Seòmar agus comataidhean

I have one final quick question in relation to the public sector workforce. It is almost a “Play Your Cards Right” question. At the end of 2025-26, do you anticipate the core civil service workforce being larger or smaller than at the beginning of the year?

That would be useful, thank you.

When he opened, the convener talked about in-year budget reallocations and transfers. What are the Scottish Government’s currently anticipated in-year transfers between portfolios in 2025-26? Do you have any notion as to what the size of those in-year transfers might be?

For the benefit of those who might be a bit cynical about the way in which the figures are being presented, can you give us some assurance that they are not set out deceptively so as to artificially increase the health and social care figure at the start of the tax year in order to fit a political narrative when, in fact, we know that a significant in-year transfer will take place—in particular, to local government? What is the reason for the money starting in one pot and ending up in another?

Good morning, Alison. In addition to the sponsored bodies that you engage with, you have committed a considerable amount of money to Sustrans through a number of programmes—principally, the places for everyone programme. I understand that that programme is coming to an end and that you will move to a model whereby you directly fund councils for active travel.

Obviously, that was an innovative way of funding those projects and developments but, bearing in mind that Sustrans is a charity and also a lobbying organisation, does the fact that you are moving to a model whereby you fund councils directly reflect any concerns about delivering those services through such a model?

That is an important issue, and I would welcome the views of other representatives if they wanted to come in on that.

Good morning, minister, and happy new year. It is clear from what you have set out that the measure is raising revenue, but it is less clear that it is meeting its policy objectives. If you were to give a percentage level of confidence and assurance that the measure is actually meeting the objective of protecting opportunities for first-time buyers, what would that percentage be? Would it be 10 per cent, 50 per cent or 80 per cent?

I want to go back to Lynne Raeside, briefly. In relation to the Scottish budget and the Scottish economy, it is vitally important that the proceeds of having highly skilled and highly paid jobs are shared throughout Scotland. Last year, Dumfries and Galloway had the largest net outbound migration of young people and was one of seven local authority areas in Scotland that experienced net depopulation.

What is the silver bullet that we need at the national level to ensure that, if we bring skilled jobs to Scotland, we do not see them only in Edinburgh and—as might be the case to a lesser extent now—Aberdeen? On the shift in population and population saturation by local authority area, East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian are clearly buckling under the pressure. What do we need to do at the national level to make sure that we can bring skilled jobs, firstly, to Scotland and, secondly, to areas like the south-west of Scotland, where there is clearly an issue in relation to young workers leaving the region?

Is the principal policy intent to tackle what some people perceive as an unregulated buy-to-let market? That goes alongside some of the measures that you have introduced in relation to rent controls, evictions and so on. Alternatively, were the sort of people who want to buy cottages in Elie as second homes also in your sights?

You have said that you think that the policy is providing an advantage to first-time buyers. One issue that has come up in evidence that I have had from constituents is that, because rents are rising significantly, first-time buyers are finding it increasingly difficult to raise deposits to be able to enter the market in the first place. If rents are rising partly as a consequence of landlords hoping to maintain yields—for example, to recover the additional ADS—could that not mean that rents are rising disproportionately compared with those in the rest of the UK and that Scottish first-time buyers are therefore at a disadvantage, because it will take them longer to save the deposit to enable them to leave the rental market and go into the ownership market?

My question is also about workforce issues. I note that you currently have a freeze on essential recruitment and a head count of 145. We have just been discussing public sector reform with the Auditor General, including reforms to structures and to the workforce. The private sector organisations that you work with will be seeing a dramatic shift in the needs and skills of their own workforces. One current issue right across the public sector in Scotland is the assumption against compulsory redundancies. As you reform and look at your own structure and workforce, would lifting that restriction on compulsory redundancies be helpful in ensuring that your organisation is truly match fit for the challenge of delivering for enterprise in the south of Scotland?