Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Official Report 543KB pdf

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Budget Adviser

For item 2, the clerks have circulated a paper about the possibility of appointing a budget adviser. Having had budget advisers for the past couple of years, I would say that I found them very useful. All that we have to decide today is whether we wish in principle to appoint an external budget adviser as part of our scrutiny of the budget for 2012-13. Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

I do not disagree, but I seek clarification of the allowances that we are allowed to pay budget advisers. Has there been a decision to increase the amounts that are payable? There were issues in a previous committee that I sat on because the limits on the daily amounts were such that some of the advisers whom we might have wished to use were reluctant to come along.

I pass that query to Stephen Imrie.

I am happy to advise the deputy convener. I am not aware of any plan to increase the standard day rate, which is outlined in the paper. However, I will enquire of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether there are any plans to revisit that.

To be clear, if the committee chooses a candidate who is only available to work beyond the standard terms and conditions, it can ask the corporate body for separate approval to pay a slightly higher day rate. The balance for the committee is cost effectiveness versus the candidate in question. However, you can make a case to go beyond the standard day rate.

Thank you. We are agreed in principle about having a budget adviser. SPICe and the clerks will produce a list of possible candidates, and if members have any suggestions that they would like to put forward, they should do so. We will take a decision on who the adviser will be at our next meeting.