DRAFT Conveners Group Meeting with the First Minister Wednesday 28 September 2022 Wednesday 28 September 2022 Transcript prepared by the Scottish Parliament Official Report Conveners Group Wednesday 28 September 2022 CONTENTS Col. C OST OF L IVING ................................................................................................................................................. 1 United Kingdom Budget (Impacts) ................................................................................................................ 1 Energy Bills ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Health Impacts .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Covid-19 Recovery ....................................................................................................................................... 7 Ferries ........................................................................................................................................................... 7 Colleges ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 Impact on Rural and Island Communities .................................................................................................... 9 Affordable Housing ..................................................................................................................................... 11 E MPLOYABILITY AND S KILLS ............................................................................................................................ 14 Scottish Government Spending Priorities ................................................................................................... 14 Transparency .............................................................................................................................................. 15 National Strategy for Economic Transformation ......................................................................................... 16 Skills Review ............................................................................................................................................... 17 Education (Reform) .................................................................................................................................... 17 C ONSTITUTION ................................................................................................................................................. 20 Impact of Brexit on Devolution .................................................................................................................... 20 B UDGET .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 Pressures on Criminal Justice Sector......................................................................................................... 22 Public Sector Pay ....................................................................................................................................... 23 Income Tax ................................................................................................................................................. 24 E QUALITIES ..................................................................................................................................................... 25 Conversion Therapy ................................................................................................................................... 25 H EALTH ........................................................................................................................................................... 27 Health and Social Care Personnel (Rural Areas) ....................................................................................... 27 Autumn Booster Vaccination Programme .................................................................................................. 28 J USTICE .......................................................................................................................................................... 30 Sexual Crime Reform ................................................................................................................................. 30 U KRAINE ......................................................................................................................................................... 31 Supersponsor Scheme and Capital Programmes ...................................................................................... 31 D ELIBERATIVE D EMOCRACY ............................................................................................................................. 33 Participatory and Deliberative Democracy ................................................................................................. 33 F UTURE P RACTICES AND P ROCEDURES ............................................................................................................ 36 Hybrid Proceedings and Proxy Voting ........................................................................................................ 36 Transparency (Parliamentary Scrutiny) ...................................................................................................... 37 CONVENERS GROUP C ONVENER Liam McArthur (The Deputy Presiding Officer) C OMMITTEE MEMBERS *Clare Adamson (Convener, Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee) *Claire Baker (Convener, Economy and Fair Work Committee) *Siobhian Brown (Convener, COVID-19 Recovery Committee) *Ariane Burgess (Convener, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee) *Jackson Carlaw (Convener, Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee) *Finlay Carson (Convener, Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee) *Joe FitzPatrick (Convener, Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee) *Kenneth Gibson (Convener, Finance and Public Administration Committee) *Richard Leonard (Convener, Public Audit Committee) *Gillian Martin (Convener, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee) Stuart McMillan (Convener, Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee) *Edward Mountain (Convener, Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee) *Audrey Nicoll (Convener, Criminal Justice Committee) *Sue Webber (Convener, Education, Children and Young People Committee) *Martin Whitfield (Convener, Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee) *Elena Whitham (Convener, Social Justice and Social Security Committee) *attended T HE FOLLOWING ALSO PARTICIPATED : The First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon) C LERK TO THE CONVENERS GROUP Irene Fleming L OCATION The Mary Fairfax Somerville Room (CR2) 1 28 SEPTEMBER 2022 2 flexibilities are required to ensure that the Scottish Scottish Parliament Government is able to continue to deliver for the people who are most in need?