You do not have a view on that. David, do you think that guidance would be helpful or is it not needed?

As the minister is probably aware, the bill has been drafted on the basis of work over several parliamentary sessions; a number of consultations; the work of this committee in the previous session; the recommendations of four information commissioners over the long period of time since the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 was enacted; the views of stakeholders such as FOI officers at events that I know you attend, who are asking that they be put on a statutory footing that is similar to, and mirrored on, data protection, in order to give them more authority to require their organisations to comply with the law; and the views of campaigning organisations and many others that I could list. The bill is an attempt to capture discussions that have taken place for a long time.

Do you accept that the reason why we are discussing this bill is the Scottish Government’s failure to respond to those calls for reform, most recently the post-legislative scrutiny report in 2020 and the consultation in 2023? Therefore, do you accept that there is a lack of confidence that the Scottish Government is driving or will drive the changes that are needed?

Many of the bodies that were designated in 2002 were complex. For example, general practices make up a wide range of different bodies. My essential point is that we need to speed up the process, don’t we?

As I said, we designated 10,000 bodies in 2002, and they were often similarly complex. The question really is whether you accept that we need to speed up the pace of designation.

So, only very recently. Do you accept that there is also a great deal of concern about the pace of designation since 2002, particularly given the changing nature of how public services are delivered with outsourcing? On occasion, as we have heard in evidence, that has led to a loss of rights. We have taken evidence today about changes in technology. The Scottish Parliament designated 10,000 bodies in 2002, when the act was passed, but, as we have heard, since then, the pace of designation has been described as “glacial”. Do you accept that we need to speed up the pace of designation, given the loss of rights and that the public have a right to know how their money is being spent?

Thank you.

I appreciate your evidence in relation to the work that you have personally been involved in to extend FOI. I appreciate that you have been back in your role—

I welcome the Scottish Government’s political support for community wealth building through the introduction of its bill. Community wealth building offers an economic approach that can help local economies to create well-paid, secure jobs, promote fair work principles and meet the needs of local communities.

I pay tribute to Councillor Joe Cullinane and the then Labour administration in North Ayrshire for their pioneering work on community wealth building. As the first council in Scotland to launch a community wealth building strategy, North Ayrshire rejected the failed economic model that has increased inequality, hoarded wealth in the hands of a few and hollowed out public services. Instead, the council’s strategy prioritised a different approach, which used its economic levers for the benefit of local people. Indeed, the council used its existing levers, such as procurement, local spend, and land and assets, to deliver on community wealth building. The council also brought together various local bodies, such as Ayrshire College and NHS Ayrshire and Arran, to help to make community wealth building a success.

It is clear that community wealth building has been a success in North Ayrshire. I could list many examples, but I will just give a few: 26 per cent of North Ayrshire Council’s total procurement spend now goes to local businesses; the council’s community benefits wish list has ensured that public sector contractors deliver on the needs of local communities, such as the transformation of a former army barracks into a thriving community centre in Barrmill; the skills for life vocational programme for parents delivered more than 130 placements with the council and 45 placements with wider public and third sector organisations between 2017 and 2022; a former steelworks site has been developed into the Lochshore park hub; the construction of three solar farms has been supported to meet local energy needs; and Kilwinning-based Shuttle Buses has been transitioned to employee ownership, empowering all 70 members of staff in the process.

North Ayrshire demonstrates that community wealth building can be successful, which is why it is important that we get the bill right. However, as it stands, the bill lacks ambition and scope. I agree with the points that Richard Leonard and Lorna Slater made. I also agree with the points made by members from various political parties—Kevin Stewart, Maurice Golden and Jamie Greene—about the need to seriously consider procurement and local spending.

The bill provides a framework that requires ministers to publish a statement, but there is no detail on what that statement should entail in resourcing and other support from the Scottish Government to make community wealth building a reality. Although the bill requires local authorities and relevant public bodies to publish their action plans, it contains no specific requirements for what should be included in those plans.

I reiterate the concern that, without proper resourcing and support from the Scottish Government, and with no clear action plan requirements, community wealth building will be implemented inconsistently across the country. The bill also fails to deliver further economic levers for local authorities to ensure ambitious and wide-reaching community wealth building approaches.

I hope that the minister will reflect on the issues that have been raised in the debate and that, at stage 2, we can be more ambitious with a clearer bill that can deliver community wealth building for communities throughout Scotland.

Well, I have asked whether it is acceptable.

That might be the case, and the Government might want to introduce further legislation in due course. However, you said that the Scottish Government supports the creation of a criminal offence that would prohibit paying for sex. Are you suggesting that something has happened to change that view?