Scottish National Party MSP for Dundee City East
Our recently published public service reform strategy recognises the critical importance of community empowerment to the design and delivery of local services. Through the democracy matters process, we have gained valuable insight into the contribution that community-based organisations and individual citizens are already making to improving outcomes in local areas, as well as their desire...
I agree with that. Although we welcome all investment to support Scotland’s communities, we are strongly opposed to the use of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020—as the Labour Party here used to be—to fund activity in devolved areas in Scotland. The UK Government’s local growth funding, including the pride in place programme, has completely bypassed democratic scrutiny and...
We have confirmation from the Accounts Commission of real-terms increases to local government funding for this year and the past two years at least, which helps to protect services and deliver for local communities. I point out to Alexander Stewart that at no point, so far as I am aware, has any member of his party made local government funding a key priority in the budget discussions....
As Pam Duncan-Glancy will know, it is for councils to make decisions about the various organisations that receive funding in their areas. We also provide considerable funding to third sector organisations. If Pam Duncan-Glancy would like to furnish me with further details, I would be happy to communicate with her about that particular group.
The 2025-26 budget delivered record funding of more than £15.1 billion for local government, which was a real-terms increase of 5.5 per cent. As part of the record funding package for local government, Aberdeen City Council will receive £505.1 million to support day-to-day services, which equates to an extra £37.5 million or an additional 8 per cent compared to 2024-25.
I share Jackie Dunbar’s concern that the retention of the reserved energy profits levy risks further consequences for jobs and investment across Scotland’s energy sector over the coming weeks, months and years. I assure her that the Scottish Government will continue to do what it can with the powers that are available to us, working alongside partners such as local authorities and trade...
When the First Minister met the Prime Minister last week, he made it clear that the UK Government must act now or run the risk of delivering irreversible deindustrialisation and decline in Scotland’s economy. The energy industry is facing an existential threat unless it gets the support that it needs from the UK Government—including the removal of the energy profits levy—to help to...
I agree very much with Audrey Nicoll’s proposition. I share the concern that the retention of the energy profits levy risks further consequences for jobs and investment across Scotland’s energy sector over the coming weeks, months and years. As the First Minister set out to the Prime Minister last week, the energy industry will continue to face a threat unless it gets the support that it...
