Shona Robison
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“For the purposes of rule 9.11 of standing orders, I advise the Parliament that His Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, has consented to place his prerogative and interests, in so far as they are affected by the bill, at the disposal of the Parliament for the purposes of the bill.”
“I acknowledge that there have been rising costs across the whole public sector. They include the rising costs of employer national insurance contributions and VAT, while the global situation at the moment will put fuel costs up for local authorities and every other part of the public sector. We are well aware of the rising costs.”
“All local authorities in the north- east region have announced council tax increases that are well above the rate of inflation. Financial and social pressures on many constituents make it difficult for them to pay their rent, and delays in receiving social security support compound that situation.”
“Presiding Officer, before I answer the question, I hope that you will indulge me just for a moment, as this is my last portfolio question time and my last opportunity to speak in the Parliament. I take this opportunity to thank my Government officials for all their support in my Government role.”
“Local government has a key role to play in driving progress on reducing child poverty, including by delivering whole-family support that breaks the cycle of poverty. That is why the 2026-27 Scottish budget provides a further real-terms increase to the local government settlement.”
“However, if the amount of funding was truly sufficient, SNP-run councils such as Perth and Kinross Council would not be forced to raise council tax by nearly 9 per cent simply to stand still. Does the cabinet secretary accept that the so- called record funding is not keeping pace with rising costs?”
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“It is important that we work together as a Parliament to eliminate the scourge of child poverty but ensure that we have a sustainable social security system. Last Friday, Professor Ruth Patrick of the University of York and the London School of Economics published a report entitled “Cuts can’t fix child poverty: it’s time for a new approach”. The report recognises that the key factor in the reduction in child poverty in Scotland has been the Scottish child payment, and it also highlights feedback from families in receipt of the payment. For example, Lisa said: “The Scottish child payment ... alleviates some of the financial pressure and gives me and my son more breathing space to enjoy life.”
“Figures that were published last week showed that the proportion of children living in relative poverty has reduced in Scotland and that the 2023-24 rate is now the lowest that it has been since 2014-15. The proportion of children living in absolute poverty has also fallen, with the annual figure at its lowest in 30 years. It is a shame that the Labour UK Government does not share that priority. I am proud of the social security system that we have created and of the difference that it has made by providing money directly to people who need it most. However, I am aware that we face an increasingly challenging situation as we take stock of the impact of the UK Government’s benefit cuts.”
“This year, we are already spending £1.3 billion more on social security benefits and payments than we receive in funding from the UK Treasury, and we are also already spending £210 million on measures to mitigate UK Government welfare policies, which now include the cut to the winter fuel payment. I again called on the chancellor to abolish the two-child limit for universal credit, but she again failed to do so. Instead, she has taken action that will put more children into poverty, not lift them out of it. Let me be clear: the Scottish Government will effectively scrap the two-child cap in 2026. That work is under way. The priority that we have given to social security in Scotland reflects the priority that we have placed on ending child poverty.”
“It stated that “cuts to ill-health, disability and carer’s benefits” will “rise to £8.1 billion in 2029-30, and will continue to grow over time.” Those changes were announced without any consultation with this Government—nor, for that matter, the public at the general election—despite the fact that they will impact on our devolved benefits and our budget. The planned changes to the eligibility criteria for the personal independence payment in England and Wales will impact on the funding that we receive from the Treasury for the adult disability payment in Scotland.”
“Those will be accompanied by updated economic and fiscal forecasts from the Scottish Fiscal Commission, which will take into account the latest economic and fiscal outlook from the OBR. The Labour UK Government’s planned welfare reforms have caused a great deal of alarm, particularly as sick and disabled people will bear the brunt of the cost savings. For our Government, with its driving ambition to eradicate child poverty, that is absolutely unacceptable. The cuts that were announced last week appear to be driven by a desire to save money and to seek to balance the books on the backs of disabled people. It is concerning that the Resolution Foundation warned that the full scale of welfare cuts is far greater than the net £4.8 billion in savings.”
