MSPs slam lack of costings for National Care Service
Holyrood’s Finance & Public Administration Committee has raised "significant concerns" over the lack of detailed costs for the Scottish Government's National Care Service Bill.
In a report published today, the committee says that without an indication of the potential scale of all costs associated with the bill, it is difficult to assess whether the proposed National Care Service is either affordable or sustainable.
With the stage 1 vote on the bill scheduled for March 2023, the MSPs are calling on ministers to provide “much needed clarity” and to bring forward fully costed plans at least two weeks before the vote.
Committee convener Kenneth Gibson said the financial memorandum to the bill in its present form did not provide an overall estimate of the cost of creating a National Care Service.
"A large number of decisions are yet to be made, and no estimate of costings has been provided for VAT liability, transfer of assets and staff, and the creation of a nationwide digital health and social care record", he commented. "All of which has the potential to result in significant costs.
"The committee appreciates the Scottish Government’s intention to co-design the service with those most closely affected. That work could, however, have been undertaken prior to the introduction of primary legislation.
"Major bills should not be implemented via secondary legislation, or through business cases, which cannot be subject to the same in-depth, formal scrutiny as financial memorandums to bills.
"The significant gaps highlighted throughout our report have frustrated the parliamentary scrutiny process.
"We are therefore calling for a revised financial memorandum, with detailed costings, at least two weeks before Parliament considers the bill at stage 1."