The Finance and Public Administration Committee has launched an inquiry to answer questions around how the rising cost of living will affect the Scottish Budget in 2023-24.
It is seeking views from organisations and the public to inform its pre-budget scrutiny work, prior to the Scottish Government publishing its budget later this year.
Committee convener Kenneth Gibson said: “The next Scottish Budget will be challenging as the current cost-of-living crisis impacts on Scotland, so we're keen to hear from organisations and individuals how the Scottish Government should respond to this crisis.
“We also want to hear views on how the government’s proposed reform of the public service will support its future spending plans.”
Gibson concluded: “Using the government’s resource spending review announced in May, we will focus our pre-budget scrutiny on the proposals for reforming the public service, the impact of the cost of living crisis on the Scottish Budget, and how spending priorities might affect the delivery of national outcomes.”
Pre-budget scrutiny aims to:
- influence how the Budget is prepared;
- improve transparency and increase public awareness of the Budget;
- consider how the Scottish Government’s Budget for 2023-24 should respond to new fiscal and wider policy challenges;
- lead to better results and outcomes when compared against the Scottish Government’s targets and goals.
The call for evidence runs from today until 19 August, with oral evidence to be heard during late September and early October.
Later that month, the committee will consider its draft report and publish shortly after.
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