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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: 14 March 2024
Willie Coffey
The whole estate cannot possibly offer all of the range of supports that you describe. Would you say that, even with the best will to deliver that right across the estate, it is beyond us to meet the needs of that ageing population, which is growing and changing?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 14 March 2024
Willie Coffey
Have we assessed any of that across the estate? Have we looked at that and recognised that specifically?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 14 March 2024
Willie Coffey
My question is about the growth forecast issues that we discussed a moment ago. This morning, the Fraser of Allander Institute has projected an improved growth forecast for Scotland in the next three years. The figures are slightly behind or slightly ahead of the rest of the United Kingdom figures, depending on how you read them. As we know, the UK has been in recession. The projection for the Republic of Ireland economy is four times that for Scotland. I never want to draw you into any political debate or comparisons—it is not appropriate to do that—but what levers are available to us in Scotland that can influence that to our advantage?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 14 March 2024
Willie Coffey
I appreciate that. Thank you very much.
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 14 March 2024
Willie Coffey
You mentioned that challenges with the information technology system mean that we cannot track spend across the portfolios, or even track budgets at all. What is the issue there?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 14 March 2024
Willie Coffey
It is always worth asking about the monitoring of progress and how it will be evaluated. You have mentioned that several times.
Auditor General, you said that the Government is updating the strategy and has reported that. Was it to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 14 March 2024
Willie Coffey
You have commented on the importance of making sure that we know what the evaluation process is and that it will be effective. Is it being fundamentally changed?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 14 March 2024
Willie Coffey
I imagine that you will follow through on that work, Auditor General.
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 14 March 2024
Willie Coffey
As I said, it is a difficult question for the public to even think about. To your knowledge, has anyone considered this? You learned from your experience in Kilmarnock that, in 2006, there were no wheelchairs there, but now the prison has them. The prison population is getting older and more infirm. It is a difficult question for society in general, isn’t it? Should we be thinking about that aspect of the prison population and about whether those people should be properly retained in prison?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 14 March 2024
Willie Coffey
Clearly, the public need to be assured about the risk or lack of risk to society at large, and that would have to be part of any such consideration.