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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 28 November 2024
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Displaying 2685 contributions

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Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 27 September 2022

Kenneth Gibson

So you mean that we should reduce the number of rates assessment bodies, rather than rates assessors as it says in your submission?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 27 September 2022

Kenneth Gibson

Okay, so it is an error in your submission.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 27 September 2022

Kenneth Gibson

What is the further comment that you want to make on taxation?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 27 September 2022

Kenneth Gibson

I will bring in Alison Douglas as the final person to talk about taxation. Alison, your submission talks about increasing the minimum unit price for alcohol from 50p to 65p, which would have obvious implications.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 27 September 2022

Kenneth Gibson

Thanks—that was very helpful.

Given that that topic has not set the heather alight, I will move on to everyone’s number 1 budget priority. I ask for volunteers. Who wants to go first?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 27 September 2022

Kenneth Gibson

Please carry on with your other point.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 27 September 2022

Kenneth Gibson

I have been to Drumpellier park many times.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 27 September 2022

Kenneth Gibson

I now have five people who are keen to comment. I will take people in the order in which they indicated, and Clare Reid will be first.

Clare, in the section of your submission on digitalisation, something jumped out at me on the subject of how money could be saved in the public sector. You say:

“It has been estimated that Scotland’s health and social care data could be worth £800m every year, and deliver an estimated £5.4bn in savings for NHS Scotland—38% of its current budget and three times its predicted budget shortfall by 2025.”

The sheer magnitude of those figures leapt out at me. Given that two thirds of the NHS budget goes on staff costs, I am struggling to see where a 38 per cent budget saving could be made. Can you tell me how that could possibly be delivered, over what timescale, and what the implementation costs might be, as well as making the comments that you are keen to make?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 27 September 2022

Kenneth Gibson

We will move on to that. It is an excellent question and, as I said, it is one that I also wanted to move on to. Do you want to ask anything on the tax issue?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Finances 2023-24 (Impact of Cost of Living and Public Service Reform)

Meeting date: 27 September 2022

Kenneth Gibson

Sure—thank you.