Seòmar agus comataidhean

Are you confident that the indicators will be ready fairly soon, so that we can look at them?

Should the committee expect some of the indicators to show a worsening position because of the economic situation that we are in?

Before I ask my final question, I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which states that I am still a councillor.

On the issue of linking budget to outcomes, there are ring-fenced funds that go to local government to prioritise some of the outcomes in the national planning framework. However, there are other outcomes on culture and economic development where local authorities want to do the right thing but do not feel that there is a budgetary benefit to them in the short term from doing so. Could that be addressed?

How do the local outcome improvement plans map to the performance framework? Is a check done to ensure that they are aligned?

In 2018, Derek Mackay said that

“A small number of indicators have yet to be developed.”

We still have 11 indicators—about 13 per cent of them—to be developed or for which there is limited data. When can we expect those indicators to be put in place?

That would be helpful.

Four of the missing indicators are in education. The Government said that its top priority was education, so why have those indicators not been prioritised?

Thank you. As has been mentioned, indicators show that performance is worsening in relation to work, business and, in particular, economic growth. Last week, the committee heard that economic growth is key for us as a nation. The lack of economic growth will surely have an impact on many of the other indicators, particularly those on poverty. Does that concern you?

That would interrupt the data but, according to the report, the indicators are still “in development”.

Of the 70 indicators, only 17, or 24 per cent, show improvement. Because they are long-term measures, should we be happy with that performance? I know that any Government would like 100 per cent improvement everywhere, but I guess that that is not realistic. Would you say that 24 per cent is a good figure?

Yes, but I suppose that any calls from local government for more money must be tied to the outcomes-based approach.