Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 19 February 2026 [Draft]
19 Feb 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Public Services (Funding)
I want to focus on that point, because it is crucial. I came down to the Parliament in 2018 to discuss it with the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution, Derek Mackay. The problem with the COSLA funding formula is that it requires the entire COSLA body—all the council administrations—to come together and agree. The councils that do well out of the funding formula will never agree to reset it; therefore, the Government will need to step in. Recognising that rurality is not taken into account, will the Government promise to do that in the future, to make sure that the funding formula is fair?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-20268, in the name of Alexander Burnett, on a fair share of funding for public services...
Alexander Burnett (Aberdeenshire West) (Con)
Con
I thank those who have supported the motion, which echoes a joint statement put out by 22 community councils in Aberdeenshire. For 19 years, Scotland has str...
Karen Adam (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
I am grateful to have the opportunity to debate the motion, and I thank Alexander Burnett for bringing it to the chamber. However, there is something quite i...
Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
The motion poses a simple question about whether the way in which the SNP Government chooses to distribute its record funding among our local authorities, NH...
Davy Russell (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab)
Lab
I thank Alexander Burnett for bringing the debate to the chamber. It is on a wee subject that is dear to my heart, as I have over 40 years of experience in t...
Tim Eagle (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I thank Alex Burnett for bringing this crucial debate to the chamber. I must admit that I am still a little bit dizzy from Karen Adam’s speech. My word—that ...
Karen Adam
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Tim Eagle
Con
I am not allowing Karen Adam an intervention. She would not take an intervention from any of us.The 2026-27 budget is another dire one that will force all co...
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
I am grateful to Alexander Burnett for the opportunity to speak in this debate for the communities of the north-east, and particularly the people of Aberdeen...
Sharon Dowey (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
I thank my colleague Alexander Burnett for bringing this debate to the chamber.Many of the issues that have been highlighted in Aberdeenshire are also presen...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
I call Ivan McKee to respond to the debate. Minister, you have around seven minutes.13:21
The Minister for Public Finance (Ivan McKee)
SNP
I will come on to members’ contributions shortly, but I will first cover off some general points.The Government recognises the essential role that local auth...
Liam Kerr
Con
Among all the statistics that the minister is trotting out, let us get specific. How would he suggest that NHS Grampian makes a further £40 million of cuts n...
Ivan McKee
SNP
I was just coming on to that point. The board was escalated to stage 4 of the NHS Scotland support and intervention framework in May 2025 in order to provide...
Tim Eagle
Con
I want to focus on that point, because it is crucial. I came down to the Parliament in 2018 to discuss it with the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the...
Ivan McKee
SNP
I have identified that Aberdeenshire Council receives additional funding due to its rural nature. It is interesting to get it on the record that the Conserva...
Tim Eagle
Con
That is not what I said.
Ivan McKee
SNP
That is exactly what he said. I think that COSLA would have something to say about that.Under the two existing formulas, the additional cost of providing ser...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
That concludes the debate. I suspend the meeting until 2.30 pm.13:29Meeting suspended.14:30On resuming—