Scottish politicians need financial training to help them understand the economy, a review of the Scottish Fiscal Commission has found.
The recommendation was made by the Paris-based intergovernmental group the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
As part of the review of the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC), which supplies forecasts in relation to tax matters and social security costs to help guide the Scottish government's budget, noted a number of areas with scope for improvement.
It notes, The Times reports, the SFC could widen its work to highlight the "the scale of trade-offs necessary to balance the budget”, and could also better communicate its findings to society.
It also notes that “strengthening levels of fiscal literacy among members of the Scottish parliament will also enhance the impact of the SFC’s work and help it inform political debate across a broader range of spending areas”.
The SFC, although funded by Holyrood, is independent of the Scottish government.