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My personal view is that, as we bring in that different, more regional layer of Government and create 120 to 160 municipalities, it comes down to trusting the delivery unit to understand what is required and what is best at the initial point of indicating where the 12-month funding package will go.
Dame Elish has recommended that the Scottish Government should agree with the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive how primary legislation could best be amended to give the PIRC such a power.
It is right that MSPs take those decisions, as they are best placed to do so. However, the argument for what is undoubtedly a significant increase in the budget needs to be based on evidence.
Might the bill provide you with an opportunity to reconsider whether the idea of something being “equitable” is the best test for a time limit being extended and to consider whether the idea of it being “reasonably practicable” to present a claim within one year might be better?
I welcome our witnesses from Audit Scotland: Caroline Gardner, Auditor General for Scotland; Tricia Meldrum, senior manager; and Rebecca Smallwood, audit manager for performance audit and best value. I invite the Auditor General to make an opening statement.
Over the past couple of weeks, communities have said to me a lot that although documentation is great, face-to-face conversations are the best, which means going into communities and speaking directly to people.