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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 11 July 2025
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Displaying 2881 contributions

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Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 20 December 2022

John Mason

Normally, negative inflation would be seen as a bad thing, but is that not necessarily true in this case?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 20 December 2022

John Mason

Thank you.

In your report you say:

“Over the longer term, the size of Scotland’s economy is determined by its potential output. In the current context, both the underlying capacity of the Scottish economy to produce goods and services”

and

“its potential output”.

I am unclear about the phrase “underlying capacity”. Can you explain what that means?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 20 December 2022

John Mason

I presume that normally that does not change very much from year to year.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 20 December 2022

John Mason

The interim commentary report talks about public sector reform, the public sector becoming more productive and, in particular, digital technology. Can you say any more about what we should be focusing on or changing in the public sector?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 20 December 2022

John Mason

Yes, I am asking for a UK perspective, because that is where the levies are happening.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 20 December 2022

John Mason

I will stay on the inflation theme, which has been dominant today. I get mixed up about which witness gave us which evidence at previous meetings, but someone suggested that inflation would become quite severely negative, and someone also used the word “permanent” in that context. Is it possible that oil and gas prices will come back down to where they were?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 20 December 2022

John Mason

Professor Breedon, in your answer to Daniel Johnson, you mentioned the change in the retirement age, which I assume would be a factor in this. How big a factor is it?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 20 December 2022

John Mason

It is a bit uncertain.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 20 December 2022

John Mason

You also used the word “caution” in the introduction. You are not arguing against measures such as increasing the child payment or putting more into the health service. You are not talking about that kind of fiscal commitment, are you?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Meeting date: 20 December 2022

John Mason

That was very helpful.

My final question is perhaps also for Dr Brewer, to start with. In the report, you mentioned that

“Although it is normal for debt to increase during a recession, the UK has failed to address the accumulation of debt following the financial crisis and the pandemic.”

Should we be worried about the level of UK debt?