motion_title: Scotland's Finances and the Cost of Living
motion_text: The result of the division on motion S6M-08686, in the name of Michael Marra, on Scotland’s finances and the cost of living, as amended, is: For 62, Against 51, Abstentions 0.
  Motion, as amended, agreed to,
  That the Parliament considers sound financial management and the responsible use of taxpayers’ money to be key priorities for any government, and that this is especially important at a time when households and businesses face increased bills and expenses due to the ongoing cost of living crisis; understands that the record of the Scottish Government over the last 16 years has been characterised by balanced budgets, unqualified accounts and, since 2018, the most progressive income tax system in the UK; considers that this is in stark contrast to the decade of austerity that Scotland has faced from successive UK governments; recognises that the Scottish Government has worked constructively with Audit Scotland, the Scottish Fiscal Commission and the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Constitution Committee to improve the budgetary process and parliamentary scrutiny of Scotland’s finances; calls on the Scottish Government to continue to prioritise openness, transparency and competence in the management of Scotland’s finances, and further calls on the Scottish Government to address the concerns about the inconsistency in financial data sets that were set out by the Scottish Parliament Finance and Public Administration Committee in paragraph 43 of its report, PreBudget Scrutiny 2023-24: Scotland's Public Finances in 2023-24 and the Impact of the Cost of Living and Public Service Reform.