Chamber and committees

Is there not any kind of threshold that requires ministerial approval? In the context of the ferries, we have discussed the role that ministers have clearly played in signing off the award of contracts, preferred bidder status and so on, so I am trying to understand whether there is an equivalence in the ICT area. Is ministerial sign-off part and parcel of the routine way in which such projects are given the green light?

Who chairs that, Mr Huggins?

Yes. Presumably those bodies have terms of reference. Would it be possible to share those with us?

We will be happy to see the ancient and the modern, and we can then compare the two. Thank you.

For my final question, I again turn to the summary of projects that you issued to us back in July. Forgive me, but one project in that caught my eye: the replacement and enhancement of the CalMac Ferries booking system. I think that that was started in 2016, but the date set on the note for completion and, I presume, for going live was November 2022. We are now in December. Can you assure us that that system is now live?

Agenda item 2, which is the principal item on our agenda this morning, is consideration of the Scottish Government’s latest update on major information and communications technology projects, which is something that the committee routinely receives.

I welcome to the meeting our Scottish Government witnesses: Sharon Fairweather, director of internal audit and assurance; Geoff Huggins, director of digital; and Yorath Turner, deputy director, digital people, strategy and corporate services, digital directorate. You are welcome, Yorath, and I hope that your salary reflects the length of your job title.

As there will be no opening statement, we will go straight to questions.

Good morning. I welcome everyone to the 30th meeting in 2022 of the Public Audit Committee.

Agenda item 1 is a decision on taking business in private. Does the committee agree to take agenda items 3 and 4 in private?

Members indicated agreement.

You mentioned citizen ID. Can you tell us what that is?

I have a question about an individual project that came out in the July summary: the Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd air traffic management strategy programme and the remote tower solution. The narrative in the report states that the project has been paused. My understanding is that it has been abandoned. What is the status of that project? What has happened to the £45 million of public money that was allocated to it?

Okay, but will that still be listed in the update?