Best in Scotland

Sir, Last week The Arran Banner carried a report from the Labour leader of North Ayrshire Council (NAC) claiming the SNP government plans to cut funding to councils by £424 million next year, with £9.2 million for NAC.

Serving, as I do, on the Scottish Parliament’s cross-party local government and communities committee responsible for scrutinising the local government budget, I simply don’t recognise these figures.

Even Labour’s leader in Scotland claims ‘only’ £327 million. However, Labour refuses to acknowledge the addition to this year’s budget of extra funds such as £120 million for schools, £107 million for health and social care and £150 million in additional capital expenditure.

In fact, of Scotland’s 32 councils, NAC will receive the biggest percentage funding increase in Scotland, with its capital allocation boosted by a thumping 162 per cent from £12,108,000 to £31,731,000.

Overall, NAC’s funding will increase by 7.4 per cent, which may rise to 8.1 per cent if it implements the maximum three per cent council tax increase permissible now the council tax freeze has ended after nine years. Incidentally, the cap is because we recall 75 per cent increases in council tax and 592 per cent in water and sewerage rates under Labour in the decade to 2007.

Readers might also recall that, only a couple of years ago, Labour council leaders across Scotland argued unsuccessfully for a change in the local government funding formula, which would have cost NAC £5,081,000 each and every year, with the money going to Glasgow. These are challenging times. Westminster has cut Scotland’s budget by nine per cent over a decade and the NHS is our major funding priority. Nevertheless, the SNP government has been fair to our councils and will continue to deliver the best funding settlement possible.

Yours,

Kenneth Gibson, Cunninghame North MSP.