Finance Committee - Scrutiny of the Scottish Budget 2008-09
Please note that the Committee's scrutiny of the Scottish Government's budget for 2008-09 has now been completed.
Introduction
The Scottish Government published the Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 document on 14 November 2007. Please follow the link below to the document on the Scottish Government's website.
At its meeting on 22 November 2007, the Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth requesting additional information relating to the Draft Budget 2008-09. Please follow the link below to the Cabinet Secretary's response.
For further information on the Scottish budget process in general, please follow the link below.
Stage 1
Although this is a Spending Review year, there will be no Stage 1 in the 2008-09 Budget Process because of the Scottish Parliamentary elections.
Stage 2
Budget Review Group
In advance of its formal scrutiny of the Draft Budget, the Committee held an evidence session with members of the Budget Review Group (the "Howat" review) at its meeting on 23 October. Please follow the link below to the Official Report of the meeting.
Local Government and Sustainability
As well as considering the overall budget, the Committee has agreed to focus its scrutiny on the impact of the budget on local government and on sustainability. The Committee took evidence on these two topics at its meeting on 4 December 2007. Please follow the links below to the Committee papers (including submissions on local government and on sustainability); and the Official Report of the meeting.
Guidance to subject committees
Also at its meeting on 4 December 2007, the Committee agreed its guidance to subject committees. Please follow the link below to the guidance.
External meeting - Dundee
The Committee held a meeting at Discovery Point in Dundee on 10 December 2007, to hold workshops with local organisations and take evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth. Please follow the link below to the Official Report of the meeting and the accompanying news release.
Report
The Committee published its report on the Scottish Government's Draft Budget on 16 January 2008. Please follow the link below to the Report and accompanying news release.
The Scottish Government responded to the Committee's report on 29 January 2008. Please follow the link below to the response.
Stage 3
Stage 3 of the budget process involves formal parliamentary consideration of the Budget Bill. Further information on the Budget Bill in general can be found on the Scottish Budget Process webpage (click link).
Set out below is the timetable for parliamentary passage of the Budget Bill for financial year 2008-09.
- The Budget Bill was introduced on 17 January 2008.
- Due to the truncated nature of the timetable which applies to the Budget Bill, as set out in Standing Order rule 9.16.5, the Stage 1 debate took place on 23 January 2008. The Parliament agreed to the general principles of the Bill. Please follow the link below to the Official Report of the debate.
- Stage 2 of the Budget Bill took place at the meeting of the Finance Committee on 29 January 2008. No amendments were lodged by the Scottish Government.
- Stage 3 consideration (the final debate and vote on the Bill) took place on Wednesday 6 February 2008. The Parliament voted to pass the Bill. Please follow the link below to the Official Report of the debate.
Amendments
The Scottish Government lodged 6 amendments to the Bill at Stage 3. The amendments were agreed to by the Parliament during Stage 3 proceedings on 6 February. Please follow the links below to the amendments and the accompanying letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth.
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Adviser
The Committee has agreed to appoint Professor David Bell, of the University of Stirling, as its adviser on the Budget Process. All papers by the budget adviser will appear here.
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Contact: For specific information on the budget process, please contact Allan Campbell, Assistant Clerk to the Committee, on 0131 348 5451 or email finance.committee@scottish.parliament.uk
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