Legacy Report of the Economy and Fair Work Committee, Session 6

We would encourage successor committees to identify opportunities for cross-committee or joint committee working. Such approaches can minimise duplication, promote collaboration and potentially provide a more rounded perspective than might otherwise be achieved by single committee scrutiny.

Delivering a coherent long-term strategy to improve living standards is a key challenge for any government. There is a wider question about the extent of policy and strategy coherence across all of Scottish Government. The delineation of committee remits can make scrutiny of this challenging.

We would encourage our successor committee to make every effort to supplement formal evidence gathering with more informal approaches, including visits and discussion panels in locations beyond Edinburgh and the central belt, and to make full use of the Parliament's Participation and Communities Team.

The Scottish Government has committed to improving gender-disaggregated data collection and developing measures to evidence how women in business are supported. This is something an incoming committee will wish to follow-up.

We would encourage our successor committee to consider inviting regular written updates from Consumer Scotland on its work and the difference being made to consumers, including vulnerable consumers. An incoming committee is likely to find it helpful to receive regular information on delivery against Consumer Scotland's statutory objectives and how it works collaboratively with others in the sector. The Consumer Duty could be a topic for post-legislative scrutiny and there could be value in some inquiry work, following publication of the report of the independent review.

The Committee suggests that the governance of the enterprise agencies, particularly the role of the Boards, and the extent to which there is clarity on roles to enable an appropriate challenge function to be exercised, are areas that an incoming Committee may wish to consider.

The Committee suggests that the successor committee, within whose remit Registers of Scotland falls, continue the practice of receiving monthly and quarterly written updates and may wish to review, in due course, the operation of the Register of Assignations and the Register of Statutory Pledges.

Parliament's intention was, in due course, for SNIB to have a full range of financing powers and flexibility to function as a perpetual fund. HM Treasury dispensation is required but little progress has been made. The successor committee will wish to follow this up.

An incoming committee may wish to evaluate VisitScotland's strategic change programme.

An incoming committee may wish to continue scrutiny of actions to boost national and regional productivity and competitiveness.

Ongoing scrutiny of Scottish Government stakes in private sector companies is an area a successor committee may wish to consider.

An incoming committee will wish to consider the new AI strategy for Scotland and action plan and satisfy itself that a robust, responsible, and ethical framework is developed and observed.

A successor committee will want to work closely with a renewed Just Transition Commission to keep the risks and opportunities of actions to tackle climate change under review and ensure that the necessary forward planning and engagement with the business sector is effective and meaningful.

Delivering a skills system that meets the needs of business, and ensuring workers can access that system, are important for Scotland's future prosperity. These are areas a successor committee may wish to focus on, particularly in the context of ongoing reform to the skills delivery landscape.

Ill-health is now a significant driver of economic inactivity in the UK. This is an area that a successor committee will wish to pick up.

Given the potential impact on some businesses and specific sectors such as tourism and hospitality, a successor committee may wish to explore the non-domestic rates assessment process.

Bridging the gap between start-up and scale-up is a key challenge for Scotland's business base and an issue that a successor committee may wish to explore.

There are still challenges in becoming a leading fair work nation for example in youth unemployment, non-permanent work, and the disability employment gap. These are areas a successor committee will wish to consider.

A successor committee will wish to press the Scottish Government for early resolution of the outstanding issues in the areas of bankruptcy and diligence and prioritise scrutiny of the draft mental health moratorium regulations.

Scottish Government action on the additional reforms needed to support the treatment of digital assets in Scots law could be the subject of scrutiny for a successor committee.

The Committee recognises the potential of Community Wealth Building and that informed public input will strengthen scrutiny of implementation and outcomes.

The Committee recommends that its successor considers involving the public in post‑legislative scrutiny of the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill. This could involve commissioning a People's Panel, or other public engagement process, to explore scrutiny for implementation.

During Session 6, lead responsibility for civil contingency and civil emergency preparedness and resilience sat with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs. The Committee highlights the important of civil contingency planning across all areas of Scottish Government responsibility. The Committee recommends that account is taken of the need for cross-committee scrutiny of civil contingency planning when considering Session 7 remits.

The Committee believes that the current format of the Business in the Parliament Conference is now past its sell-by date, not good value for money, and does not represent the best use of resources. The Committee emphasises the importance of meaningful engagement between businesses and elected members with measurable outcomes. We believe there are better ways of achieving this, beyond a conference-style event in the Parliament building.

The Committee commends the witness diversity programme to all incoming committees. To encourage witnesses from a more diverse range of backgrounds to become actively involved in the work of the Scottish Parliament and contribute views, the Conveners Group may wish to consider how a similar programme could be delivered to enhance the work of all committees.