“Through programmes on the public sector estate, collaborative procurement and the use of digital, we are making significant savings for the public purse. We have secured cost-avoiding and cash-releasing savings that are expected to have reached up to £280 million over the past two years. To accelerate reform, this year’s budget has up to £30 million for invest-to-save measures. The savings that we will make from these programmes will help us have choices in future years to deal with the cuts to our funding that we know are coming down the track. I am committed to ensuring that our public finances are on a sustainable footing. I will set out our medium-term financial strategy and the fiscal sustainability delivery plan before the summer recess, which will set out the measures that we are taking to secure fiscal sustainability.”
“We have consistently called on the UK Government to protect them from the impact of the increase, but it has completely ignored the needs of social care providers, general practitioners, dentists, childcare providers and universities—to name but a few—which will bear the full brunt of the UK tax increase. The constraints that our budget will face in future years mean that it is essential that we continue our work to reform public services, improve productivity and ensure that every pound is spent in line with our priorities. The work that the Minister for Public Finance is taking forward will reduce the costs of service delivery and reduce long-term demand through investment in prevention.”
“As members will recall, the current indication is that we will have more than £400 million short of what is needed, and we will need to wait until May—when we will be already two months into the financial year—to see the final numbers. Frankly, that is not good enough, and it puts devolved Governments at the back of the queue. I stand by the commitment that I made earlier this year to funding 60 per cent of the direct employer costs for Government portfolios and to provide an additional £144 million for local government. However, I cannot go any further than that without additional funding from the Treasury. I am also concerned about the impact on commissioned services, third sector organisations and charities.”
“Members are well aware of the impacts of the UK Government’s increase in employer national insurance contributions. We have estimated that that will add more than £700 million to the cost of delivering public services—for the national health service, schools, local government, universities, social care providers and a wide range of third sector organisations. I called on the chancellor to use her statement to announce that she will fully fund additional costs arising from the change to national insurance contributions. The chancellor has failed to do that, and—incredibly—she has still not confirmed the funding that we can expect.”
“I called on the chancellor to pause her widely criticised changes to inheritance tax for farmers, including tenant farmers, and undertake full impact assessments in order to understand what those changes will mean for family farming businesses and the communities that they serve. However, she has failed to do that. We called on the chancellor to use the spring statement to prioritise investment in public services and infrastructure. I wrote to her, making it clear that the additional funding in last year’s budget, welcome as it was, did not make up for 14 years of underinvestment, and that investment needed to be sustained. Unlike the UK Government, the Scottish Government must balance our budget every year. That is what we will do, as we have done for every one of the past 17 years, but it will be tough.”
“With a period of uncertainty in trade expected as a result of President Trump’s tariff regime, it could not be clearer that—for the sake of public finances, if nothing else—we should rejoin the EU. Being a member of the European single market would boost trade and give young people more opportunities, and it would improve the public finances dramatically. The chancellor staked her plans for investment on boosting growth, but if she fails to deliver, we will inevitably see less money for investment in public services and infrastructure. I am particularly concerned about the impacts on rural communities and businesses.”
“However, what the chancellor does not address is the damage that is caused by Brexit, which has reduced the UK’s GDP by 2.5 per cent. In Scotland, that equates to a cut in public revenues of approximately £2.3 billion in 2023. That is more than £2 billion in annual public revenues lost as a result of a Brexit that the people of Scotland did not vote for. That is funding that could be making our NHS stronger, enhancing our schools, and supporting Scottish businesses to find their next markets and secure high-quality jobs. Brexit red tape has hit Scotland’s trade with our largest international export market, the EU. It is estimated that in 2023, UK goods exports to the EU were 17 per cent lower, and goods imports from the EU were 23 per cent lower, as a result of Brexit.”
