Andrew Welsh: Prevention of social problems must be the priority

Trying to prevent, rather than deal with social problems such as violence, drug and alcohol misuse, poor educational attainment and ill-health, is not a novel idea. But the evidence that Holyrood's finance committee has received so far is optimistic in its belief that greater preventive spending can deliver major benefits. For example, some groups believe better support for disadvantaged children could help to overcome a great range of deep-rooted social problems.

While "prevention rather than cure" seems intuitively sensible, the committee will be testing this theory by looking for concrete examples of effective preventive spending in health and social care, housing, violent behaviour and early years provision.

We will also be considering examples where greater preventive spending could lead to difficult decisions having to be made. For instance, one academic told the committee that public money should be redirected from tertiary education to greater early years provision. Exploring such arguments is an essential first.

The committee will also identify barriers to change. Written evidence almost unanimously supports greater preventive spending, and it is clear that much more should be done.

The Scottish public sector cuts will be the most obvious barrier. Nobody denies this unprecedented challenge, but some see the cuts as an even greater stimulus for immediate action. If budgets are reduced we should invest in innovative programmes that will lessen the need for longer-term spending.

The committee's inquiry aims to stimulate public debate on how to get better at preventing social problems arising. For example, who benefits from the NHS and the police spending huge sums dealing with the consequences of violence? If violence could be lessened significantly, everyone would benefit. The squeeze on public funds means it is even more crucial that we seek an evidence-based approach to allocating scarce resources.

• Andrew Welsh, an SNP MSP, is convener of Holyrood's finance committee.