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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.

The Convener Lab Committee

Deputy Convener

The next item on the agenda is the election of the deputy convener. Parliament has agreed that only members of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party are eligible for nomination for that position. I understand that that party has nominated Sharon Dowey for the post. Sha...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report

Thank you. I will bring Sharon Dowey back in, then, I think, Willie Coffey has a question on the area that Sharon Dowey will pursue.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland”

Before I turn to Sharon Dowey, I observe that although this committee is particularly interested in the historical reviews, we are also interested in the history of the outcomes that those reviews have produced. I ask Sharon Dowey to open the questioning for us.

The Convener Lab Committee

“Scotland’s colleges 2023”

Thank you. We are drawing towards the close of this session, but the deputy convener, Sharon Dowey, has a number of questions to put. Sharon—over to you.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report

Thank you, Mr Clark. I now turn to Sharon Dowey, who has a series of questions to ask.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report

Tricia Meldrum, do you want to come in on the questions that Sharon Dowey put?

The Convener Lab Committee

Scotland’s Colleges 2020

I thank everybody for being here. Sharon Dowey will kick off with questions on the financial health and sustainability of the sector.

The Convener Lab Committee

Scotland’s Colleges 2020

Yes, I will bring you back in before we finish. Sharon Dowey has a directly related question on the Scottish Qualifications Authority situation.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report

We might come back to funding and the extent to which it is additional. You mentioned the OECD report. Sharon Dowey has some questions about that.

The Convener Lab Committee

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Thank you very much for taking part in this morning’s round-table discussion. As I said, I am going to start with questions from MSPs, but panellists should feel free to come in when they want to make a contribution or a point. Sharon Dowey has a question to get us under way.

The Convener Lab Committee

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Stephen Boyle, before answering Sharon Dowey’s question, would you like to introduce yourself?

The Convener Lab Committee

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

We are going to look in a bit more detail at the Grampian experience. I turn back to Sharon Dowey, who I think has a question on referrals.

The Convener Lab Committee

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Thank you very much. I know that a couple of other people wanted to come in on that, but given that we are the Public Audit Committee, I want to use our final few minutes to have a quick look at the issue of the absence of data that has been highlighted in some of the work by ...

The Convener Lab Committee

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Thank you. That sense of urgency is absolutely right, because these children and young people are only that age once and we need to get it right now. We cannot come back in five years’ time and decide that we should have done things differently. We need to try everything that ...

The Convener Lab Committee

“Community justice: Sustainable alternatives to custody”

I want to bring us back to the nitty-gritty of the Audit Scotland briefing, on which Sharon Dowey has a series of questions.

The Convener Lab Committee

“Covid-19 vaccination programme”

Thank you. Of course, we will come back—it might even be next week—to the PPE report that you produced, which is on part of this terrain as well. As I said, we have a wide range of questions. I begin by asking Sharon Dowey to come in on an important area for us.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of the Crofting Commission”

I am keen to move things on. I will bring in Sharon Dowey, who has a couple of questions to ask.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of the Crofting Commission”

We are drawing towards the end of the evidence session. I will bring in Sharon Dowey shortly. Mr Kenny mentioned the hopefulness that comes with the commissioning of an external consultant’s report. However, did I not read that there was a consultant’s report in 2016 that loo...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of the Crofting Commission”

We will certainly reflect on that. Sharon Dowey has a final point and question.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of NHS National Services Scotland”; and “Personal protective equipment”

Thank you very much, Auditor General. I want to press ahead straight away with questions. I turn to my right, to Sharon Dowey.

