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Displaying 2685 contributions
Finance and Public Administration Committee
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
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
Okay, so it is an error in your submission.
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
What is the further comment that you want to make on taxation?
Finance and Public Administration Committee
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
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
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
Please carry on with your other point.
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
I have been to Drumpellier park many times.
Finance and Public Administration Committee
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
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
Meeting date: 27 September 2022
Kenneth Gibson
Sure—thank you.