“However, our economy will be affected by the decisions of the UK Government, including the rise in employer national insurance contributions, which is already affecting business confidence and jobs. We also recognise the global pressures that the chancellor has spoken about, with President Trump further increasing tariffs today and the risk to our world-class exports from further trade barriers. The US is Scotland’s second-largest export market for goods and services after the European Union, and it is a key market for important sectors such as food and drink, engineering and advanced manufacturing. All are potentially at risk from an increase in tariffs on the UK. The Scottish Government will analyse the potential impacts on the Scottish economy of any tariff measures that are imposed.”
“Productivity has also grown, at an average rate of 1.1 per cent per year in Scotland in comparison with the UK average of 0.4 per cent. We also have lower unemployment than in the UK, with a rate of 3.8 per cent in February in comparison with 4.7 per cent for the UK. We are using this year’s Scottish budget to invest in the foundations of our economy, such as housing, transport and digital connectivity, and in delivering critical infrastructure for a fair, green and growing economy. We are already ahead of England and Wales in building affordable housing. On average, between 2007-08 and 2023-24, affordable housing supply in Scotland has been 73 per cent higher per 10,000 population than in Wales, and 47 per cent higher per 10,000 population than in England.”
“I believe that, to sustain that and other vital public investment, the UK Government should seriously examine the role of wealth taxation to support such endeavours. Without exploring wealth taxation, there remains a danger that funding for necessary defence capabilities will come from yet further cuts to social security, public services or investment in other vital infrastructure. It could not be clearer that the UK Government should ditch Trident and instead invest in deepening conventional defence capabilities. The chancellor’s decisions in the spring statement will impact on the Scottish economy. Current Scottish indicators are positive: our economy grew by 0.5 per cent in the three months to January, and since 2007, gross domestic product per person in Scotland has grown by 10.3 per cent, in comparison with 6 per cent in the UK.”
“The full details of the chancellor’s spending plans will be revealed in the UK spending review, which will report in June. We know that UK departments have been asked to plan for either a flat cash or 2 per cent reduction in budget. Either way, it will be a real-terms cut. One area of the chancellor’s statement that I do welcome is plans to increase defence spending. Since the fall of the Berlin wall more than 30 years ago, we have seen what can be described as a peace dividend. Following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the shift from the United States, it is clear that this period is over. That will necessitate, as it will across Europe, sustained investment in building defence infrastructure and in supporting defence personnel.”
“I will be generous of spirit and take Labour at its word, so perhaps Labour members who contribute to today’s debate can outline when the Labour Government will publish a full impact assessment that does account for the actions that it says are not currently factored in. Given that that is the Labour Government’s main excuse, I am sure that it will be keen to publish the evidence as soon as possible. In her statement, the chancellor further announced that the rate of day-to-day public spending growth would reduce from 2026-27. Economic growth projections have been downgraded from 2 per cent to 1 per cent this year by the Office for Budget Responsibility, and it has further sounded warnings about the high levels of uncertainty that the domestic and global economies still face.”
“As such, I will update Parliament on how we are engaging with the UK Government on its spending review, which will report on 11 June. In her statement last week, the chancellor confirmed that £4.8 billion would be cut from welfare benefits by 2029-30. Those cuts have been roundly condemned, and the UK Government’s own impact assessments show that they could push a quarter of a million people, including 50,000 children, into relative poverty. The line that is being pushed by Labour following the publication of the UK Government’s own assessment is that it did not account for other actions that it is taking, including on free school meals.”
“That is money that will not now be available to spend on public services, and it comes on top of the shortfall of more than £400 million in the public services cost of increased employer national insurance contributions. Let me be clear: in the Scottish Government, we will strain every sinew to protect disabled people from this deplorable action from the Labour UK Government. However, let me also be clear about how difficult that will be, given the scale of it. Equally, we will continue to tackle child poverty—a job that is made ever harder by the UK Government’s decisions. We will do that in the face of Labour’s austerity on welfare. We as a Parliament must start to plan for and reckon with the impact that those cuts from Labour will have on the sustainability of public finances.”
