David Hume Institute gives evidence to Scottish Parliament committee
Susan Murray, Director of the David Hume Institute, gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament Finance and Public Administration committee following its response to the consultation on Public Finances in 2022-23.
The Institute is calling for Scottish Government to:
Publish draft multi-year spending plans to help longer term planning for service improvement, investment and productivity, and increase transparency over forward planning.
Publish how it has prioritised for a fair and equal recovery, and provide underlying evidence for those priorities, recognising trade offs between shorter and longer term choices.
Link budget priorities to the National Performance Framework and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), using them to analyse how the pandemic has affected some groups and communities worse than others. Continued use of the UNSDGs assists collaboration with other organisations and governments around the world.
Focus on climate action and a fair transition to net zero, faster delivery of digital infrastructure and measures to directly influence reductions in poverty and promote greater inclusivity.
Work to improve Scotland’s places by devolving resources and putting more power in the hands of local communities.
Ensure support for jobs where skills can be developed rather than skills development alone.
Commit to a full review of the Fiscal Framework which considers external changes including the loss of European Funding and new direct spending in Scotland from Westminster as well as the interactions between both devolved and reserved taxes and social securities.
