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Allan Faulds has touched on a point that I want to explore, which is the divergence in the Government’s position. We are told that economic growth is one of the Government’s and the First Minister’s key priorities, yet, at the same time, reference to economic growth has been removed from the document that we have in front of us.

I wonder whether that relates to some of the other issues that have been raised in evidence. The ALLIANCE’s submission says that there is an implementation gap between the policy objectives and reality. When the Government is pulling in one direction and the rhetoric is going in another, that makes me wonder what the purpose is. What Adam Boey described was a form of organisational discipline for the bureaucracy, so that it can drive towards a purpose, but if there is a mismatch between those two forms of language, is that not a core problem? Should there not be coherence across those areas?

Councillor Hagmann, it is nine weeks until the budget announcement in Holyrood. How are the discussions going?

Is it the same as in previous years? Do you have a better understanding of the strategic approach that is being taken this year?

The cabinet secretary has been quite clear to us that the medium-term financial strategy will come alongside the spending review, which will happen in the spring, so I think that multiyear budgets are probably for that point. However, with regard to decisions to be taken this year, have you told the cabinet secretary the things that you think you should stop doing?

It sounds to me as though we are reaching the end of the road with regard to head count reduction before it affects legal requirements. Is that correct?

Given that we are nine weeks out from the budget and these are long-term discussions that have gone on for a decade and more, it does not seem realistic that we will see proposals coming forward in time for the Government to change anything this side of the ledger.

Okay, so there are no proposals—

I tend to disagree, I have to say. We are going to see cuts to services, and we have just had a third year of chaotic in-year budget cuts that are affecting the ability of all services to deliver outcomes for people across the country. By the sounds of things, there will be large increases in council tax. There are consequences to the fiscal framework not being complete. The reality is about whether it gets done, not whether there are meetings going into the diary to discuss it. The situation has gone on for years. The ask is for Government to take a strategic approach to the budget. All the evidence that you have given us indicates that, so far—although I am sure that the diary secretaries are working very hard to get time in diaries—there are not any proposals on the table about anything strategic. Is that not the case?

We are nine weeks out. I understand that the budget that is set at UK Government level will substantially inform what happens afterwards, but the reality is that that will involve percentage points of difference. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said in recent weeks that the Government should be using this budget strategically to have conversations with local government and other service providers in order to take long-term decisions. I feel that, nine weeks out, if there were strategic decisions to be taken on some of the things that you call for in your document and on what the Government should be clear about—what should be stopped as policy and what the focus should be—that should be the substance of the conversations. Is that the case? Do you think that it will be a strategic budget?

With regard to the submission that you provided to the committee—as the convener said, it is very useful—it seems to me that there is a real frustration with some of the short-term decisions that are being taken. Your submission states:

“Scottish Government policy and spending decisions that run counter to the VHA”—

that is the Verity house agreement—

“such as the council tax freeze and maintaining ... teacher numbers, will prevent councils from achieving better outcomes for their communities.”

That is really about ad hoc, on-the-hoof policy decisions that are taken outwith the cycle of negotiation. Do you have confidence that, this year, we will not see that kind of approach to budgeting from the Government? Is it saying to you that there is a long-term approach?