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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 17 March 2025
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Displaying 2095 contributions

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Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

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

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

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

National Strategy for Economic Transformation

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

National Strategy for Economic Transformation

Meeting date: 14 March 2024

Willie Coffey

I appreciate that. Thank you very much.

Public Audit Committee

National Strategy for Economic Transformation

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

National Strategy for Economic Transformation

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

National Strategy for Economic Transformation

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

National Strategy for Economic Transformation

Meeting date: 14 March 2024

Willie Coffey

I imagine that you will follow through on that work, Auditor General.

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

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

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of the Scottish Prison Service”

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.