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Stephen, you have spoken to the committee about corporate transformation on many occasions. The Government is to have a new human resources and finance system, Oracle Cloud. Its original estimated cost was £22 million. Your report suggests that the estimate might now be £52 million. On the positive side, a substantial saving is expected if we combine and deliver the service, but, once again, it looks like a familiar story of the cost estimate for an information technology development project initially being far too low and then the estimated price of delivering it more than doubling. Will you give us a flavour of the background to the reasons for that and of what our expectations might be going forward?

Is detailed examination of complexity requirements for that phase under way?

Thank you for that.

I turn to the specific intervention at Prestwick airport, which again features in your report, Auditor General. The airport is now in its fourth year in a row in profit. The strategic importance of the airport was illustrated only last weekend, when it dealt with multiple diversions, emergencies and other events because of the weather that was experienced across northern Europe. For people in Ayrshire, it is a really strategic and important asset.

However, looking at the broader picture and the investment that the Scottish Government has made, are you seeing any progress in attracting a buyer for the airport? Can we look forward to that happening?

June 2024 was mentioned. Is that when components of the programme will be activated, approved and actioned, or will the whole programme will be up and running by June 2024?

That has a familiar ring to it. The committee is probably blue in the face asking questions about IT projects. We felt that we had heard the worst of the stories, but here is another one. It is always pointed out at the start of the process that we seem to underestimate the complexity of such programmes and realise their complexity only later, by which time the costs have doubled. When it comes to understanding complexity, why have we not learned the good lessons of some of the more recent major IT projects that have been developing correctly, at pace, in budget and so on? Why have we not embraced all that experience and used it in this project?

Thank you for your answers.

In my seemingly annual question to you, Auditor General, about the programmes that will replace European funds, such as the shared prosperity fund, the community renewal fund, the community ownership fund and the levelling up fund, are you any clearer now about your audit arrangements for scrutinising the spend from those funds?

Auditor General, we are in the European structural and investment funds process until June 2024; Scotland is still benefiting from that. However, your report notes that there have been some changes to the methodology for reclaiming costs from the various schemes that have resulted in the Scottish Government writing off £36 million. Will you give the committee more detail on what that is all about?

Okay. Thank you.

That is helpful. On the question of scrutiny, transparency and accountability, does that mean that Scotland’s councils are reporting to a UK Government department?

You mentioned that the Accounts Commission will have a role to play in that.