“The people of Scotland will not quickly forget that this promise has been shattered, just like Labour’s promises to Grangemouth, to the women against state pension inequality and to pensioners. The cuts set out in the spring statement will also have a direct impact on Scotland’s planned budget in the coming years. Initial indications are that the block grant adjustment funding that we can expect to receive for social security benefits in 2029-30 will fall by £408 million as a result of the UK Government’s changes. The Fraser of Allander Institute has estimated further cuts in planned funding for the Scottish budget of £200 million in 2028-29 and £435 million in 2029-30.”
“The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s spring statement, which she delivered last week, seeks to balance the nation’s books on the backs of disabled people. Across the UK, more than 3 million families will be left worse off by the changes to the main health element of universal credit. That is a Labour UK Government seeing existing claimants £500 worse off and new claimants £3,000 worse off. Some 150,000 carers will lose carers allowance or the universal credit care element. By its own assessment, Labour’s welfare cuts will push 250,000 more people, 50,000 of whom are children, into relative poverty. That is nothing short of shameful. During the UK general election, Anas Sarwar took to the television studios to promise that there would be no austerity under Labour, and he said that we were to read his lips.”
“Christina, thank you for being you and for giving everything that you gave to those of us who were lucky enough to know you and regard you as a friend. I offer my deepest condolences to Keith, Jack, Lewis and the whole family. Our thoughts are with you all at this most difficult of times. Rest in peace, Christina, my dear friend. [Applause.] The Presiding Officer: I call Keith Brown. 14:48”
“I have some cracking and quite ridiculous photos of us as part of the wear it pink campaign. Once Christina set her mind to supporting a cause, that was it—she would give total energy and commitment to that cause. That is why so many people from all walks of life have paid tribute to Christina’s amazing contribution to public life. My last call with Christina was about a month ago, and I can tell colleagues that she was on great form. As well as talking about time with family and life as a granny, she gave me some very strong views and opinions on the issues of the day. She also spoke about how difficult she had found it to come to the decision not to stand as an MSP again. It was a good call, and I am really thankful for it.”
“It is an honour to be able to say a few words about our friend and colleague Christina. I first met Christina when we both worked in social work in the north of Glasgow. Even then, Christina was a force to be reckoned with and was heavily involved and active in her trade union. She was always campaigning for better, always on the side of those who were less fortunate and always campaigning for fairness. On meeting Christina, I immediately had no doubt that there was a place for her in front-line politics. I also felt that I had met a kindred spirit, which turned out to be true when we met again in this Parliament. As others have said, there is no doubt that Christina made her mark in this place by campaigning on issues that were close to her heart.”
“Like Jeremy Balfour, I very much recognise the role of the third sector in the delivery of social care services. It is a cost-effective way of delivering social care services. Ultimately, those are local decisions, but the funding that we have put in place should ensure that the third sector can continue to provide those vital services.”
“Edinburgh is served by Huntington’s disease specialists employed by the Scottish Huntington’s Association, who proactively support patients and carers in the community with a view to preventing crisis situations from arising. That service might go. Does the cabinet secretary agree that cutting preventative spending such as that is short sighted and a false economy? Will she work with me and all stakeholders to ensure that that extremely worrying prospect does not come to pass? Shona Robison: As I understand it, the Edinburgh integration joint board has been discussing those issues. With engagement between officers and third sector organisation representatives, there has been an agreement to extend the existing grants to at least the end of June.”
“We understand the pressures that are faced and have invested a record £21.7 billion in health and social care in 2025-26, which includes almost £2.2 billion for social care and integration, increasing investment by £1.2 billion since 2021-22. On top of that, our budget makes a record £15 billion available for councils for 2025-26. However, it is important to note that it is for local authorities and national health service boards to work with their health and social care partnerships to ensure that the appropriate social care support services, including third sector support, are in place. Jeremy Balfour: Many vulnerable groups are negatively impacted by the cuts, including families living with Huntington’s disease, which is a hereditary and currently incurable neurological condition.”
