Chamber and committees

From the budget discussions that we had at the COVID-19 Recovery Committee, Jackie Baillie will be aware that the Government is retaining enhanced testing facilities beyond those that we had prior to the Covid pandemic, to ensure that we have the capability and capacity to undertake testing activity.

I will inquire about specific dialogue between health ministers and the University of Glasgow in relation to the Lighthouse lab, but Jackie Baillie should be assured of the Government’s commitment to ensuring that we have the appropriate measures in place to deal with the Covid pandemic. The pandemic is, of course, still with us, but its prevalence is, thankfully, much lower than has been the case in the past, and we have much greater population protection through the vaccination programme.

It is pretty obvious that the budget is under enormous financial pressure. Liz Smith is a member of the Finance and Public Administration Committee, and I have been completely candid about the challenges that I face in balancing this year’s budget because of the impact of inflation and the increased costs with which we are wrestling. I have come to Parliament to reallocate £1.2 billion of resources to meet the funding pressures. It is no secret that we face those issues and pressures, but the Government is acting to address them.

In relation to IJB funding, it is elementary common sense that, if IJBs hold reserves that can be utilised to support front-line activity, that is the Government’s clear preference.

Mr Halcro Johnston’s question raises a perspective on an independent public inquiry that must be countered. Conservative members would be outraged if I were to interfere in the operation of an independent public inquiry. Indeed, Mr Fraser, who is sitting on the front bench, accused me of so doing. We have one member of the Conservative Party, Mr Halcro Johnston, asking me to interfere in an inquiry and another Conservative member, Mr Fraser, alleging that I am already doing just that.

The law is very clear on independent public inquiries, and I have rehearsed the point in previous parliamentary statements. The law is clear that, once a chair is appointed, it is up to them to run the public inquiry and it is not for ministers to interfere. I do not interfere.

The Covid recovery strategy brings together more than 70 actions that are supporting those who have been most impacted during the pandemic and the on-going cost crisis by increasing financial security for low-income households, enhancing the wellbeing of children and young people, and creating good, green jobs and fair work.

That activity is supported by the themes of the Scottish Government’s national strategy for economic transformation and by work that involves support for digital recovery and support for the energy sector through the energy transition fund. We are also providing significant investment to support businesses, including by providing almost £0.5 billion pounds more than the funding that we received from the United Kingdom Government.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a fair recovery for everyone in Scotland, particularly the people who have been most affected by the pandemic, which includes those affected by long Covid.

We are supporting activity to improve the collection of clinical data on the prevalence and healthcare needs of people with long Covid to inform the planning and delivery of services. Officials are working with NHS National Services Scotland’s long Covid strategic network to improve data collection as a priority. The network is taking forward a dedicated workstream to agree outcomes, indicators, monitoring and evaluation to accelerate progress.

I would make two points in relation to Mr Leonard’s question. First, I reiterate what I said in my original answer. Work is under way with NHS National Services Scotland’s long Covid strategic network to improve data collection. That substantively addresses the point that Mr Leonard puts to me.

Secondly, in relation to support for people with long Covid, the Government is very clear that we must ensure that anybody who is experiencing ill health, whether that is from long Covid or anything else, is able to access the appropriate level of clinical care to support their needs and requirements. That is primarily undertaken through access to the general practitioner network in Scotland. I would encourage anybody who is experiencing ill health to pursue those options and to ensure that they secure the necessary care to which they are entitled.

The Covid-19 recovery strategy contains a range of actions, many of which will continue beyond the lifetime of the strategy. The principles of the Covid-19 recovery strategy helped to inform the 2023-24 Scottish budget, which prioritises eradicating child poverty, transforming the economy to deliver a just transition to net zero and achieving fiscally sustainable public services. The Scottish Government will continue to prioritise policies that support those who are in the most need.

I co-chair the Covid-19 recovery strategy programme board, alongside the president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. Together with partners, we oversee recovery activity that supports people in Scotland, particularly those who are most affected by the pandemic and the on-going cost crisis.

I certainly cannot commit to that this afternoon. That is quite a big undertaking to give. I will take away the issues that Katy Clark has raised. The Government has taken measures, which have been properly considered by the Parliament, to apply a freeze on rents. As Katy Clark will know, legislative provisions are under way. I will certainly take away the point that she has raised and ensure that it is considered by the relevant ministers.

Those things—any annual or periodic revisions of capital frameworks that are put in place by the UK Government—are tied up with two things. Part of my challenge in this financial year has been that we have had no restating of the budget in the light of the significantly different inflation climate that we face now, compared with when the budget was set. I rehearsed those issues with Liz Smith the previous time I was at the committee.

The budget was set in late 2021, in a context when inflation was benign. Since then— for the whole of this financial year—we have faced raging inflation, which is partly why I am wrestling with the issue that you raised with me in your first question, convener, about the financial pressures in this financial year. There has been no restatement of the budget to take account of that factor. Some of the solution could lie in a restatement of the position.

The other area is the review of the fiscal framework, which is in more of a procedural space where borrowing limits could be revisited and recast. There are discussions to be had with the UK Government on the fiscal framework, and those are at a very early stage.

Frankly, I would question the value of any conversation with most of the people I have been dealing with over the interim period during which I have been acting as finance secretary, because of the degree of churn, if I could put it as delicately as that.