SPCB Written Question · S2W-16682 · Session 2
Whether it will establish a budget office in the Parliament to provide an independent assessment of Executive financial estimates.
The question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will establish a budget office in the Parliament to provide an independent assessment of Executive financial estimates.
The answer
The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has not consideredestablishing a budget office in the Parliament to provide an independentassessment of Executive financial estimates.
Suchassessment is already provided by the Finance Committee, whose remit, underRule 6.6 of Standing Orders is:
Toconsider and report on:
(a)any report or other document laid before the Parliament by members of the Scottish Executive containing proposals for, or budgets of, public expenditure or proposalsfor the making of a tax-varying resolution, taking into account any report orrecommendations concerning such documents made to them by any other committeewith power to consider such documents or any part of them;
(b)any report made by a committee setting out proposals concerning publicexpenditure;
(c)Budget Bills, and
(d)any other matter relating to or affecting the expenditure of the ScottishAdministration or other expenditure payable out of the Scottish ConsolidatedFund.
The committee is supportedby an expert adviser and by researchers in SPICe.The committee can also commission research from external sources.
Suchassessment is already provided by the Finance Committee, whose remit, underRule 6.6 of Standing Orders is:
Toconsider and report on:
(a)any report or other document laid before the Parliament by members of the Scottish Executive containing proposals for, or budgets of, public expenditure or proposalsfor the making of a tax-varying resolution, taking into account any report orrecommendations concerning such documents made to them by any other committeewith power to consider such documents or any part of them;
(b)any report made by a committee setting out proposals concerning publicexpenditure;
(c)Budget Bills, and
(d)any other matter relating to or affecting the expenditure of the ScottishAdministration or other expenditure payable out of the Scottish ConsolidatedFund.
The committee is supportedby an expert adviser and by researchers in SPICe.The committee can also commission research from external sources.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S2W-16682 by reference.