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If inflation is at 10 per cent and wages go up by 7 per cent, on average, that will still take a huge chunk of people into higher taxes and then they will be liable. Therefore of the extra money that they might get through a pay increase a higher proportion will be taken in taxes.

Do you think that the Minister for Finance and the Economy should be the chair, perhaps?

My reason for asking is that you mentioned the working group in your submission.

No, because I am sure that others will ask you about that.

You suggested that barriers to work need to be removed, so my question was about which barriers should be removed.

Thank you.

Stephen Boyle, I was astonished to read in your submission that

“there are over 40 different regular financial outputs published by ten government departments or public bodies”.

How can those be rationalised and made more transparent, and what savings might ensue?

The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee said:

“it would be helpful for the Scottish Government to provide a fuller explanation of the reasons for the timing of the instrument”.—[Official Report, Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, 6 September 2022; c 1.]

Can you help us with that?

Is it £37-odd million?

It seems a colossal sum of money, to be honest, and 95 per cent of data being locked up also seems a very high percentage. How did you come to those figures and, again, what is the split between the private and public sectors?

You said that it could be £70-odd million, as it could be doubled.