Budget 2011-12

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:03 pm on 17 November 2010.

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Photo of John Swinney John Swinney Scottish National Party 2:03, 17 November 2010

Mr Kerr has been demanding for several weeks that I publish the budget. I have now published the budget, so I think that we could have expected something a bit more substantial than that from him. Mr Kerr mutters, in his usual fashion in these exchanges, that the budget is just for one year. This Parliament only ever sets a budget for one year. It might publish longer-term spending plans, but it only ever sets a budget for one year.

Let me explain clearly to Mr Kerr exactly why a one-year budget is appropriate and why the establishment of the Christie commission is important. He should understand this, given his perspective as one of my predecessors in office. What has to happen in the period going forward—I accepted this in my statement—is a fundamental reform of our public services.

Mr Kerr will know from his experience as a finance minister that if numbers are set out for a prolonged period, which set out essentially the expectations and parameters of individual bodies, it becomes ever more difficult to get the type of reform in public services that we require. In the financial situation that we face—which I respectfully point out is the creation of the Labour Party—we have to embrace that message of fundamental reform.

The responsibility that I have exerted as finance secretary is that I have fulfilled my duty to confront the year of public expenditure that will have the sharpest fall of any year in the public spending profile that has been set out to us.

I have taken the difficult decisions. I have taken the very tough decisions. [Interruption.]