Chamber and committees

Do you get a sense that that aspect is now factored in and that it will become much more of a feature of the work that is carried out?

Thank you. I turn to Willie Coffey, who has more questions on the Covid response.

We see a lot of your reports and I thought that it was interesting that your recommendations in this one are aligned with timetables. You have got things that you expect to happen within three to six months, over the next 12 months and then over the next 12 to 18 months, and I think that that is a useful way of addressing some of the challenges that you have identified. It seems to me to be quite innovative and very useful.

Have you agreed those timescales with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service?

Good morning. Welcome to the 17th meeting of the Public Audit Committee in 2023. We have apologies from Colin Beattie.

The first item on our agenda is to agree—or not—to take agenda items 3, 4 and 5 in private. Do we agree to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

I will bring Willie Coffey back in now because he has more questions about some of the innovations that were developed during the course of the pandemic.

That concludes our questions. I thank the Auditor General, Lynsey Davies and Mark Taylor for their evidence this morning.

There is no evidence of jiggery-pokery. I am glad to hear it.

Agenda item 2 is consideration of the report produced by Audit Scotland into the criminal courts backlog. I welcome to the committee Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, who is joined by Mark Taylor, audit director and Lynsey Davies, audit manager, both from Audit Scotland.

As usual, Auditor General, we have a number of questions that we would like to put to you. However, before we do that, I invite you to make a short opening statement.

So, is that is a yes?

Just roughly.