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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
19 May 2009
Strategic Budget Scrutiny Inquiry
Good afternoon. Welcome to the 13th meeting of the Finance Committee in 2009, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. Please turn off all mobile phones and pagers.Agenda item 1 is continuation of the evidence programme for our strategic budget scrutiny inquiry, focusi...
Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): SNP Chamber
17 Dec 2008
Budget Process 2009-10
I put on record my thanks to all the members of the committee; to our budget adviser, Professor David Bell; to the research staff in the Scottish Parliament information centre; and to the committee clerks for their expertise and dedication in producing the report and throughou...
Andrew Welsh SNP Chamber
26 Jan 2011
Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill: Stage 1
Forgive me, but I have a great deal to cover. The key issue of efficiency savings has exercised the Finance Committee and our predecessors in sessions 1 and 2. There are many well-rehearsed issues around efficiency savings, including the problem with having year-on-year target...
Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): SNP Chamber
17 Dec 2009
Budget Process 2010-11
I commend the Finance Committee's "Report on scrutiny of the Draft Budget 2010-11" to the Parliament. Our report could hardly be debated under worse economic circumstances: a world economic crisis; a fragile United Kingdom economy that has saddled itself with record debt level...
Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP) SNP Chamber
01 Jul 2010
Budget Strategy Phase 2011-12
I am pleased to open the debate on the Finance Committee’s budget strategy phase report. The report deals with the questions that will shape our political discourse for the foreseeable future, namely how the public sector in Scotland should be preparing for future budget cuts....
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
20 Nov 2007
Subordination Legislation
Good afternoon and welcome to the ninth meeting of the Finance Committee in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask members and members of the public to turn off mobile phones and pagers. We have received apologies from Joe FitzPatrick. I welcome as his substitute ...
The Convener: SNP Committee
09 Sep 2008
Methods of Funding Capital Investment Projects Inquiry
Item 3 is further evidence for our inquiry into the methods of funding capital investment projects. The committee agreed that, as the strategic business case for the Scottish futures trust was published after we had taken the majority of our oral evidence, we would invite a se...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
24 Nov 2009
Subordinate Legislation
Good morning and welcome to the Finance Committee's 27th meeting in 2009 in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. We have received apologies from Jeremy Purvis, so I welcome Liam McArthur as his substitute. I ask everyone to turn off mobile phones and pagers.Agenda ite...
Andrew Welsh SNP Chamber
09 Mar 2011
“Report on preventative spending”
Such questions are better posed elsewhere. I am relaying to Parliament a positive report, rather than the usual negativity that is produced in debates. I say to Elaine Smith that early interventions can significantly help to prevent or reduce the likelihood that children will ...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
10 Dec 2007
Budget Process 2008-09
Good afternoon and welcome to the first section of the Finance Committee's 12th meeting in the Scottish Parliament's third session. We have received apologies from Tom McCabe. I ask everyone present to turn off any mobile phones or pagers.If any of our guests from this morning...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
27 May 2008
Methods of Funding Capital Investment Projects Inquiry
Good afternoon and welcome to the 15th meeting of the Finance Committee in 2008 in this third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask all committee members, witnesses and members of the general public to turn off any mobile phones and pagers. Although he is not a member of t...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
19 Feb 2008
Subordinate Legislation
Good afternoon and welcome to the Finance Committee's sixth meeting in 2008, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask everyone to turn off their mobile phones and pagers.Agenda item 1 is to consider the Scottish statutory instrument that provides for the spring r...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
18 Nov 2008
Subordinate Legislation
Good afternoon and welcome to the Finance Committee's 27th meeting in 2008, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask everyone to turn off their mobile phones and pagers, please.Agenda item 1 is consideration of the draft Budget (Scotland) Act 2008 Amendment Order...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh) SNP Committee
23 Nov 2010
Subordinate Legislation
Good afternoon and welcome to the 26th meeting of the Finance Committee in 2010, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask everyone present to turn off all mobile phones and pagers.Agenda item 1 is to consider the Scottish statutory instrument that provides for th...
The Convener: SNP Committee
23 Jun 1999
Remit
We have to take advice from the National Audit Office, which has to gather the evidence. Reports take time as they must be done carefully, but we wish to begin work as quickly as possible and encourage reports being done as reasonably quickly as possible. The timetable and pro...
