Chamber and committees

Okay. Finally, I will take you back to the cabinet secretary’s vision and therefore, I presume, to the Government’s vision. The cabinet secretary told Parliament that he had outlined his vision to Cabinet colleagues before he made his statement. He also spoke about the establishment of ministerial task forces, expert reference groups and stakeholder advisory groups. What are they going to do?

Okay. I invite Graham Simpson to put some questions to you.

Okay. I am not sure that I entirely understand that, but that is probably a reflection on me and not you, director general.

The deputy convener has questions on a number of areas.

You mentioned general levels of inflation, which have been high in the past couple of years, although they have come down a bit more recently. However, we are talking about an increase of 400 per cent, and more, in the expected cost of the construction of seven of those national treatment centres, are we not?

You are discussing “strategies” plural, but the concern expressed by the Auditor General was that there was “no single overall vision”. I know that, during the debate on his vision, the cabinet secretary told Parliament:

“I am not looking to publish a new strategy.”—[Official Report, 4 June 2024; c 91.]

Are we just going to keep going along with several “strategies” plural?

One of the phrases that is used is about treating people as close to home as possible, is it not?

I do not expect you to give me a comprehensive reply to this this morning, but who will be on the ministerial task force, the expert reference group and the stakeholder advisory group?

Is there a patient voice in and among all that?

Thank you. We are coming towards the end of our session, but we want to ask a few questions about estate management and where we are on capital expenditure.

There is a pause on capital investment, is there not? Will you describe what that means for the overall state of the NHS estate? Secondly, will you answer with particular reference to where we are with the national treatment centres, which were proffered as part of the solution to some of the things that we have spoken about this morning?