Chamber and committees

I would like to pick up that theme of cross-departmental or collaborative working. Geoff Huggins, back in March you mentioned the digital commercial service—I think that you referred to it again this morning—which sits within your directorate but operates as a joint function with procurement. Could you develop that a little bit and tell us how that has changed the way that procurement or contract management arrangements work?

Okay. If, on reflection, you think that there is nuance to that answer, please come back to us, Mr Huggins.

You mentioned the digital board, and I think that you said that it is due to meet soon. Is that not the board that is minister-led, and is the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities not also involved in that?

When you gave evidence in March, I think that you said that there is, understandably, a group composed of officials that has oversight of those things. I think that you said that there is a minister-led body, as well, in which COSLA is involved.

Why does the note tell us that the expected start date is November 2022, not spring 2023?

Thank you very much for setting the scene. We have quite a number of questions on the areas that you have already identified as being critical to the assessment that you have made.

I will ask you first about the timing of the briefing. Obviously, it came out prior to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s autumn statement, which was made on 17 November. Why produce it prior to that statement? Why not produce it after the statement had been delivered?

The principal item on our agenda is consideration of the recent Audit Scotland report, “Scotland’s public finances: Challenges and risks”. I welcome our witnesses, Fiona Diggle, who is a manager at Audit Scotland; Richard Robinson, who is a senior manager at Audit Scotland; and the Auditor General for Scotland. You are very welcome. I also welcome Liz Smith, who joins the committee this morning for this part of our agenda. We will all have a series of questions to put on the briefing, but I first invite the Auditor General to make a short opening statement.

I will move to another area. You will not be surprised to learn that I was drawn very much to paragraph 42, in which you spell out once again that

“there remains a need for a public consolidated account to provide a comprehensive and transparent assessment of the state of Scotland’s public finances.”

Our trying to get that has been something of a mission for you and the Public Audit Committee. What progress is being made in attaining it?

We have a few minutes left, so I invite Liz Smith to ask a couple of questions.

Early in the briefing, you quote the Scottish Government’s assessment that it faces

“significant financial challenges”.

Sharon Dowey has a series of questions that address that.

That would be great. You are well versed in dealing with complicated matters and in giving us succinct reports, so thanks for that.