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We have spent the afternoon talking about scrutiny, but how could we improve accountability and effective parliamentary scrutiny? Compared with the situation pre-devolution, I feel very scrutinised, so you have achieved quite a lot already.
I will use the convener's prerogative to kick off the questioning. In the old days, or the pre-SDI days, it was easy to measure the success of Locate in Scotland, as that was measured in jobs.
One of the good things about the CLS working group is that it is examining proposals that cover the whole system in an attempt to ensure that there is as much agreement as possible on who should carry out various roles. It would be dangerous for us to pre-empt the work of that group well before it is ready to report to ministers, which should be in October....
Our concern, which goes back to before the statutory instrument and pre-1999, when a hauliers meeting was held in Leith, is that, at all abattoirs and markets, there are inadequate facilities for cleaning and disinfecting vehicles.
There needs to be scope for the movement of money across the financial year-ends for pre-defined and agreed projects. You referred to that as allowing managers to make decisions and look further ahead.
I was going to implement that practice immediately by inviting members of the public to leave, but I have been pre-empted. It all seems very straightforward.
Although the keeper is not required under section 41 to determine whether the superior has complied with the pre-registration requirements of section 39, those requirements relate to the registration of notices, but not agreements.
I became more optimistic—more than I had been—when, on the day the consultation paper was issued, I was invited to a pre-publication, confidential briefing.
It is difficult to say whether there was a groundswell of opinion, but the idea was certainly mentioned. I do not want to pre-empt the decisions that will be made in the light of the responses that are received.