The Convener: SNP Committee
21 Jan 2003
“Dealing with offending by young people”
Item 4 is the main event of the day. We will hear evidence on the committee's inquiry into the report by the Auditor General for Scotland entitled "Dealing with offending by young people". I welcome the witnesses: Mr Mike Ewart, head of the Scottish Executive education departm...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
20 May 2008
Methods of Funding Capital Investment Projects Inquiry
Good afternoon and welcome to the Finance Committee's 14th meeting in 2008, in the Scottish Parliament's third session. I ask members, witnesses and the public kindly to turn off mobile phones or pagers, as they interfere with the broadcasting system. We have received apologie...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
06 Nov 2007
Graduate Endowment Abolition (Scotland) Bill:<br />Financial Memorandum
Good afternoon and welcome to the seventh meeting of the Finance Committee in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask everybody to turn off their mobile phones and pagers.Our first agenda item is consideration of the financial memorandum to the Graduate Endowment A...
The Convener: SNP Committee
01 Sep 2009
Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Item 2 is evidence taking on the bill at stage 1. As members know, although the Finance Committee has been designated as the lead committee on the bill, three other committees have been designated as secondary committees and will scrutinise sections of the bill that are releva...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh) SNP Committee
01 Mar 2011
Subordinate Legislation
Good afternoon and welcome to the eighth meeting of the Finance Committee in 2011, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. Agenda item 1 is to consider the Scottish statutory instrument that provides for the spring revision of the 2010-11 budget.The draft Budget (Scot...
The Convener: SNP Committee
10 Dec 2007
Budget Process 2008-09
I offer a warm welcome to members of the public and to senior pupils of Menzieshill high school, Grove academy, Lawside academy and, in particular, Monifieth high school. I remind all members that this is not a public meeting but a formal meeting of the Finance Committee that ...
Andrew Welsh: SNP Chamber
23 Jan 2008
Budget (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Forgive me—I have a lot to cover and the time limit is strict.Calls for the level 3 lines that were rolled up into the local government settlement to be restored in next year's budget could imply that members are looking for ring fencing to be reintroduced and are ignoring the...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
22 Jan 2008
Crerar Review
Good afternoon and welcome to the third meeting of the Finance Committee in 2008, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask everyone present to turn off mobile phones and pagers, which interfere with the broadcasting equipment even if they are turned to silent.The...
The Convener: SNP Committee
11 Mar 2008
Local Authority Single Status Agreement
We move to agenda item 3, on the single status agreement. As members will recall, we agreed to follow up on correspondence that the previous session's Finance Committee had sent to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities asking for an update on where councils were with si...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
09 Sep 2008
Interests
Good afternoon and welcome to the Finance Committee's 19th meeting in 2008 in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask all members, witnesses and members of the public to ensure that all pagers and mobile phones are switched off.As members will be aware, the recent ...
The Convener: SNP Committee
07 Oct 2008
Budget Process 2009-10
For our next item, I welcome John Swinney, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth.We agreed to have two evidence sessions with the cabinet secretary as part of our budget scrutiny. Today's session is designed to be what could be termed a backwards look, as we...
The Convener: SNP Committee
10 Nov 2008
Decision on Taking Business in Private
Good afternoon. I reconvene the Finance Committee's 26th meeting in 2008. This morning, we held some useful informal workshop sessions with representatives of local organisations. Committee members are keen to use the issues that were raised in the workshops during this aftern...
Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): SNP Chamber
07 Jan 2010
Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Although the Finance Committee considers the financial implications of all legislation, the committee has never before been designated the lead committee on a bill since the establishment of the Parliament in 1999. In what is therefore a unique position for a convener of the F...
Andrew Welsh: SNP Committee
27 Feb 2008
Section 22 Report
In your submission, you say that clinical services were redesigned, replanned and refocused, and that there was re-engagement. However, it is the reality that matters rather than words.There was no finance committee. There was a finance recovery plan and a finance team, but a ...
Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): SNP Chamber
10 Sep 2009
“Strategic Budget Scrutiny”
I commend the Finance Committee's report "Strategic Budget Scrutiny" to the Parliament. Because 2009-10 is not a formal spending review year, we would normally expect this year's budget to remain broadly similar to the 2007 spending review plans. The Finance Committee decided ...
