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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 26 December 2024
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Displaying 696 contributions

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Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 20 February 2024

Jamie Halcro Johnston

I get that. However, without getting into a discussion on the Laffer curve and such areas, I think that it must be worrying that a senior person in a vital sector of the Scottish economy is saying that your tax policy is making Scotland a “dangerous place” for people to base themselves.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 20 February 2024

Jamie Halcro Johnston

If funding that you accept is ring fenced for agriculture can be taken out of agriculture and used in other areas, because—and this is the case that you have made—budgetary constraints are tight, without any commitment being given with regard to timescales or how that money will be returned, does that not make a mockery of the idea of its being ring fenced? Surely that means that we are simply talking about general funds.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 20 February 2024

Jamie Halcro Johnston

Do I have time for a very brief question, convener?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 20 February 2024

Jamie Halcro Johnston

My apologies.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 20 February 2024

Jamie Halcro Johnston

My question follows up on Ross Greer’s point about capital investment in the NHS. Plans for the new Belford hospital have been delayed and the same has happened in other areas. Obviously, delays to new buildings mean that NHS boards will have to consider how they can get the most out of the facilities that they have, so there will be increased maintenance costs. Will their budgets cover increased maintenance costs to increase the longevity of facilities that would have been replaced with new buildings?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 20 February 2024

Jamie Halcro Johnston

You have made that point, and I know that we are short of time, so can you just talk about the proposed NHS budget?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 20 February 2024

Jamie Halcro Johnston

That point might have more standing, had there not been cuts when times were better, too.

When you were here in January, I asked you about Business Gateway. Will you clarify the support for that? I apologise if I missed this in the large number of papers that we received for this meeting, but can you advise whether Government support is going into Business Gateway? If so, how is that going? Why is it not identified in the budget?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 20 February 2024

Jamie Halcro Johnston

On the general principle of ring fencing, if the Scottish Government can take ring-fenced money and use it across its budgets, why should local councils not take ring-fenced money from the Scottish Government and use it across their budgets? What is the principal difference there?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 20 February 2024

Jamie Halcro Johnston

Okay—thank you.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill: Financial Memorandum

Meeting date: 6 February 2024

Jamie Halcro Johnston

In March 2023, Informed Solutions was given a £24 million contract for a new IT system. Is that for an IT system, or is it part of the £60 million to review what is there?