1. Under the terms of the Scottish Fiscal Commission Act 2016¹Scottish Government. (2016, April 14). Scottish Fiscal Commission Act 2016. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2016/17/contents, the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) became a statutory body as a Non-Ministerial Department on 1 April 2017. The 2016 Act provides that there should be between three and five members of the SFC, one of whom should serve as Chair. Ministers have determined that the SFC should have four members, including the Chair. 

2. Following the resignation of Professor Domenico Lombardi effective from December 2025²Scottish Fiscal Commission. (2025, December 1). Letter from Professor Domenico Lombardi to Presiding Officer of Scottish Parliament. Retrieved from https://fiscalcommission.scot/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Letter-from-Domenico-Lombardi-to-the-Presiding-Officer-on-resignation-%E2%80%93-1-December-2025.pdf, there are currently three Commissioners: Professor Graeme Roy (Chair), Dr Eleanor Ryan, and Justine Riccomini. The intention is that Professor Lombardi will be replaced early in the new parliamentary session. 

3. Professor Roy’s first term as Chair of the SFC ends on 31 May 2026. 

4. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government wrote to the Committee on 16 January 2026 recommending that Professor Roy be reappointed to serve a second term as Chair for a further four years from 1 June 2026. This, she explains, “would take him to the maximum of eight years allowed by the Ethical Standards Commissioner’s Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland”.³Scottish Parliament, Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2026, January 16). Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Committee on Scottish Fiscal Commission: reappointment of chair. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/correspondence/2026/scottish-fiscal-commission-reappointment-of-chair

5. Reflecting on Professor Roy’s current term as Chair of the SFC, the Cabinet Secretary goes on to say that—

“I consider that Professor Roy has provided steady and authoritative leadership during this time, which has enhanced the reputation of the SFC. He has proved to be a very effective communicator with Parliament and wider audiences and has helped promote understanding of fiscal and economic issues and raised the profile of the SFC. I believe that his reappointment will provide stability to the SFC and enable him to lead the next phase of organisational development.”³Scottish Parliament, Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2026, January 16). Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Committee on Scottish Fiscal Commission: reappointment of chair. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/correspondence/2026/scottish-fiscal-commission-reappointment-of-chair

6. She further asked the Committee to “initiate the Parliamentary scrutiny process to ensure that Professor Roy, subject to Parliament’s approval, may take up reappointment from 1 June 2026”.³Scottish Parliament, Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2026, January 16). Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Committee on Scottish Fiscal Commission: reappointment of chair. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/correspondence/2026/scottish-fiscal-commission-reappointment-of-chair

7. The Committee considered the Cabinet Secretary’s letter at its meeting on 3 February 2026 and unanimously agreed to recommend to the Parliament that it approve Professor Roy’s reappointment as Chair of the SFC for a further four-year term. In doing so, the Committee echoes the Cabinet Secretary’s comments regarding Professor Roy’s skills, abilities and experience, and notes the valuable role he has played in supporting the Committee and effective parliamentary scrutiny of fiscal and economic matters over the last four years.⁶Scottish Parliament, Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2026, February 3). Minutes of meeting. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/meetings/2026/finance-and-public-administration-committee-03-february-2026/minutes