Delivered by Professor Graeme Roy, Chair, Scottish Fiscal Commission and Professor of Economics at the University of Glasgow and chaired by Charlie Woods, Director, Scottish Universities Insight Institute and EDAS Board Member.

The annual Scottish Budget sets out the £50billion+ tax, spending and social security decisions of Scottish Ministers. This includes funding allocations for health, education, local government, economic development, skills, employability, and innovation. The Budget also sets out the broader context for the delivery of public services in Scotland. It is the key fiscal event in the Scottish Parliament’s Budget calendar.

How the Scottish Budget is determined has become more complex in recent years, following tax devolution and the transfer of key responsibilities for Social Security. Understanding how the Scottish Government’s Fiscal Framework operates, the options open to policymakers to allocate funds and raise taxes, and the implications for long-term fiscal sustainability is increasingly important as the powers of the Scottish Parliament continue to grow.

This half-day workshop aims to provide participants with an overview of the Scottish Budget process. Key issues to be covered include: how the Scottish Budget is determined each year; the interactions between the Scottish and UK Budget cycles; the role of parliamentary scrutiny and independent forecasts; and the government’s priorities over tax and spending. There will be frequent opportunities for participants to ask questions and relate the discussion to their own day-to-day work.

Limited places available

Who should Attend?

Of wide interest. In particular, the workshop will be useful for those in the public sector, or those who rely upon public funding, and wish to understand the strategic context and outlook for the Scottish Budget.