Seòmar agus comataidhean

Tough decisions are having to be made across the public sector, and that undoubtedly means that some very worthy causes are not getting as much money as we would like them to get, or that money is having to be moved from something that requires investment if it is going to cause change. When councils are having to make those tough decisions, is there enough communication from them on why decisions are being made and how long the situation is expected to be that way for the group or the issue in question?

How far in advance of the issuing of section 114 notices down south was there concern that that point might be reached? What were the warning signs that could have been spotted?

Participatory budgeting is a way for communities to feel that they have a stake in council budgeting decisions, but those who are not in the majority can be missed when it comes to decisions on where investment, or progress on the realisation of rights, may be required. How should councils engage with a community without allowing minority voices to be overshadowed?

Good morning. Can the commission point to any examples of good practice in community engagement in budget decisions?

Good morning. I want to pick up on COSLA’s comment that

“the timing of the response and related messaging has contributed to conflation between the SLARC recommendations and ongoing pay negotiations for our workforce, which is adding to a negative perception of the councillor role.”

Could you go into a bit more detail about why that comment was made?

I want to round things up by recognising the concerns that have been expressed by COSLA and SLARC. What does the cabinet secretary see as the next steps in the process?

Yes—just briefly. Was there a way to avoid that conflation? What should have been done differently?

I am grateful for that reassurance. Another big concern is inaccurate labelling and other landing documentation, particularly where vessels land in one place but sell elsewhere. Can the cabinet secretary speak to improvements in inspections and the rate of inspections at landing sites in order to verify catches?

That is great, thank you. Last week, we heard about the possibility of the marine directorate using quotas to raise revenue and incentivise behaviour change. Is the marine directorate able to do that currently, and what percentage of quota is allocated in that way?

Last week, the committee received evidence on how revenue could be raised by the marine directorate by using quota and making changes that incentivise behaviour change among those who are working in the industry and in order to ensure sustainability.