Seòmar agus comataidhean

How will the spatial strategy and planning policies that are to be set out in NPF4 help to deliver the Scottish Government’s emissions reduction commitments?

I refer to my entry in the register of members’ interests. I am a serving councillor on East Ayrshire Council.

A vast amount of work has been undertaken over the past few years by COSLA, the Scottish Government and partners towards creating a new fit-for-purpose fiscal framework, and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy is calling for a rules-based approach. What do you think a functioning fiscal framework between the two spheres of government would look like and will it be taken forward as part of the local governance review?

I will shift the gears a little and move on to the planning system. How have regional planning issues been accounted for in the development of the national planning framework 4, given that planning authorities have not yet had time to develop their full regional spatial strategies and that the pandemic has exacerbated that situation a little?

Good morning. Touching on what you have just talked about, I think that we have seen a huge shift in focus from processes to outcomes, and we in local government have learned lots of lessons over the past year and a half. In fact, local government has significantly changed its practices and has responded and adapted very quickly.

Antony Clark has already highlighted the digital issue, but can you give us some more examples of how local government adapted and changed quickly? Will this spirit of innovation and partnership involving local government and other partners and sectors continue so that we do not slip back into the old ways of working?

Thank you very much. The committee is one of the most dynamic and interesting ones, and I look forward to working with you all over the next five years.

As some of my fellow members are, I am an elected member, of East Ayrshire Council.