Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) information: FOI release

Information requested

Information on the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), specifically:

1. Since this council was abolished, have Scottish Ministers met with any former members of the council? If so, who and when and for what purpose?

2. For what reason was the council abolished?

3. The page mentions the council was ‘replaced’. What was it replaced with?

4. An account of decisions made, policies followed, legislation pursued, and communications strategies embarked upon by the Scottish Government, since 2015, that were either a direct result of advice from the Council of Economic Advisers or came after discussion by or communication from members of the Council, in and out of meetings of the council, on the relevant matter.

Response

The CEA was disbanded in 2021, following the introduction of the Advisory Council for Economic Transformation, which advised Scottish Ministers on the development of a new economic strategy.

Further information on the Advisory Council and minutes of meetings can be found here - Advisory Council for Economic Transformation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Following the publication of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, the Advisory Council was replaced by the National Strategy for Economic Transformation Delivery Board - National Strategy for Economic Transformation Delivery Board - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Annex A contains a list of meetings between members of the Council of Economic Advisers at the point it was disbanded and Scottish Government Ministers from 1 July 2021 until the present day. This list is limited to meetings and does not include any events, visits or similar where both a former CEA member and a Scottish Government Minister were present.

The CEA was an independent advisory body. Following the publication of Scotland's Economic Strategy in 2015, it provided advice on the delivery of the strategy, which prioritised boosting investmentand innovation, supporting inclusive growth and maintaining a focus on increasing internationalisation. Minutes for all meetings of the CEA from 2007 to 2021 and other related publications are published online and can be accessed on the Scottish Government website:

Council of Economic Advisers - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Council of Economic Advisers - Minutes of Meetings (webarchive.org.uk)

About FOI

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

FOI 202400440717 - Information released - Annex A

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