At the 2nd meeting of the Independent Fiscal Commission for Northern Ireland, Commission members heard evidence from David Eiser, Senior Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the Fraser of Allander Institute of Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow. David Eiser leads the Fraser of Allander Institute’s work on devolved fiscal policy and was involved in work with the Institute of Fiscal Studies to model options for, and appraise the Scottish Fiscal Framework.
Members received a presentation on the Devolution of tax responsibilities to the Scottish Parliament and discussed the Scottish experience of implementation of the new fiscal powers. Commission members had the opportunity to discuss the rationale that had motivated the Scottish Commissions to seek to enhance the fiscal responsibilities of the Scottish Parliament, and heard a useful explanation of some of the risks and practical issues that had been identified and experienced in Scotland.
Members also engaged in discussion around the scope of the draft Forward Workplan for the Fiscal Commission NI, and the ongoing development of their Stakeholder Engagement Strategy.