Progress of the Alternative GERS report: FOI release

Information requested

I am writing to request information on the progress of the Scottish Government's "Alternative GERS" report, as proposed by the former Finance Secretary Derek Mackay in January 2022 and re-iterated by his successor, Kate Forbes, in August 2021. In particular, I am interested in what progress has been made since Ms Forbes' statement re-iterating her support for alternative figures on 18 August 2021.

Response

The answer to your question is:

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, economic statistical resources have concentrated on monitoring its impact and the recovery (such as producing monthly GDP estimates).

The 2021/22 Programme for Government, published on 7 September 2021, confirmed that the Scottish Government will work to ensure that a legitimate and constitutional referendum can be held within this Parliament. Further decisions on the timing of a referendum will be for the Scottish Parliament to determine in due course.

It is crucial that the people of Scotland have the information they need to make an informed choice about their future and, therefore, the Scottish Government will prepare a detailed prospectus for an independent Scotland which will be available in good time before a referendum takes place.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.