Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee

Meeting date: Thursday, January 11, 2018

Official Report 445KB pdf

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Scottish Government Reports

Agenda item 5 is to consider the Government’s six-monthly reports on horizon 2020, the one-plus-two languages programme, the European structural and investment funds and the transposition of EU directives. Do members have any comments, or would they like further clarifications on any of the reports?

Does this item include the letter that we have seen from Keith Brown about the European social fund?

Yes.

I am concerned by the second paragraph of Keith Brown’s letter, which warrants further investigation by the committee. Mr Brown indicates that, due to the failure to lodge the appropriate paperwork, Scotland will lose €22.2 million in grants from the programme budget. It is the case that, if the paperwork is not submitted correctly and on time, the funds are decommitted. The Government’s declaration is that compliance is complicated and difficult to complete expeditiously. I am underwhelmed by that response.

I do not want to be too pejorative, but it would be useful for the committee to see how Scotland’s performance relates to other participating authorities. It may well be that they will have had a shortfall, too. Are we able to establish our performance relative to that of others?

The sum of €22.2 million is not an insignificant amount of money to have to write off in the first phase because we have not been able to submit our application effectively. We could expect to receive more information about that.

Does anyone else have other points to make about the letter?

It is also worrying that invoices worth £12.3 million were outstanding. Although £6.3 million has been paid back, a further £5 million is subject to appeal. I have the same concern as Jackson Carlaw does. Where is the information about that money? How is it to be accounted for? What will happen if the invoices are not paid? Will the Scottish Government simply write off that £5 million?

I understand that the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee is conducting an inquiry into this topic. We could contact that committee and pass on our concerns to it. Additionally, we could write to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work to ask for further clarification.

I would be content for us to write to the cabinet secretary expressing our concern but saying that we have raised the matter with the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee and asked it to advise us of the outcome of its inquiry.

Are other members content with that approach?

Members indicated agreement.

As no member wants to make a comment on any of the other reports that we have received, I end the public part of our meeting.

10:43 Meeting continued in private until 10:55.