The Convener: SNP Committee
18 Mar 2003
“How government works in Scotland”
I am sure that the successor Audit Committee will do so—I certainly hope that it will. Our continuing business items show that the Audit Committee has been, up to its last minute, an active and effective committee. We hope that that will continue to be the case with the succes...
Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): SNP Committee
30 Sep 2003
Petitions
I have some sympathy with Bruce McFee's comments. There is a distinction between the other petitions, which call for an adequate bus service, and petition PE642, which mentions "essential lifeline services". That gives petition PE642 a much greater degree of urgency. I notice ...
The Convener: SNP Committee
05 Feb 2002
“Overview of the National Health Service in Scotland 2000/01”
Item 3 is our consideration of the Auditor General's report "Overview of the National Health Service in Scotland 2000/01". Before I welcome today's witnesses, I want to put on record a letter that I have received from Mr John Aldridge, director of finance at the Scottish Execu...
The Convener: SNP Committee
29 Jan 2008
Relocation of Public Sector Jobs
The second item on today's agenda is evidence on the new Scottish Government's policy on the relocation of public sector jobs. In the previous session of Parliament, the Finance Committee received updates every six months on the then Scottish Executive's relocation policy, fol...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
22 Apr 2008
Methods of Funding Capital Investment Projects Inquiry
Good afternoon and welcome to the Finance Committee's 10th meeting in 2008, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask all members, witnesses and members of the public to turn off their mobile phones and pagers. We have received apologies from Tom McCabe. I welcome...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
29 Apr 2008
Methods of Funding Capital Investment Projects Inquiry
Good afternoon and welcome to the Finance Committee's 11th meeting in 2008, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask everyone present to ensure that all pagers and mobile phones are turned off, because they interfere with the sound system. We have received apolog...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
06 May 2008
Methods of Funding Capital Investment Projects Inquiry
Good afternoon and welcome to the Finance Committee's 12th meeting in 2008, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask everybody to turn off mobile phones and pagers, as they interfere with our broadcasting system.I seek members' indulgence and say that my wife and...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
28 Oct 2008
Health Boards (Membership and Elections) (Scotland) Bill: Financial Memorandum
Good afternoon, and welcome to the 24th meeting of the Finance Committee in 2008 in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask members to turn off any mobile phones or pagers.Agenda item 1 was to have been oral evidence on the financial memorandum to the Health Boards...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
16 Jun 2009
Decisions on Taking Business in Private
Good afternoon and welcome to the 16th meeting of the Finance Committee in 2009, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask members to turn off any mobile phones and pagers, and I welcome Andy Kerr to the committee for today's public session.Agenda item 1 is to dec...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
13 May 2008
Efficient Government Programme
Good afternoon and welcome to the 13th meeting in 2008 of the Finance Committee in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask members, witnesses and the public to turn off their mobile phones and pagers. We have apologies from Liam McArthur and Alex Neil. I welcome Ro...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
24 Jun 2008
Budget Process (Review)
Good afternoon and welcome to the 18th meeting of the Finance Committee in 2008, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask members, witnesses and members of the public to turn off mobile phones and pagers.Agenda item 1 is to take further evidence on our review of ...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
09 Dec 2008
Public Sector Pay
Good afternoon and welcome to the 30th meeting in 2008 of the Finance Committee. I ask members of the committee and of the public to turn off all mobile phones and electronic equipment, because they interfere with the broadcasting system.The committee agreed that it would like...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
12 May 2009
Strategic Budget Scrutiny Inquiry
Good afternoon and welcome to the Finance Committee's 12th meeting in 2009, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask everyone present to turn off mobile phones and pagers. The only item on today's agenda is to continue our programme of evidence taking as part of ...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
22 Sep 2009
Forth Crossing (Contingent Liability)
Good afternoon and welcome to the 21st meeting of the Finance Committee in 2009, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. Apologies have been received from Jeremy Purvis; there are no other apologies. I ask everyone present to turn off mobile phones and pagers, please....
The Convener (Andrew Welsh) SNP Committee
14 Dec 2010
Scotland’s Spending Plans and Draft Budget 2011-12
Good afternoon and welcome to the public session of the 29th meeting of the Finance Committee in 2010. The committee has already considered agenda items 1 and 2 in private, so we now move to item 3.This afternoon, the committee will take evidence on the Scottish Government’s s...
Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): SNP Chamber
30 Sep 1999
Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Bill
Karen Whitefield has clearly set out the hopes that are being placed in this bill—that this Parliament can do things better and be a model for others to follow. I hope that that will be so. We all have a duty to the people of Scotland to make it so. We are discussing one of th...
The Convener: SNP Committee
04 Dec 2007
Public Sector Pay
Item 3 is consideration of pay policy as it relates to senior public appointments in Scotland. At our meeting on 30 October, we considered a paper that set out the operation of pay policy for senior staff in the public sector, and we agreed that we wanted to consider the issue...
The Convener: SNP Committee
15 Apr 2008
Methods of Funding Capital Investment Projects Inquiry
This could take a while, if you continue in that vein.I welcome everybody to committee. We have an excellent cross-section around the table—our witnesses represent all aspects of the issue that we are considering. I will try to structure the discussion under the four themes, s...
The Convener: SNP Committee
10 Nov 2008
Budget Process 2009-10
This market day is indeed wearing late. We have investigated some deep and complex issues that are at the heart of good financial management. I thank everyone who came along today, including those who participated in the workshops and those who came to witness our evidence ses...
The Convener: SNP Committee
29 Sep 2009
Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
We will wind this session up. I thank all our witnesses for their attendance, their evidence and their insights into their work. We now move into private session.
The Convener SNP Committee
05 Oct 2010
Preventative Spending Inquiry
Item 2 is an evidence-taking session in our preventative spending inquiry. The theme of the session is housing. I welcome to the committee Yvette Burgess, the director of the housing support enabling unit; David Ogilvie, policy and strategy manager at the Scottish Federation o...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
11 Sep 2007
Interests
Good afternoon and welcome to the third meeting of the Finance Committee in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask all members to turn off their mobile phones and pagers.For the record, I note the visit today to Parliament of the members of the Finance Committee o...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
13 Nov 2007
Budget Process 2008-09
Good afternoon and welcome to the eighth meeting of the Finance Committee in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask everyone to turn off their mobile phones and pagers.Item 1 is consideration of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body's budget bid for 2008-09. A...
The Convener: SNP Committee
13 Nov 2007
Cross-cutting Inquiry into Deprivation
Item 3 is correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth. As the clerk's paper says, we agreed to ask whether the Scottish Government plans to develop the previous Executive's commitments following its response to the session 2 Finance Committee's...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
04 Dec 2007
Scottish Parliament<br />Finance Committee<br />Tuesday 4 December 2007
Good afternoon and welcome to the 11th meeting of the Finance Committee in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask everyone present to turn off any mobile phones and pagers.Before we begin today's business, I want to say something about the events of last week. Mem...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
07 Oct 2008
Interests
Good afternoon and welcome to the 23rd meeting in 2008 of the Finance Committee in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask committee members and members of the public to turn off their mobile phones and pagers.Following the reshuffle of committee members, Elaine Mu...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
10 Nov 2008
Budget Process 2009-10
Good morning and welcome to the first part of the Finance Committee's 26th meeting in 2008, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I remind everyone to switch off mobile phones, which interfere with the broadcasting equipment.The Finance Committee is delighted to be ...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
13 Jan 2009
Public Sector Pay
Good afternoon and welcome to the first meeting in 2009 of the Finance Committee, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask members of the committee and the public to please turn off mobile phones and pagers.The committee agreed that it would like to hold some evi...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
20 Jan 2009
Budget (Scotland) (No 2) Bill: Stage 2
Good afternoon and welcome to the Finance Committee's second meeting in 2009, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask all members and members of the public to turn off their mobile phones and pagers.The first agenda item is stage 2 consideration of the Budget (S...
The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP Committee
21 Apr 2009
Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill: Financial Memorandum
Good afternoon and welcome to the Finance Committee's ninth meeting in 2009 in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. I ask everyone—members and public alike—to turn off their mobile phones and pagers.We have received apologies from Joe FitzPatrick. In his place I welco...
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Committee

Finance Committee, 19 May 2009

19 May 2009 · S3 · Finance Committee
Item of business
Strategic Budget Scrutiny Inquiry
Welsh, Andrew SNP Angus Watch on SPTV
Good afternoon. Welcome to the 13th meeting of the Finance Committee in 2009, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. Please turn off all mobile phones and pagers.Agenda item 1 is continuation of the evidence programme for our strategic budget scrutiny inquiry, focusing on the effects of recession on the public sector budgets of Scotland and the immediate pressures on the 2010-11 budget, as well as likely future trends. Before we take evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, we will have a further short evidence session with Scottish Government officials. I welcome to the committee Stella Manzie, the Scottish Government's director general finance and corporate services, and Alyson Stafford, the director of finance. I give notice to the committee that I intend to allow no more than 15 minutes for the session, to ensure that the cabinet secretary's evidence session can begin at 1.45. I invite questions from members.

