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That is exactly why we have continued to call for an essentials guarantee, which would—the clue is in the name—ensure that people can afford the essentials in life. Unfortunately, to date, that has been rebuffed by the UK Government.
That demonstrates the progress that we have made to date. We continue to have engagement through the joint working group, which will explore ways in which we can meaningfully make improvements to the council tax system, including looking at options for longer-term reform.
I say to John Mason that, if we could get the cabinet secretary to come to the chamber to bring us up to date with the negotiations and where things stand, we could perhaps discuss that sort of detail.
In reality, redeploying the Scottish budget cannot reverse the recession. Patrick Harvie may argue that £100 million could insulate every home in Scotland, but even £34 billion will not insulate Scotland from Labour's recession.
The Government has concentrated much of its effort on supporting young people—defined as 16 to 19-year-olds—given the severity of the recession’s impact on young people. We took that decision pragmatically, recognising that many people who are over 18 are often mandated to take part in programmes that the United Kingdom Government runs.
I also thank the broadcasting team and of course all the members, who were willing to give up their recess. I know that you are all working anyway, but committees do not usually meet during recess, so we very much appreciate that.