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Thank you.

Good morning. During this session, we have heard mention of the new deal. What is the commission’s understanding of how the new deal between local government and the Scottish Government is progressing, and what are the obstacles to reaching an agreement?

Perfect. Thank you for that, Andrew. I think that we all know that saying. When the sun is shining, fix that roof.

You spoke about a fiscal framework and how that could operate in practice. For example, you mentioned multiyear funding. Can you shed light on any other information as to how other new financial arrangements could work?

I am, convener. Good morning. My question is for each of the witnesses. What progress has been made in your local authorities towards more use of participatory budgeting? How can more budget and service decisions be further devolved to local areas?

I completely understand.

Thank you very much for that.

Good morning, minister. I will stay on the issue of funding. Many community organisations have told us that they still face yearly battles for funding for on-going projects that are proven to make a huge difference to people’s lives. Does the minister agree that sustaining existing projects is just as important as funding innovation? What steps is the Scottish Government taking to address that and ensure that funding can be accessed for on-going projects?

Thank you.

Good morning, cabinet secretary. You touched on service reform in an answer to a question from Mark Griffin. In the recent Accounts Commission local government financial bulletin, the chair of the commission, William Moyes, stated:

“If councils are to find a safe path through the difficult times ahead, they need to focus more on service reform”.

Based on strong engagement with communities, what more can the Scottish Government do to assist councils with that process?

Thank you very much, and thank you for all the hard work that you are doing to bring this process back into the required timeframe.