The Convener Lab Committee

“Community empowerment: Covid-19 update”

That is great—thank you. The emphasis on outcomes is right, because we were living in unprecedented times, with people at risk of hunger and isolation and all the things that go along with that. We have already heard some of the experiences of communities rallying round, comin...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of NHS National Services Scotland”; and “Personal protective equipment”

I call Sharon Dowey, after which we will move to Willie Coffey.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of National Records of Scotland”

Sharon Dowey has a number of questions that follow up on the lines of questioning that Willie Coffey pursued.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of the Crofting Commission”

We have a series of questions on business planning. Willie Coffey will come in, but I call Sharon Dowey first.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of Bòrd na Gàidhlig”

It might be worth giving some reflection to that. Sharon Dowey has a number of questions on roles and responsibilities stemming from the previous report and the latest report.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of NHS Highland”

Thank you—that is useful. I turn to Sharon Dowey, who has a series of questions on the theme of the cost pressures that are demonstrated in the audit report on NHS Highland.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of National Records of Scotland”

I remind you that if you want to augment the oral evidence that you have given us in writing, please feel free to do that. That may be useful and you alluded to that at the start of that round of questions. It would be helpful for the committee if you could give us the updated...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts”

Thank you very much indeed. We have a long series of questions. I begin straight away by inviting Sharon Dowey to ask her questions on one of the themes that you have identified: financial management.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts”

Thank you, Auditor General. We will press on with the committee’s questions about the audit report on the Scottish Government consolidated accounts. People who are joining us remotely should type R in the chat function if they want to contribute. Auditor General, as you know,...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland”

Thank you very much indeed. Sharon Dowey has a series of questions to ask.

The Convener Lab Committee

“Administration of Scottish income tax 2020/21”

Absolutely. On that note, we will press on with Sharon Dowey, who has a number of questions.

The Convener Lab Committee

“Planning for skills”

Thank you very much, Auditor General. We have a large number of questions, but before we go to them, I remind everyone that, to aid broadcasting, it would be helpful if members could direct their questions to a particular member of the team. I also say to Stephen Boyle that if...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts”

We are coming to the last lap, permanent secretary. Sharon Dowey has a couple of questions to put to you, and then Willie Coffey will come back in before we finish.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of Scottish Canals”

Thanks, Auditor General. As usual, feel free to call on Joanne Brown and Graeme Greenhill as appropriate. If they wish to come in at any point, they should put an R in the chat box function and we will ensure that they are called. Sharon Dowey will ask the first question.

The Convener Lab Committee

“Social care briefing”

Sharon Dowey has a series of questions to put.

The Convener Lab Committee

“Planning for Skills”

Thank you very much. That concludes our questions for this session. I think I said at the start that it was a section 22 report. It was a section 23 report, but contained some trenchant criticism nonetheless. Sharon Dowey referred to the fact that this is apprenticeship week a...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency”

Agenda item 2 is consideration of “The 2020/21 audit of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency”. I am pleased to welcome our witnesses this morning, all of whom join us online, as does our deputy convener, Sharon Dowey. I welcome from the Scottish Environment Protection Ag...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency”

Thank you very much, particularly for that very helpful clarification. Indeed, Willie Coffey will be asking questions on that particular subject later in the meeting. Sharon Dowey, who, as I said earlier, is joining us via videolink, has a couple of questions to start us off.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report: “NHS in Scotland 2021”

We will press on with a couple of questions from Sharon Dowey, who joins us remotely.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of Scottish Canals”

Okay. I will move things on by inviting Sharon Dowey to ask some questions.

The Convener Lab Committee

Major Information and Communications Technology Projects (Accountability and Governance)

Thank you. We might return to those themes later in the session. I call Sharon Dowey, who joins us on videolink this morning.

The Convener Lab Committee

“Drug and alcohol services: An update”

We have a final couple of questions from Sharon Dowey, who is also joining us via a video link.

