The Public Audit Committee looks at reports published by the Auditor General for Scotland to examine whether public money is being spent efficiently and effectively.
On 21 November 2024, the Auditor General for Scotland published Fiscal sustainability and reform in Scotland.
The report says "The Scottish Government continues to take short-term decisions, reacting to events rather than making fundamental changes to how public money is spent. This approach has so far been effective in balancing the budget, but risks disrupting services at short notice and restricting progress towards better longterm outcomes for people. The gap between the Scottish Government’s spending and funding is forecast to continue to grow in coming years".
The report was discussed at the following Committee meetings:
The Committee has sent and received the following correspondence during the scrutiny of the report:
Correspondence to the Convener from John-Paul Marks, Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government, 26 March 2025
Correspondence to the Convener by Stephen Boyle, the Auditor General for Scotland, 18 December 2024