Day: November 30, 2023

St Andrew’s Day: ‘Beyond the Tartan’

WESTMINSTER’s Scottish Affairs Committee has published the UK Government’s response to its report on Promoting Scotland Internationally, in which MPs found the UK and Scottish Governments often collaborate well when promoting Scotland’s interests abroad but more work is needed to highlight modern Scottish successes. 

In its report, the Committee found a clear strategy was needed to ensure UK embassies have access to guidance and clear expectations for holding events on key Scottish dates such as St Andrew’s Day.  

The cross-party group of MPs recommended embassy staff of all levels be trained up on the current Scottish industry landscape and the UK Government’s priorities for Scotland in order to ensure a more consistent base of knowledge.

They also found more needed to be done to celebrate contemporary Scottish successes in fields such as scientific research, space and energy in addition to the more traditional attributes of the Scottish brand which still resonate on the international stage. 

In its response, the UK Government highlighted past events but didn’t commit to implementing a strategy for celebrating key dates in the Scottish calendar across all embassies.

The UK Government also indicated senior staff receive adequate training but did not commit to giving staff of all levels updated training on the Scottish market and industry landscape. 

The UK Government indicated agreement with the Committee that officials from the UK and Scottish Governments regularly work collaboratively overseas in order to deliver the best possible outcomes, and also acknowledged the importance of maintaining regular communication between teams. 

The UK Government failed, however, to address a number of the Committee’s recommendations, including no commitment to provide specific information on the UK Government’s current priorities and objectives for promoting Scotland internationally. 

Scottish Affairs Committee Chair Pete Wishart MP said: “Scotland is home to a fantastic array of research and development organisations, businesses and academic institutions – so it’s critical that Scotland’s success stories are promoted in a consistent and coherent way on the world stage. 

“As a Committee, we found there were differing levels of engagement and knowledge related to Scotland’s key interests around the globe as well as a lack of a clear idea of exactly what the UK Government’s priorities are for promoting Scotland internationally. 

“As Scots worldwide celebrate St Andrew’s Day, I’m disappointed that the extent to which embassies around the globe are telling the nation’s story and celebrating Scottish culture will remain inconsistent. 

“Unfortunately, it was hard to identify a clear plan which will ensure Scotland receives the international recognition it deserves. It is, therefore, difficult to see how the UK Government will fully support Scotland to maximise the potential offered by our brilliant industries.” 

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Holyrood Committee ‘concerns’ over Circular Economy Bill

The Scottish Government’s Circular Economy Bill has been criticised for a lack of financial transparency and accurate costings, in a report out today.

The Finance and Public Administration Committee (FPAC) doubts that the Bill complies with the Parliament’s rules on setting out “best estimates” of costs likely to arise.

FPAC Convener Kenneth Gibson MSP said: “Scrutiny of this Bill reinforces our concern that affordability does not appear to be a key factor in Scottish Government decision-making.

“The Minister, Lorna Slater MSP, has committed to consult on the cost of secondary legislation, but that should not replace an assessment of affordability at the point of a Bill’s introduction.

“Our committee is not convinced that this Bill’s financial memorandum meets the requirements set out in Parliament’s Standing Orders to provide: “best estimates of the costs, savings, and changes to revenues to which the provisions of the Bill would give rise”.

Mr Gibson continued: “We’ve seen an increasing use of ‘framework’ bills that provide government with future enabling powers. These do not, however, provide best estimates of all likely costs, and undermine parliamentary scrutiny. 

“It also risks the Parliament passing legislation which may in the end – once outcomes are fully understood – lead to significant cost increases.

“The increased use of framework bills with no clear implementation costs, poses a long-term risk to the Scottish Budget, both now and for successive governments.

“The FPAC is disappointed that Scottish Ministers have still to meet our previous recommendations or expectations around the level of financial data, clarity and transparency required.

“In the end, it will be for Parliament to decide when voting on the general principles of this framework bill, whether the outcomes it seeks to deliver outweigh any financial or affordability considerations.”

On income from fly-tipping and litter fines, the report said:

  • The assumption in this financial memorandum (FM) of a 100% payment rate for fixed penalty notices is entirely unrealistic. Therefore, given that the level of income from fines assumed in the FM is not attainable, it should not be used to ‘off set’ some of the costs of enforcement, such as in relation to fly tipping. We consider this approach to identifying potential savings to be unsatisfactory.

Updates every six months:

  • We request that the updates, committed to by the Minister in her letter of 20 November be provided to the Committee every six months. These updates should include updated information on the expenditure incurred to date, any changes in forecast costs and any savings arising from the Bill and the subsequent Act (subject to the Bill being passed) and relevant secondary legislation, until all provisions are operational.