Chamber and committees

The committee will have to consider how we can best seek to get to the bottom of that.

We are limited for time and I am conscious that Colin Beattie has a series of questions that he wants to put, so I invite him to do so now.

Sharon Dowey asked about commissioning. I would like to ask Caroline Lamb, who is the chief executive of NHS Scotland as well as the director general of health and social care, about the commissioning model, which is not the model for the national health service, is it? Arguably, there would be an outcry if we went down that route as the model for delivering NHS services.

As part of your discussions with COSLA, and looking to the national care service of the future, are you looking at alternatives to a competitive tendering model, which is how the commissioning model has developed?

Thank you for that opening statement. I will invite committee members to come in with questions, but I will begin by reflecting on what the Auditor General told the committee when he appeared on 3 March to talk about the social care briefing that he produced. In his opening statement, he said that

“The Scottish Government needs to take a pragmatic approach and set out what can be improved now, without legislation, while taking time to determine where the national care service can add most value.”—[Official Report, Public Audit Committee, 3 March 2022; c 3.]

You have both spoken about the statement of intent and joint partnership proposals, but what is happening right now? What is your action plan and what steps are you taking at the moment?

That is fine. That is clear.

Okay, but could there have been a breach of the act?

Again, if there was written authorisation or ministerial direction and it was not recorded with you or the clerk of this committee, which is one of the requirements of the act, that could also represent a breach of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000.

Thank you very much for that opening statement. It covers many of the areas that we want to probe in our questions.

I invite Nicola Dickie to make her opening statement.

Donna, do you want to supplement Caroline’s comments?

As I mentioned at the beginning of the meeting, we are pressed for time, so it would be helpful if our witnesses could keep their answers concise.

Willie Coffey has some questions in this area, so I invite him to come in.

We are really running short of time, Mr Beattie.