In the same item of business

The Convener (Andrew Welsh): SNP
Good afternoon. Welcome to the 13th meeting of the Finance Committee in 2009, in the third session of the Scottish Parliament. Please turn off all mobile pho...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): Lab
I thank Stella Manzie for returning to the committee. My aim is to ensure that we have clarity, rather than confusion; the Official Report of our meeting of ...
Stella Manzie (Scottish Government Director General Finance and Corporate Services):
The figure is correct, excluding end-year flexibility.
Jackie Baillie: Lab
That is helpful. Can you confirm that the decision to accelerate capital spending from 2010-11 to the previous two years was taken by the Scottish Government...
Stella Manzie:
Part of the question is fairly political, but factually it is completely correct to say that the Scottish Government took the decision.
Jackie Baillie: Lab
I am not seeking to be political—I am seeking to gain clarity. I hope that that helps you to understand my intentions. Can you confirm that the expenditure t...
Stella Manzie:
I cannot comment in detail on whether they had all been planned exactly for 2010-11, but they were planned capital projects.
Jackie Baillie: Lab
It is welcome that the projects were brought forward, but I understand that the bulk of them were planned. Would I be fair for me to conclude that, once the ...
Stella Manzie:
There are a number of components to the question, so I will ask my colleague, Alyson Stafford, to respond.
Alyson Stafford (Scottish Government Finance Directorate):
I am happy to do so. Could you repeat the question, as there was quite a lot in it?
Jackie Baillie: Lab
From my first three questions, it is clear to me that my understanding is shared. Building on those questions, would I be fair to conclude that, given that t...
Stella Manzie:
If Alyson Stafford answers on some of the detail, I will make a general comment. Any response to the question has to be placed in the context of the continui...
Jackie Baillie: Lab
In response to the first three questions you said to me that there is 1.3 per cent growth, once the capital acceleration for next year is stripped out.
Stella Manzie:
Yes.
Jackie Baillie: Lab
I am trying to establish that the impact this year is not as a consequence of United Kingdom budget decisions. The reasons may lie elsewhere. Perhaps I could...
Stella Manzie:
Depending on what my colleague says, we would have to examine the components of that. That is quite a difficult question to answer at speed, without looking ...
Jackie Baillie: Lab
Okay. Let me try to simplify it even further. I expected our household budget for the Scottish Parliament to be X, with an increase of a certain order of mag...
Stella Manzie:
There has certainly been growth in the budget for 2009-10. That is substantiated by figures from elsewhere—from the Centre for Public Policy for Regions and ...
The Convener: SNP
We understand that the issues are complex, and that you wish to be as accurate as possible. If you wish to respond further in writing, please do so.
Stella Manzie:
You may find yourself in receipt of a further follow-up letter. We will see how the committee progresses.
Jackie Baillie: Lab
On the subject of correspondence, I found your letter fascinating in the sense that it seemed to have several different styles to it. I wonder whether it was...
Stella Manzie:
Inevitably, the kinds of letters that generally have my signature on them have contributions from a number of people. When Alistair Brown and I left the comm...
Jackie Baillie: Lab
It was cleared politically.
Stella Manzie:
Yes.
Jackie Baillie: Lab
So it was not just from financial and technical people. That is helpful to know, thank you.
The Convener: SNP
I point out that our timing is tight. James Kelly is next, to be followed by Jeremy Purvis.
James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): Lab
In your letter, you refer to the Treasury red book and say that total current spending will grow by 0.7 per cent in 2013-14. However, you go on to say that d...
Stella Manzie:
Although we have not finalised any figures in relation to that, it is clear from the projections—particularly when we consider capital expenditure—that there...
James Kelly: Lab
As the CPPR representative told us, forecasts are only forecasts, and there is an element of estimation about them. Just to be clear, no Treasury baselines h...
Stella Manzie:
No. It is based on an assessment of what is in the red book and consideration of how those financial projections move forward and the different elements of t...