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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 26 November 2024
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Displaying 1065 contributions

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Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 20 September 2022

Ross Greer

I agree absolutely. Given the context, it was a case of picking the least worst option.

I want to check something. The Deputy First Minister published a list a fortnight ago. Was there anything on that list that created a concern for COSLA about knock-on effects on the services that you deliver?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 20 September 2022

Ross Greer

In 2018, minor changes were made to increase council tax for band F and above. Did you take a view at that time, or have you done so since then, on whether that was effective and whether it met reasonable objectives?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 20 September 2022

Ross Greer

The housing section of your paper is particularly interesting. You mention—I presume that this was written well ahead of the publication of this year’s programme for government—the potential for greater use of rent pressure zones to effect positive policy change. Two weeks ago, the PFG announced a freeze on rents and evictions, and there is a long-term commitment on the introduction of rent controls.

Is that the direction of travel that you were trying to hint at in saying that more could be done with rent pressure zones? Do you think that what was announced in the PFG will achieve some of the objectives that you were looking for, or were you indicating something else?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 20 September 2022

Ross Greer

It is from paragraph 40, convener.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 20 September 2022

Ross Greer

Thank you. Does Susan Murray have anything to add?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 20 September 2022

Ross Greer

I agree with the convener about the quality of your written submission. It mentions increased revenue-raising powers for local government, which have been a long-running and obvious point of concern for COSLA. The workplace parking levy was introduced through legislation a few years ago. A fortnight ago, the programme for government confirmed that the transient visitor levy will be introduced during the current parliamentary year. The visitor levy has been a particular priority for COSLA.

What comes next? Now that you have succeeded on the visitor levy, which will be passed into law with the power going to local government, what is the next revenue-raising lever that COSLA would like to see being given to local government?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 20 September 2022

Ross Greer

Thank you. Another interesting point in the CIOT’s submission concerns the Government’s review of the additional dwelling supplement. You essentially urge that progress should be made on that. My line of questioning is similar to my previous one. Do you have a view on what would be a desirable outcome? Do you want a lower or higher rate of additional dwelling tax, or something else entirely?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 20 September 2022

Ross Greer

If we look back a couple of weeks, COSLA’s position in the recent local government pay dispute was that the Scottish Government needed to contribute more money to resolve the matter. Eventually, that happened. Two weeks ago, the Deputy First Minister published the budget revision explaining where that money had come from. Was money taken from the right places to settle the pay dispute?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 20 September 2022

Ross Greer

I am sure that many MSPs would empathise with that, in light of their experience of trying to attract staff to work in this building.

I have a final question on which I would like to hear everyone’s views. There has been a lot of discussion, which is playing out on Twitter and in newspaper columns today, about what more action the Scottish Government could take right now to help people through the cost of living crisis. There seems to be a tension, or perhaps a misunderstanding, around what can be done in future financial years, particularly around tax. Today, another newspaper column says that the Scottish Government should immediately increase income tax on higher earners to pay for something such as free school meals.

Obviously, the Scotland Act says that we cannot do that. If that decision were to be made, it could only apply from 1 April onwards. Is the discussion that is taking place around in-year revisions to the Scottish budget sufficiently well informed? Is a substantive debate taking place in our public sphere, or are people still coming at the issue with completely different levels of understanding of what the current fiscal arrangements allow and what they do not allow?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 20 September 2022

Ross Greer

Please do.