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.
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Displaying 2095 contributions
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2024
Willie Coffey
Briefly on the previous point, how do the public see the fruits of that follow-up work on recommendations? For example, if the public went on to Audit Scotland’s website and picked a report, say from a couple of years ago, how would they quickly and easily see how recommendations were being followed up to get a sense of whether work on recommendations was being carried through?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2024
Willie Coffey
It is about connecting things from a report that was done two years ago, for example, so that the public can see the actions on recommendations and their impact. People must be able to connect the two and see pretty readily that the work has been done and has been effective.
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2024
Willie Coffey
That would be almost epilogues to your excellent reports.
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2024
Willie Coffey
I have a question on the local authority funding model. It always causes arguments and disputes and everyone is scared to touch it but, by and large, an authority that is losing population gets less money and an authority that is getting more population gets more money. We could argue that an authority that is losing population still has to deliver the same level of service. The local authority funding model is a tricky area to get anywhere close to, but have you looked at that? Would you be willing to do some work on it?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2024
Willie Coffey
Thank you for that. My final question is about the growth deals. Are you continuing to monitor progress with the spend on the growth deals and possibly also the levelling up funding, which is the replacement for European Union funding? Are you getting anywhere close to that to give us some perspective on what is happening?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2024
Willie Coffey
Have you looked at the benefits that were gained during the Covid experience? That came as a huge shock to everybody, but clear benefits arose from the digital transformation and digital engagement that suddenly became possible, in particular in Parliament. Are you covering that issue to see whether we are retaining the best of that, or are we giving that up and going back to the way we were?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2024
Willie Coffey
Absolutely. Thank you for that. I turn to the work that you are doing on digital exclusion. We know that your report is coming. I do not know how much of the game you want to give away, but could you give a little flavour of the issues and themes that you cover? I might follow up with more questions, depending on what you say.
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2024
Willie Coffey
Lastly, the journey that we make towards inclusion must not totally be driven by the digital agenda. There has to be parallel provision for people who cannot, for one reason or another, participate in the digital side. Services have to be available to people who are not in the digital world—who do not want to be, or cannot afford to be in it, and so on. Have you looked at that to make sure that there is that balance?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 18 April 2024
Willie Coffey
We will wait for the report.
I will ask a broader question about how the Government spends its money. Throughout your report and your slides you talk about reducing inequalities, which transcends almost everything that you have reported on. On inequalities—whether in respect of poverty, ill health, access to transport or access to the job market—will you consider how the Government spends money, perhaps even regionally, to try to ensure fairness and appropriateness of spend on tackling inequalities throughout Scotland?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 28 March 2024
Willie Coffey
Good morning. I will continue the discussion about public participation. Roy Brannen said that we need to bring everyone in society with us. Let us be honest—the pace and the sea change that we need are not quite happening yet. Are the subsidy schemes that are in place enough to accelerate that process and drive it forward, or do both Governments need to do more to assist with that?
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