Chairman's Message
When the Panel first met to consider the Independent Budget Review in February, we were concerned that very little knowledge of the extent of the looming challenge was in the public domain.
How much has changed in five months! Now there is rarely a day without some mention in the media of the difficulties we are all facing, and it has also become obvious that this is not just an issue in Scotland or, indeed, the UK, but a pain that is being shared by many countries.
There are very difficult decisions to be made over the next few months, requiring strong leadership not just in their making but also in their subsequent implementation.
Clearly, there are significant short-term challenges. However, important decisions also need to be taken about the future. Scotland needs to decide what form and shape of public services it desires and can afford. What do we want the state to do? What level of taxes are we willing to bear for the provision of our public services? How much should we change the mix between the state, the individual, the third/voluntary sector, and the private sector?
Our Parliament and political parties have an opportunity to show strong leadership by creating the space for conversations to take place about the future of public services. At the beginning of our devolved Parliament much was said about the opportunity for a new kind of politics. If there was ever a time for this to be in evidence, now is that time.
As Sir William Beveridge stated in the introduction to his 1942 report that started to revolutionise welfare provision: "The first principle is that any proposals for the future … should not be restricted by consideration of sectoral interests." This message is one for all of us.
I would like to thank my colleagues, Sir Neil McIntosh and Robert Wilson, who have given so much time and thought to these issues over the last five months, and I would also like to thank the team on secondment from the Scottish Government, whose task it has been to help us sort through the volumes of input.
Crawford W Beveridge CBE
Chair, Independent Budget Review
July 2010