“I will ask Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, to reply to Neil Bibby on the specific point about the concessionary travel scheme fare issues.”
“For example, a return from Paisley Gilmore Street station to Glasgow Central station will rise from £1.50 to £3.75, which is a staggering 150 per cent increase. I am sure that we would all agree that that level of increase is too high. Given that budgetary pressures have been stated as the reason for the increase, will the cabinet secretary consider what support the Scottish Government can give to the SPT and local councils to reduce the eye-watering hikes? Shona Robison: One of the budgetary pressures that is impacting on the SPT is the additional £488,000 that it will be charged each year from the hike in the employers’ national insurance contribution. That will not help the SPT’s position. We have supported the SPT and other organisations with budgets to ensure that they can provide the services that they are required to provide.”
“I am pleased that the 2025-26 budget was agreed to on 25 February. That has allowed for general capital grant funding to be reinstated to the SPT, with £12.4 million to be allocated from the finance and local government portfolio. Additionally, the budget allocated £617,025 in revenue grant funding for the SPT from the transport portfolio. Moreover, £25 million is allocated to the Glasgow subway modernisation programme in capital funding from the transport portfolio. Neil Bibby: The SPT concessionary travel scheme has provided discounted rail travel to older people in Strathclyde for many decades. However, due to the scheme’s underfunding, those people are facing huge hikes in their rail fares from the start of April.”
“It will be for representatives of the City of Edinburgh Council to persuade their COSLA colleagues of the need for any changes to the funding formula.”
“Shona Robison: In 2025-26, the City of Edinburgh Council will receive more than £1 billion to support day-to-day services. That is an extra £60 million, or an additional 5.9 per cent, compared with 2024-25. The council will also get an additional capital allocation and support to help it to meet the costs of employer national insurance contributions. Miles Briggs asked about the funding formula. I am sure that he will be aware that any funding formula has to be agreed within COSLA. That is challenging when there are 32 local authorities, which often have their own interests. The fact that they do not always have the same interests can make the process very challenging. We cannot impose a funding formula. Were we to do so, that would be received very badly by local government.”
“The Scottish Government continues to meet the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and individual local authorities on a regular basis to cover a range of topics, including current and future budget pressures. Miles Briggs: The City of Edinburgh Council receives the lowest level of funding per head of population, yet it has the highest pupil teacher ratio in Scotland. As a result of the United Kingdom Labour Government’s decision to change VAT on independent schools, we are already seeing data that shows an increase in the number of pupils who are entering the state sector. The cabinet secretary mentioned COSLA. What plans do the Government and COSLA have to review the funding formula to ensure that it keeps pace with potential increased school rolls here in the capital?”
“Despite my frustration about that, I have now moved on to focusing on securing fair treatment as we move beyond the transition period. From 2025-26 onwards, the funding will not be ring fenced, but will be baselined into the block grant. I have repeatedly raised that issue with the chief secretary, and my officials are working to ensure that the upcoming spending review will fairly reflect the future budgetary impact that will arise as a consequence of the continued application of IFRS 16.”
“Kenneth Gibson: Does the cabinet secretary agree that it is shocking that this bureaucratic change has enabled a Labour-led UK Treasury to deprive Scotland of £49.2 million—£8.9 million of resource and £40.2 million of capital—this year? The original arrangement was for the Treasury to provide ring-fenced budget cover. Clearly, however, that has not happened. Can the cabinet secretary advise the Parliament what discussions are taking place with her UK counterparts about the level of funding that should be baselined into our budget as we move into 2025-26 and beyond? Shona Robison: As Kenny Gibson said, it is shocking, and it is contrary to HM Treasury’s stated position that this technical change should be budget neutral.”
“The IFRS 16 changes will negatively impact on our available discretionary funding this year. Changes in the profile of leasing requirements against original plans require additional budget cover. In contravention of the agreement with His Majesty’s Treasury that the transition period should be budget neutral, the full additional budget cover has not been provided, so we have no option but to manage the shortfall within our overall funding envelope. The difference between the funding provided by HM Treasury and the budget requirement in the spring budget revision resulted in an increased funding gap of £9 million for resource and £40 million for capital.”
