Meeting of the Parliament 10 March 2016
I do not think that the amendment is unnecessary, or that it provides duplication. Nevertheless, I suggested to the cabinet secretary a way of ensuring that duplication does not happen—through a memorandum of understanding. That approach is quite commonly used by other bodies.
I turn to the role of Parliament. Ultimately, the role of Parliament is to hold the Executive to account. Parliament can and should be assisted in that task. Currently, we benefit hugely from information from the Scottish Parliament information centre and its financial scrutiny unit, and others besides. I expect that, in future, the Finance Committee and the Parliament will benefit hugely from the work of the Fiscal Commission. Malcolm Chisholm is absolutely right: we should be equipped with the financial and factual information on which we can make informed judgments. I would have thought that that is something that the Parliament aspires to.
My final word is a reflection on the committee’s consideration of the bill. This measure was supported by every single member of the Finance Committee in its report on fiscal institutions and subsequently in its stage 1 report on the bill. I will be hugely disappointed if those members change their minds today. I cannot ask the convener or Mark McDonald about that, because they are not here. I would genuinely be hugely disappointed if the man who has been consistent throughout the process—John Mason—changed his mind.
I will take an intervention from John Mason.