The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 2685 contributions
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
Given that a significant proportion of rent comes from housing benefit, what are the Treasury implications for funding coming to Scotland? What will be the impact on Scottish housing associations and local authorities?
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
The £5.4 billion a year is across society and the £800 million is specifically for the NHS. Is that right?
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
Sure—come in now. Don’t worry—you will still get to say your bit on tax in a couple of minutes.
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
We will come back to some of those things.
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
I am sure that Catherine Murphy would agree with that.
We will move on, because time is marching. The point that Ross Greer made is very pertinent here. If the Scottish Parliament was to agree to many of the increases in taxation, they would have to be implemented from April, because we would have to do that under the Scotland Act 1998. We face funding pressures of £1.7 billion in the current financial year. How do we deal with those pressures given the financial straitjacket that the Parliament has?
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
I will come back to you on that point before too long.
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
Before you move on to that, on what timescale would we be able to deliver such savings?
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
Thank you. I note that, in your submission, you have said:
“For vulnerable clients with complex needs there is simply no substitute for local, face to face advice in person from a trusted, empathetic adviser”.
Despite the push for digitalisation, I am 100 per cent in agreement with that, not least because I was a Citizens Advice volunteer way back in the 1980s.
Before I let in Catherine Murphy, I must give Liz Smith’s apologies, as she has had to leave the meeting to attend a funeral.
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
Thank you. Are there any other points on the issue?
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
Thank you. Before we move on to transparency, I will bring in Alison Douglas.