Meeting of the Parliament 14 January 2015
I am pleased to open this debate on Labour’s motion. As usual, I draw members’ attention to my declaration of interests.
The motion is wide ranging, as indeed are the amendments, and I hope that we will have a constructive debate. It is inevitable that Opposition parties must fulfil their prime duty of holding the Government to account, and the Government will no doubt defend its record as usual, but I hope that we can at least begin by agreeing that the valuable funding that is provided through the Barnett formula has proved useful over the years.
Labour increased health spend by 100 per cent between 1997 and 2008. That was the largest increase in funding for the national health service in 60 years.
Of course, decisions about what to do with the funds that are provided are wholly for the Scottish Government. In that respect, a few questions really should be answered. The independent Office for National Statistics reported that from 2008 to 2013 England increased per capita spend in real terms, while the Scottish National Party reduced per capita spend. I admit that the numbers are relatively small in both cases; nevertheless, there was a reduction in Scotland. More important, the increase in expenditure in the north-east of England, which is often used as a comparison site for Scotland and other regions and countries, was greater than that in the rest of England. I wonder whether the SNP is comfortable with the fact that, for the first time in the history of the NHS, Scotland has fewer general practitioners per capita than the north-east of England.