“At the same time, the compound impact of the decisions to cut the winter fuel payment, to freeze local housing allowance rates and to continue with the previous Government’s welfare reforms can only increase demand for those services. We are still digesting the impact of the chancellor’s statement today, but there is a clear threat that the repeated attacks on some of the most vulnerable members of society risk creating a vicious cycle of reduced funding and increased demand. We have had confirmation from the Treasury that there will be cuts to our block grant from the welfare cuts from 2026-27 onwards. Spring Budget Revision (Impact of IFRS 16 Changes on Discretionary Funding) 2.”
“Does the cabinet secretary agree that the United Kingdom Government’s decision to hike employer national insurance contributions, along with the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s brutal cuts to social security that were announced today, will have a devastating impact on Scottish finances, on local and front-line services and on third sector organisations, and that they will have an impact on vulnerable people in my Motherwell and Wishaw constituency? Shona Robison: It is clear that the increased employer national insurance contributions will have a damaging effect on the funding that is available for public services, including those that are delivered by the third sector.”
“The Scottish budget for 2025-26 focuses on laying the foundations for Scotland’s long-term success and for directly addressing the priorities of the people of Scotland, including those who live in Ms Adamson’s constituency. The budget delivers £890.2 million for North Lanarkshire Council as part of the record £15.1 billion that is made available through the local government settlement. That record funding will help to ensure that people across Scotland, including those in Motherwell and Wishaw, continue to receive the high-quality local services that they expect and deserve. Clare Adamson: The Scottish Government’s number 1 priority is the eradication of child poverty, and local services and front-line organisations are integral to that aim.”
“This is a debate about energy bills and the cost of living crisis, and we need to look at what more the SNP Government can do now, rather than grandstanding and blaming the UK Government when it is actually getting to work in those areas. We do not need warm words; we need action. The people of Scotland deserve better. Let us see it. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I advise the chamber that we have exhausted all the time in hand. With that, I call Douglas Lumsden for up to eight minutes, please. 16:41”
“There is investment in the grid and in ensuring that we have sustainable, cheaper energy, and there is a longer-term approach to ensuring that we get the investment that we need for base-load and renewables. Long-term and short-term solutions are critical. One point that has not been mentioned by most members is renewable heating solutions. We have so many opportunities in Scotland. One thing that has struck me in today’s discussion is the fact that we need to focus on what can actually happen, and we need to make sure that that links to people’s bills. For Scotland to remain a leading figure in the transition to net zero, we need to react to the rising cost of living pressures, but we also need to do the heavy lifting and make sure that we see benefits for our constituents to experience.”
“Several colleagues have talked about the millions of journeys that our constituents were able to make when peak rail fares were abolished. Now, however, they have been reintroduced, so many people will not be able to afford the train. Therefore, we have a problem, which is about energy, people’s homes and what more could be done. I say to colleagues that the Labour Government is now interested in both short-term and long-term solutions to the problems that the people of Scotland face. In his opening remarks, Paul O’Kane mentioned the fact that the £150 warm home discount scheme, which will provide help to an extra 220,000 households across Scotland, comes on top of the £41 million of funding for the 2024 winter that has just passed, which has given vital assistance to our constituents. We are also investing in the long term.”
“Does Sarah Boyack not recognise that the investment that has been made in affordable housing over many years in Scotland dwarfs the investment that has been made in England by the UK Government, including the figure that she has just cited? Sarah Boyack: My point is that you have had 14 years of a Tory Government. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Speak through the chair. Sarah Boyack: In Labour’s first budget, that investment was prioritised for affordable social housing, yet, in Scotland, there is an affordable housing crisis. The cabinet secretary also talked about free bus travel. I introduced it for the over-60s, and we also have it for the under-22s. That is fantastic but, as we have said before, if there is no bus, it is not much use. We are seeing a loss of affordable buses.”
