Next parliament ‘needs committee to examine effectiveness of government’

Holyrood needs a committee specifically tasked with examining the effectiveness of the next Scottish government, MSPs are being urged.

Sarah Davidson, chief executive of Carnegie UK, said that after May’s Scottish Parliament elections there must be a committee that puts “the next government’s approach under the microscope”.

She made the plea as MSPs on the Finance and Public Administration Committee consider legacy issues ahead of the close of this parliamentary term.

The current session was the first in which the Scottish Parliament had a committee with public administration in its “specific remit”, Ms Davidson said.

And she argued that this approach to scrutiny must continue after the May 7 election.

Carnegie UK is an independent organisation which aims to “improve collective wellbeing by influencing public policy”.

Speaking ahead of giving evidence to MSPs on the Finance and Public Administration Committee on Tuesday, Ms Davidson said that in the run-up to the May 7 election there was “an opportunity right now to consider how the Scottish Parliament and its committees can play their part in driving better outcomes for the country and its citizens”.

She told the Press Association: “The current term is the first where we’ve had a Holyrood committee with a specific remit that includes public administration.

“This is the first time there has been a particular group of MSPs whose job it is to scrutinise how the Scottish Government organises, controls and directs its resources.

“The Finance and Public Administration Committee has done important work this term, including valuable scrutiny of the National Performance Framework.

“But there’s no guarantee that we’ll see a similar committee established after the election.

“That’s why Carnegie UK welcomes the opportunity to offer the outgoing committee some reflections for their legacy report, and to make the case for continued committee scrutiny of how government works.”

Ms Davidson, a former senior civil servant with both the UK and Scottish governments, added: “Closing the gap between public policy intention and delivery is one of the greatest challenges of our time.

“We need a Holyrood committee to put the next government’s approach under the microscope and examine its effectiveness.”

Finance and Public Administration Committee convener Kenneth Gibson said: “The public administration part of our remit has been genuinely fascinating in this session of Parliament.

“It’s allowed us to look at issues like the cost effectiveness of public inquiries and decision-making processes within the civil service in Scotland.

“Often, our inquiries have been the first time a Holyrood committee has examined such issues during devolution.

“We welcome Carnegie UK’s contribution to our work and look forward to exploring their evidence in detail.”