Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 05 February 2020
05 Feb 2020 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Portfolio Question Time
Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland Figures
Finance, Economy and Fair Work
Never mind the relevance of supplementary questions—I am afraid that even that answer was not relevant to the question. I asked how much time and money civil servants will spend on producing an alternative to the GERS figures.
Last month, the cabinet secretary said that he wanted to produce alternative GERS figures because he feels
“frustrated when the GERS figures are published every year.”
Why is he so frustrated with those independent figures? Which impartial economic authority will independently verify his figures when he produces them?
In the same item of business
5. Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
I will do my best, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government how much time and money it plans to spend producing an alternative to the GERS figures....
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work (Derek Mackay)
SNP
I am sure that this answer will tone things down, Presiding Officer. The GERS publication explicitly states that it shows Scotland’s position within the UK ...
Jamie Greene
Con
Never mind the relevance of supplementary questions—I am afraid that even that answer was not relevant to the question. I asked how much time and money civil...
Derek Mackay
SNP
I will always expect the civil service to act in the professional and impartial fashion in which it acts. I dare say that our work will be of much greater va...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
This is getting overrude and I am really not appreciating it. It is just not funny.
Derek Mackay
SNP
I simply make the point that we want to have an informed debate on the future of our country. I have never challenged the impartiality of our statisticians. ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We will preserve the calm with a short supplementary question from Kenneth Gibson.
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP)
SNP
I bring peace and love. Laughter. Does the cabinet secretary agree that it is sheer hypocrisy for Tory members to criticise the Scottish Government for try...
Derek Mackay
SNP
I agree that the spending of £5 million in that way would indeed be a waste of taxpayers’ money. We have been working on a fully informed, rational debate ab...