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Recommendation 7 deals with how regular contact between sponsorship teams and boards should be. What do you see as an appropriate level of contact and what form would that take? How can we avoid repeats of situations similar to those involving Bòrd na Gàidhlig and the Crofting Commission?

Finally, the briefing recommends that the Scottish Government should

“set out options and progress actions to meet the ... targets”

and that they be put in place, or certainly developed,

“well in advance ... of 2026.”

Are you sighted on the Government’s action or inaction in relation to that, and can you update us on what has been put in place?

Paragraph 71 mentions not only the importance of employability policies in meeting targets but the very long lead time before they have any impact. Mr Boyle, do you have any impression that the Scottish or UK Government is setting in place the long-term employability and employment policies that will help reduce and then eradicate child poverty over a longer cycle?

Recommendation 1 states that portfolio accountable officers should ensure that sponsor teams work with public bodies and their accountable officers to make sure that their roles and responsibilities are as clear as possible. Can you provide an update on the progress that has been made on implementing that recommendation throughout the Scottish Government?

Thank you.

Paragraphs 66 to 69 of the briefing look at whether the targets will be hit or missed and mention “key commentators” who have noted that policy changes will be required in order for the Government to achieve its poverty targets. Can you give a flavour of who those commentators are? I saw that the Fraser of Allander Institute was quoted in the report. What are those commentators’ recommendations on the significant policy changes that might help us to meet those targets?

The figures speak for themselves: in 2018-19, there were 1,238 cases and, most recently, the figure was 177, so there seems to be a causal link.

On the sum of the overpayments, the report states that the average individual value of housing benefit overpayments has risen from £2,300, in effect, in 2018-19 to nearly £6,700 in 2020-21. Are you aware of any particular reasons for that significant jump?

On the broader issue of recovery and prosecution, the public might be quite shocked to see that there was £15 million of potential fraud and overpayment in a single year and £160 million in total since the initiative began but, in the year that we are considering, only four cases were referred for prosecution in Scotland, which obviously does not mean that there would be a legal sanction against those individuals.

Let us look at a couple of the case studies that you used to highlight examples of fraud. In one, which concerns non-domestic rates and the small business bonus scheme, a ratepayer failed to declare other business premises, which resulted in an £11,000 overpayment. Apparently, that is the first business rates case to be reported for prosecution in Scotland, so action is being taken on that. However, on pensions, there is an example of somebody who claimed £10,560 and was overpaid £6,600. He received a police caution and the full amount was repaid. Then there is a case in relation to a council tax reduction claimant who failed to declare pension contributions and a pension lump sum but made off with nearly £15,000. The council is recovering the amount but there is no reference to any prosecution or any report to the procurator fiscal.

Is there a sense that the system is getting tough on recovery but there still seems to be a light touch approach on sanctions and prosecution?

I want to focus on the progress that has been made since the situation first emerged. The Auditor General’s report clearly identifies that relationships had deteriorated to a pretty poor standard. How have the working relationships between the commissioner’s office, the Standards Commission, the corporate body and the committees of the Scottish Parliament improved since what we might call their nadir?

Are you confident that it is sufficiently robust?