SB(07)11th Conclusions
STRATEGIC BOARD MEETING
31 MAY 2007
Present | Sir John Elvidge (chair) | |
| Bill Bound (non-executive) | (dialled in from 11am) |
| Robert Gordon CB | |
| Andrew Goudie | |
| Kevin Woods | |
| Philip Rycroft | |
| Apologies | Richard Wakeford | |
| David Fisher | |
| Shonaig Macpherson | |
In attendance | Owen Kelly | |
| Sarah Smith | |
| Sarah Davidson | |
| Donald Cameron | |
Agenda Item 1: Minutes and matters arising
1. The minutes of the previous meeting (SB(07)10th conclusions) were agreed for publication. Under matters arising:
Paragraph 1: Andrew Goudie said that work to establish a panel of individuals with experience of delivering projects comparable to the Forth crossing had been completed and that he would circulate details of the membership of the panel (Action: Andrew Goudie). Dr Goudie said that a meeting had been arranged to formalise a remit to cover the Board's role in the project and that a draft remit would be circulated for approval thereafter.
Paragraph 9: Sarah Smith said that work was underway to consider how best to construct a replacement system for BriX which had been closed with the exception of notes on SNP manifesto commitments and that once completed proposals would come to the Board for consideration.
Paragraph 11: The Permanent Secretary said that following discussion with the First Minister, Cabinet was scheduled to consider a paper on 5 June about the administration's approach to UK relations.
Paragraph 12: The Permanent Secretary noted that work had been commissioned from the FOI unit to take forward the actions agreed by the Board on 24 May. The First Minister had asked for work to be done on how advice is presented to Ministers, and in particular, how advice might be separated from supporting information and analysis to make clearer the distinction between advice considered exempt under FOI and releasable information. The First Minister had also asked for information about FOI cases being contested by the Executive (subsequently commissioned from the FOI Unit).
Agenda Item 2: Report from Cabinet
2. Ms Davidson reported on the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 29 May and said that the pre Cabinet discussion about collective decision making had gone well and that the First Minister had highlighted the importance of good process allied to speed and responsiveness in the system. Further consideration was being given to an effective process to identify topics for Executive debates in Parliament to avoid the need for extended Cabinet discussion. Cabinet had accepted proposed amendments by the Parliamentary Bureau to the list of proposed Parliamentary Committees and the First Minister intended to offer to appear before the Conveners group. An early learning point from Cabinet consideration of substantive issues was the value of including relevant background or explanation of technical issues, particularly over the first few weeks, and it would be helpful if Directors General could cascade that information within Directorates (Action: Directors General). The strategic discussion on safer and stronger had covered the contribution to be made by other portfolios to a greater extent than previous discussions, and the secretariat would consider how best to achieve cross portfolio engagement once the present cycle was completed (Action: Secretariat).
Agenda Item 3: Risk Management
3. The Board noted actions in place to address emerging risks to the successful transition to a new administration. Risks included the importance of developing a strong narrative around EU engagement in the run up to the EU Fisheries Council on Tuesday, 12 June; ensuring that the organisation fulfilled its responsibility to provide new Ministers with clear and robust advice across the range of Executive business; and the value of engaging, at an early stage, with special advisers on policy development and handling Government business more generally.
Agenda Item 4: Strategic Spending Review Update
4. Dr Goudie introduced the item and said that Mr Swinney intended to provide an overview of the financial context for Cabinet on Tuesday, 5 June in advance of a more detailed discussion about the principles and process for the spending review on 12 June. The financial overview would reiterate the importance of prudence in 2007-08; set out the income and expenditure picture over the spending review period; make clear that existing baselines should not be regarded as sacrosanct and highlight the need to de-prioritise spending to create headroom to meeting the funding shortfall over the spending review period. Cabinet Secretaries would be asked to agree a process to identify action on a limited number of first 100 days commitments, including if necessary financial commitments in advance of the spending review. Cabinet would then consider final proposals on the first 100 days commitments on 12 June and the principles and process for conducting the review over the summer months.
5. The Board noted the update and agreed the importance of taking forward the spending review with a collective focus on the strategic objectives rather than on a portfolio basis and of ensuring that Directors General, and Directors engaged closely with Cabinet Secretaries and special advisers throughout the spending review process.
Agenda Item 5: Supporting Directors General in Delivering the Strategic Objectives (SB(07)22)
6. The Board agreed to offer initial comments on this item in correspondence and to defer formal discussion on this item to the following week.
Agenda Item 6: Communications
7. Owen Kelly updated the Board on communications issues over the first few weeks of the new administration and said that a draft of the latest newsletter to staff would be circulated shortly for approval.
Agenda Item 7: Any Other Business
8. There was no other business.
Date of Next Meeting
9. Thursday, 7 June at 8.30am.
Cabinet and Corporate Business Secretariat
June 2007