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Chamber and committees

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 21 August 2025
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Displaying 2341 contributions

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Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 26 September 2023

Willie Coffey

Thanks. I have a question on the ageing workforce, which is probably more for Katie Hagmann, but I would appreciate any comments from Joe FitzPatrick as well. We heard last week that there is an ageing workforce in local government, and we are seeing people retiring earlier. I asked how we can have both things at the same time, and colleagues gave a perfectly good explanation of why that happens. Do we accept and understand that? What are we trying to do to address it?

I looked at the Withers recommendations on skills. Is the skills delivery landscape an area where we can deploy some of the report’s recommendations to help us? If the ageing profile in local government continues to drift upwards, we will probably need to start thinking about what we do about that at the sharper end—the earlier end, the apprentice end—with new starts and the type of recruitment and skills development that Withers talked about. Can you say a few words about that?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 26 September 2023

Willie Coffey

Good morning, minister, Councillor Hagmann and colleagues. Will you say a little bit more about how the fiscal framework will provide the kind of flexibility that everyone is seeking and talking about? We were told by colleagues at last week’s meeting that it is still felt that there is a lack of flexibility in how local authorities apportion their funding to various duties. Does that mean that the dreaded ring fencing is at an end and is being replaced with the flexible arrangement that, collectively, we will somehow agree to?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 26 September 2023

Willie Coffey

That is encouraging.

The second part of my question is about hard cash on the table. The pre-budget finance circular that was issued shows a real-terms increase of 1.3 per cent and an increase of 4.3 per cent over the past 10 years. In your opening remarks, you mentioned that £1.5 billion extra in cash terms is to be provided between now and 2027-28, but our colleagues—especially those from whom we heard last week—continue to remind us that, in their view, we still need about £1 billion more to deliver the level of service that COSLA would expect local authorities to deliver for us on our behalf. There is quite a gap there, as I am sure you realise. Will you address that issue and give us your view on where we are in that long-running debate about cash on the table?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 26 September 2023

Willie Coffey

Thank you. Councillor Hagmann, I invite you to offer your perspective on the issue of cash on the table. Is it enough? How much more do we need? How do we get there?

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2021/22 audit of Scottish Canals”

Meeting date: 21 September 2023

Willie Coffey

But do you get why I am saying this to you? If you do not comply, there is no public assurance, which, surely, is a grave matter. I know that getting there is a difficult and complex process, but your not being able to give the public assurance on the matters on which we seek that assurance has to be regarded as a grave matter.

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2021/22 audit of Scottish Canals”

Meeting date: 21 September 2023

Willie Coffey

Okay, I will leave that point there.

One of the things that you did not mention was the amount of money that you have spent on consultant fees—I think that it is now £600,000. Is the public getting value for money from that exercise and is it helping you to understand what that bar of audit satisfaction, which was mentioned earlier, is? Is the exercise allowing you to get there? If you come back next year, that absolutely has to be sorted. Surely you accept that.

Public Audit Committee

“New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

Meeting date: 21 September 2023

Willie Coffey

Is the Government’s acceptance of the committee's other recommendation about the publication of written authorities on the Government’s website a commitment to publishing not only that written authority but any that may have occurred in the past? The committee is interested in seeing any examples of such written authorisations that have been sought and given.

Public Audit Committee

“New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

Meeting date: 21 September 2023

Willie Coffey

I think that the committee was keen for that to be broadened so that we could see any governmental written authorities that have been given in the past. Is that part of what you might consider doing?

Public Audit Committee

“New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

Meeting date: 21 September 2023

Willie Coffey

Thank you for that. I have a slightly broader question. From the outset of the committee’s work on its ferries investigation, it has been clear to me that the key problems were probably built in from the start of the project, and you have mentioned that in your comments to the committee. Constantly changing the design specifications as the ships were built was a recipe for the cost and time overruns that we have seen.

If we look at the performance of all Governments, past and present, we see a litany of public procurement cost overruns. The public can see that, too. What is your perspective on why some—not all—public projects go wrong? Do you agree that it is absolutely vital that projects are planned carefully at the outset and that recognised quality management standards and processes are deployed, so that all projects—whether they are construction projects, information technology projects or anything else—have a fair chance of being completed on time and on budget? Can you assure the committee that that approach will be taken from now on with any procurement projects that the Government might commission?

Public Audit Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2021/22 audit of Scottish Canals”

Meeting date: 21 September 2023

Willie Coffey

John Paterson, you covered a lot of ground in your opening statement. I have been a member of the Public Audit Committee and its predecessor committees for more years than I can remember, and I have dealt with section 22 and section 23 reports and so on from Audit Scotland.

I have to say that the response that you are giving to the committee does not appear to be consistent with your accepting the recommendations in full. You said that you do, but I do not get that impression from some of your responses. You said that you do not “share the gravity” of the situation and that the potential for the misapplication of public funds is “negligible”. Do you accept that you are absolutely required to comply with the Treasury’s guidance on this? If you do not do that, where does public assurance come from?