“The Accounts Commission has confirmed that, over the past three years, there has been a real-terms increase in local government funding. As I said in my first answer, the local government settlement over the past 10 years has increased by 41 per cent, which is a real-terms increase of 2.4 per cent. Those are the facts. The other fact is that, if we had listened to Finlay Carson and had unfunded tax cuts of £1 billion, local government would be getting less money, not more, to fund local services. That is the reality of the situation. [Interruption.] The Deputy Presiding Officer: Mr Hoy, I called you for a question earlier, but I have now heard at least three attempts to intervene since then. Please be quiet.”
“Despite the shameful spin from Shona Robison, the real picture of the past decade shows how, under the Scottish National Party, real-terms funding for local councils in the form of general revenue grants has stagnated. It has not increased by even 1 per cent, despite the Scottish Government’s budget increasing by nearly 20 per cent. Local authorities such as Dumfries and Galloway Council are still having to grapple with rising staff costs, inflation and pressures on services such as children’s residential placements, all of which has resulted in a 9 per cent increase in council tax. Can the cabinet secretary explain why the Government has consistently decided to make local government funding one of its lowest priorities? Shona Robison: We have not.”
“Given the changes in the Scottish Government’s devolved powers over the past decade, we must be cognisant of the fact that it is not possible to apply direct like-for-like comparisons in Scottish Government funding levels, notably due to the devolution of around £5.6 billion for the administration of social security benefits. However, the local government finance settlement has increased by 41 per cent since 2015-16, which is a real terms increase of 2.4 per cent. Finlay Carson: It can be easy to focus on short- term developments as the cause of issues that Scotland faces instead of looking at the full picture, but we must look at the full picture because we need to know why councils are struggling to provide key local services, as we can see they are.”
“That is why we brought it to an end and introduced more affordable schemes in order to reduce the drain on the public purse and stop excessive profits. Unfortunately, we are still paying for the legacy of those mistakes, and we will be doing so for many years. It is a timely reminder of the incompetence of Labour in government on those matters. Local Government Funding 8.”
“The Scottish Government provides funding to support local authorities with payments relating to their PFI and PPP contracts by way of the annual local government settlement. Marie McNair: In my constituency, the equivalent of 37.9 per cent of council tax in East Dunbartonshire and 41.2 per cent of council tax in West Dunbartonshire goes on PPP repayments. That is a shocking amount. Labour’s financial mismanagement has clearly had severe consequences, and those wasteful deals are being paid back by the council tax payer. Does the cabinet secretary agree that that highlights why the Labour Party cannot be trusted to manage Scotland’s finances? Shona Robison: I agree with Marie McNair— this Government has always made it clear that the PFI approach that was used by Labour has not delivered best value for the taxpayer.”
“Shona Robison: As a broad response to Alex Cole-Hamilton, I say that I recognise the issue that he raises, and we should all be very vigilant and cognisant of the points that he makes. In relation to the offshore wind infrastructure projects, I would prefer that Alex Cole-Hamilton gets a written response that specifically addresses his points. The matter sits slightly outwith my direct ministerial responsibility, but I want to make sure that he gets an accurate response, so I will make sure that he gets that in writing. Private Finance Initiative and Public-Private Partnership Payments (Support for Local Authorities) 7.”
“Alex Cole-Hamilton: The European Union is currently investigating Chinese renewable energy manufacturers on the grounds of interference by the Chinese Communist Party, and Norway has rejected their involvement in Norwegian offshore wind projects. However, the Scottish Government, through its Scottish offshore wind energy council, has ignored that and listed Mingyang Smart Energy Group as a priority bidder for infrastructure in our North Sea wind farms. Scotland is already worryingly dependent on Chinese money, particularly in our universities. We need to be very careful about China’s involvement in renewable energy. What thought has the Scottish Government given to the risks of inviting Chinese companies into the heart of Scotland’s energy infrastructure?”