Committee
Audit Committee, 13 Feb 2007
13 Feb 2007 · S2 · Audit Committee
Item of business
Auditor General for Scotland Reports (Responses)
Mr Black:
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The relevant person would be the accountable officer of the Health Department. The principal accountable officer is Sir John Elvidge.
In the same item of business
The Convener:
Ind
We are running 15 to 20 minutes behind our planned timing.Item 5 is consideration of responses to five reports by the Auditor General for Scotland. For the b...
Susan Deacon:
Lab
I am conscious that I missed the meeting at which the committee considered the report in detail, but I read it at the time and I have refreshed my recollecti...
Margaret Smith:
LD
A steep curve.
Susan Deacon:
Lab
The pace of change is like that, but the pace of change in the NHS in Scotland is—
The Convener:
Ind
Less steep.
Susan Deacon:
Lab
Thank you, convener.Everything I read in the response confirms that view.I do not know whether Audit Scotland is in a position to comment, but I have a speci...
The Convener:
Ind
Do members want to make any other points on the IT report before I invite Audit Scotland to comment?
Mr Welsh:
SNP
Given what we complained about before, it is refreshing that every committee conclusion or recommendation has been agreed.
The Convener:
Ind
They are not committee conclusions. The report is by the Auditor General.
Mr Welsh:
SNP
I beg your pardon. I withdraw the reference. The Scottish Executive response to the report includes statements such as:"Boards will be so required. … This is...
Mr Black:
I acknowledge and appreciate the concerns that Susan Deacon expressed about the response. I am not sure that Audit Scotland or I can help you much more at th...
The Convener:
Ind
Would we invite the principal accountable officer to do that?
Mr Black:
The relevant person would be the accountable officer of the Health Department. The principal accountable officer is Sir John Elvidge.
Barbara Hurst:
I acknowledge what Susan Deacon said. We were conscious throughout the audit and drafting of the report that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. It wa...
Susan Deacon:
Lab
Thank you.
The Convener:
Ind
The next response to consider is that on "Catering for patients: A follow-up report". There are no comments from members or from the Auditor General, so we w...
Mr Black:
No.
The Convener:
Ind
We note the response.The fourth response is to "The Efficient Government Initiative: A Progress Report". We received quite a detailed response from John Elvi...
Mr Black:
No.
The Convener:
Ind
Again, we note the response.Finally, we come to the response from Dr Andrew Goudie, head of department, on "The 2005/06 Audit of the Scottish Fisheries Prote...
The Convener:
Ind
Do you wish to add anything, Auditor General?
Mr Black:
I will make a brief general comment. We endorse what Andrew Goudie says about the position on the key point—the extent to which health and safety policy can ...
The Convener:
Ind
That covers all five of the responses. Does the committee agree to note the responses?Members indicated agreement.
The Convener:
Ind
Before we move into private session, I return to item 1 on the agenda. The clerk has reminded me that consideration of our draft annual report will be on the...
The Convener:
Ind
Having tidied up that matter, I suspend the meeting, which will reconvene in private session. I ask members to be back by 11.15.
Meeting suspended until 11:25 and thereafter continued in private until 13:35.