The Convener Lab Committee

“Social care briefing”

Sharon Dowey asked about commissioning. I would like to ask Caroline Lamb, who is the chief executive of NHS Scotland as well as the director general of health and social care, about the commissioning model, which is not the model for the national health service, is it? Arguab...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of NHS Highland”

Sharon Dowey has a couple of questions that follow on neatly from that.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

I turn straight away to the deputy convener, Sharon Dowey.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of South Lanarkshire College”

Thank you very much, indeed, Auditor General. I also thank you for reminding us that active investigations are still taking place, which might make for some limitation in relation to the areas that we can probe into this morning. However, there is still an awful lot in the pub...

The Convener Lab Committee

“Administration of Scottish income tax 2020/21”

Thank you for setting out that introductory framework. I am sure that you will have read the evidence that the committee took on 3 February. We were particularly exercised by the fact that we are in years 4 and 5 of a distinctive Scottish income tax system but there appear to ...

The Convener Lab Committee

Major Capital Projects: Accountability and Governance Arrangements

Good morning. I welcome everyone back to the 15th meeting in 2022 of the Public Audit Committee, as we resume in public session. Under item 3, the committee will look at major capital projects. We get regular reports on the performance of such projects. This morning, we are ke...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

That is fine. I will now bring in Craig Hoy; I can come back to Sharon Dowey shortly.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

Yes. We have only a couple of minutes left, and we want to address other large areas of the report—on nationalisation and the lead-up to it, for example. Colin Cook has been noticeably silent today. We may require a further session to complete the evidence gathering that we wo...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

Thank you, Mr Cook. I am conscious of the fact that Mr Gillies is an accountable officer. It might be that we will go directly to Mr Gillies on some of our areas of questioning. First of all, I invite the deputy convener, Sharon Dowey, to put some questions to you.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

I just wanted to follow up Sharon Dowey’s question, which, I think, Mo Rooney answered, on the changing role of CMAL and its having the role of overseeing the work in the yard. When the question was asked, legitimately, whether you thought that that represented a conflict of i...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

For those who are interested in the landscape of the yard and how it works, I point people to the evidence that Alex Logan, the GMB convener at the yard, gave on 22 January 2020 to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee. Sharon Dowey has some questions.

The Convener Lab Committee

“Scotland’s economy: supporting businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic”

I know that Willie Coffey wants to come back in on business support funding. I will bring him in, but I will turn next to Sharon Dowey, who also has some questions to put in this area.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

Thank you. The deputy convener, Sharon Dowey, has a series of questions.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

Can I follow up some of those lines of questioning from Sharon Dowey? I go back to the point about written authority or not written authority, and the difference between instruction from your sole shareholder and written authority. To all intents and purposes, it was equivalen...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

We are coming towards the end of our session, but Craig Hoy and Sharon Dowey have indicated that they want to come back in with a very short question each. I will come to Craig Hoy first.

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”

Thank you, Mr Middleton—we appreciate that. The deputy convener of the committee, Sharon Dowey, has questions to put to you.

The Convener Lab Committee

“Scotland’s colleges 2022”

The figures on the financial sustainability of the sector ring alarm bells, as we have heard already. Another area that is covered in the briefing that is also a cause for concern is the figures that you have produced on student outcomes. Sharon Dowey has questions on that sub...

The Convener Lab Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2020/21 audit of the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland”

I take you back to Sharon Dowey’s initial question on the practice of conferring with the clerks on areas that the corporate body considers that committees should scrutinise office-holders on. Did that take place in session 5—yes or no?

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Committee

Public Audit Committee 23 June 2021

23 Jun 2021 · S6 · Public Audit Committee

Item of business

Deputy Convener

Leonard, Richard Lab Central Scotland Watch on SPTV

The next item on the agenda is the election of the deputy convener. Parliament has agreed that only members of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party are eligible for nomination for that position. I understand that that party has nominated Sharon Dowey for the post. Sharon Dowey was chosen as deputy convener.

In the same item of business

The Convener Lab

The next item on the agenda is the election of the deputy convener. Parliament has agreed that only members of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party a...

The Convener Lab

Congratulations on your election as the deputy convener of the Public Audit Committee, Sharon.