5th Report, 2008 (Session 3)

The draft Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order 2008

Remit and membership

Remit:

1. The remit of the Finance Committee is to consider 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 proposals for the making of a tax-varying resolution, taking into account any report or recommendations concerning such documents made to them by any other committee with power to consider such documents or any part of them;

(b) any report made by a committee setting out proposals concerning public expenditure;

(c) Budget Bills; and

(d) any other matter relating to or affecting the expenditure of the Scottish Administration or other expenditure payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.

2. The Committee may also consider and, where it sees fit, report to the Parliament on the timetable for the Stages of Budget Bills and on the handling of financial business.

3. In these Rules, "public expenditure" means expenditure of the Scottish Administration, other expenditure payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund and any other expenditure met out of taxes, charges and other public revenue.

(Standing Orders of the Scottish Parliament, Rule 6.6)

Membership:

Jackie Baillie (Deputy Convener)
Derek Brownlee
Joe FitzPatrick
James Kelly
Alex Neil
Jeremy Purvis
Andrew Welsh (Convener)
David Whitton

Committee Clerking Team:

Clerk to the Committee
Susan Duffy

Senior Assistant Clerk
Mark Brough

Assistant Clerk
Allan Campbell

Committee Assistant
Stuart McLean

The draft Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order 2008

The Committee reports to the Parliament as follows—

1. At its meeting on 4 November 2008, the Finance Committee considered the draft Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order 2008. The Committee took evidence from Jim Mather MSP, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, who was accompanied by the following Scottish Government officials: Rob Wishart, Chief Statistician, Marina Curran, Assistant Statistician, Office of the Chief Statistician, and Graham Fisher, Head of Constitutional and Civil Law Division.

2. The Official Report of the session can be found on the Parliament’s website, at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/finance/or-08/fi08-2501.htm

3. During the evidence session, the Committee sought and received clarification on a number of points. The Committee notes that the Scottish Government committed to provide further explanation on issues surrounding the leaking of official statistics. Specifically, the Committee sought clarity on where responsibility lies for investigating such leaks, including whether they are covered in the Ministerial Code. The Committee also sought explanation on the mechanisms and basis for the UK Statistics Authority to report to the Scottish Parliament on devolved matters. The Committee looks forward to receiving this information in due course.

4. Following the evidence session, Jim Mather MSP moved motion S3M-02766—

That the Finance Committee recommends that the draft Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order 2008 be approved.

5. After debate, the motion was agreed to without division.