Public Audit Committee
The Public Audit Committee was established in June 2021. It mainly focuses on reports published by the Auditor General for Scotland to ensure that public money is spent efficiently and effectively by
- the Scottish Government, and
- other public bodies (including colleges, police and fire services and the NHS).
Next meeting
4th Meeting, 2023
Agenda: Decision on taking business in private, The 2021/22 audit of the Crofting Commission, The 2021/22 audit of the Crofting Commission, New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802
09:00am, 02 February 2023
T1.60-CR4 The Clerk Maxwell Room
Get in touch
If you want to get in touch, you can contact Lynn Russell, the Clerk for the committee at [email protected]
Address: The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP
Phone: 0131 348 5186 Find out about call charges.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @SP_PublicAudit
If you're appearing as a witness at a committee, take a look at our witness guide for more information.
Members
Members of the Public Audit Committee
Current Members
Richard Leonard
Convener
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: Central Scotland (Region)
Sharon Dowey
Deputy Convener
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: South Scotland (Region)
Colin Beattie
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Midlothian North and Musselburgh (Constituency)
Willie Coffey
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley (Constituency)
Craig Hoy
Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: South Scotland (Region)
Substitute Members
Katy Clark
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: West Scotland (Region)
Bill Kidd
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Glasgow Anniesland (Constituency)
Roz McCall
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Mid Scotland and Fife (Region)
Committee work
Current
Major Capital Projects
Major ICT Projects
New Vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802
NHS in Scotland 2021
Replacement European Union Funds: Future audit and accountability arrangements
Scotland's Financial response to Covid-19 and Scotland's economy: Supporting businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic
Scotland's public finances: Challenges and risks
Scottish Government Relationships with Public Bodies
Settlement Agreements
Social Security: Progress on implementing the devolved benefits
Tackling child poverty
The 2020/21 audit of National Records of Scotland
The 2020/21 audit of Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts
The 2020/21 audit of South Lanarkshire College
The 2021/22 audit of National Records of Scotland
The 2021/22 audit of the Crofting Commission
The 2021/22 audit of the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts
Previous
Administration of Scottish income tax 2020/21
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Community empowerment: Covid-19 update
Community Justice: Sustainable alternatives to custody
Covid-19: Vaccination Programme
Drug and Alcohol Services: An update
Improving outcomes for children and young people through school education
National Fraud Initiative 2022
Planning for Skills
Scotland's colleges 2020
Scotland's colleges 2022
Social Care Briefing
The 2020/ 21 audit of the Crofting Commission
The 2020/21 audit of Bòrd na Gàidhlig
The 2020/21 audit of NHS Highland
The 2020/21 audit of NHS National Services Scotland: Response to the Covid-19 pandemic
The 2020/21 audit of Scottish Canals
The 2020/21 audit of the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland
The 2020/21 audit of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Correspondence
Committee correspondence
Correspondence from the Convener to Stephen Boyle, the Auditor General for Scotland, 19 January 2023
Tackling child poverty: Follow up Scottish Government, January 2023
Correspondence to the Convener from Paul Johnston, Director-General Communities, Scottish Government, 12 January 2023
Admin of Scottish income tax 2021/22: National Audit Office, January 2023
Correspondence to the Convener from Gareth Davies, Comptroller and Auditor General, 12 January 2023
Official Reports
Official Reports
Meeting date: Thursday, January 19, 2023
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Section 22 Report: “The 2021/22 audit of the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts”
Meeting date: Thursday, December 15, 2022
Decisions on Taking Business in Private, Section 22 Report: “The 2021/22 audit of National Records of Scotland”
Meeting date: Thursday, December 8, 2022
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Major Information and Communications Technology Projects
Reports
Committee reports
This report sets out the Public Audit Committee's annual report for the parliamentary year from 13 May 2021 to 12 May 2022.
The 2020/21 audit of the Crofting Commission
The Public Audit Committee reports on its scrutiny of the Auditor General for Scotland's section 22 report on the 2020/21 audit of the Crofting Commission.
Annual Report of the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee
Remit
There shall be a committee, the remit of which is to consider and report on the following (and any additional matter added under Rule 6.1.5A):
- any accounts laid before the Parliament;
- any report laid before or made to the Parliament by the Auditor General for Scotland; and
- any other document laid before the Parliament, or referred to it by the Parliamentary Bureau or by the Auditor General for Scotland, concerning financial control, accounting and auditing in relation to public expenditure.
Aims and Objectives
Through its scrutiny of reports from the Auditor General for Scotland, including engaging with public and stakeholders, the Committee will make a difference to the quality of public services in Scotland by:
- Maintaining an overview of how public money is being spent by the Scottish Government, and other public bodies (including colleges, police and fire services and the NHS)
- Holding public sector leaders to account on how public funds have been spent by:
- Influencing public bodies to take appropriate action to implement the recommendations made by the Public Audit Committee and the Auditor General for Scotland
- Encouraging public bodies to publicly evidence how they will respond to recommendations, and the progress they have subsequently made
- Driving continuous improvement across the public sector by:
- Taking a whole-systems approach to our scrutiny of audit reports, as well as scrutinising organisation by organisation issues reported to us
- Promoting good practice which is drawn to our attention
- Co-ordinating our scrutiny with other committees so it adds value
The Committee will keep these objectives under regular review.