Do you think that it is impossible for politicians and civil servants to take a long-term view unless there is somebody outside kicking them?

Thanks. Professor Martin, do you have any comments?

I am interested in the Wales Centre for Public Policy, which other witnesses have spoken of quite positively. Does Scotland need something like that? In Scotland, we have an ad hoc relationship between Government, Parliament and academia; we bring people in to talk about a particular issue and then do not speak to them for a while. Is there just a better relationship between the Government and the universities and academics in Wales and that, as a result, it is a longer-term relationship?

You are not suggesting some quick cut-off—in fact, you are suggesting that it will probably take time—but the aim is that, over time, children from Kent and Cornwall should not be coming to Scotland.

That is great.

I fully accept that there will be a new—or revised—financial memorandum, but I note that at the moment the overall total costs range from £10.67 million to £11.94 million. That is a pretty small amount compared with other bills that the committee has looked at, although I accept that it is still money that we need to look at.

The other thing that struck me was how tight the forecast was. There is, broadly speaking, only a 10 per cent difference between the bottom and top costs. That is a good thing, because we sometimes see financial memorandums that have been absolutely all over the place. How is your range so tight? Indeed, I think that there are some people who feel that it is perhaps too tight.