We have a point of order from Pam Duncan-Glancy.
Thank you for taking my point of order, Presiding Officer.
For three successive days in the chamber, Government ministers have said on the record that they have provided 拢3 billion to tackle the cost of living crisis. That figure was repeated earlier today at First Minister鈥檚 question time, when the First Minister said:
鈥淲e have allocated almost 拢3 billion this year to help to mitigate the impact of increasing costs on households.鈥
I have challenged that figure various times, because research from the Scottish Parliament information centre has highlighted that it is misleading. In a blog that was published in July that looked at the detail behind the figure and provided a timeline for the policies included, SPICe said:
鈥淎ll of the policies listed do help reduce costs for families and households in some way.鈥 [Interruption.]
We will hear Ms Duncan-Glancy.
Thank you.
鈥淏ut a list of measures announced specifically in response to the current increase in inflation would be quite a bit shorter.鈥
The blog goes on to say that many of the policies are pre-existing and predate the current cost of living crisis, which the blog has taken
鈥渁s beginning in October 2021鈥.
Further, the blog states:
鈥淥f course it鈥檚 useful to set out how government policy reduces people鈥檚 costs but by that measure, you might include the entire social security system, the NHS and a lot more. So that鈥檚 not this list.鈥
The blog goes on to say:
鈥淎n alternative way of looking at measures 鈥榯o help families and households face the increased cost of living鈥 would be to use October 2021 as the starting point for the 鈥榗ost of living crisis.鈥 This is when energy price cap went up and CPI inflation was 4.2%.鈥
The blog says that looking at policies from that date onwards would produce a list of policies, the cost of which
鈥渃omes to around about 拢490m.鈥
Presiding Officer, I seek your guidance on what mechanisms are available to ensure that the Government does not mislead the chamber in the future.
I thank Ms Duncan-Glancy. That is not a matter for me to rule on from the chair. The content of contributions is normally a matter for members themselves. However, members will be aware that a mechanism exists whereby they can correct any inaccuracies in the Official Report.