Hansard

The Deputy Convener Lab

We now move on to an evidence session on the Scottish Government’s draft budget 2016-17. We previously agreed to focus our scrutiny of the budget on three ar...

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Michael Matheson) SNP

Only to wish the committee a very happy new year.

The Deputy Convener Lab

Thank you. To structure the discussion, I propose that we split it into three areas—first policing, then the Fire and Rescue Service, and then the Crown Of...

Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) SNP

Happy new year, cabinet secretary. The draft budget for 2016-17 seeks to maintain, in real terms, the current level of resource funding for the Scottish Pol...

Michael Matheson SNP

You are correct in saying that. The increase in funding for Police Scotland in the 2016-17 budget that that approach will provide is just over £17 million of...

Gil Paterson SNP

Does the additional funding for the SPA indicate a departure from the previous need to find efficiency savings? Will the service still be charged with trying...

Michael Matheson SNP

It is fair to say that Police Scotland and the SPA have already achieved significant recurring savings over the last two and a half years, but there is a req...

Gil Paterson SNP

Is there an expectation that there will still be efficiency savings? We have heard that the pips are beginning to squeak, as they say, but is there an expect...

Michael Matheson SNP

You have heard in evidence already that there is still scope for efficiencies to be found. There is no doubt that, when you bring together eight different fo...

Gil Paterson SNP

It is strange that our budgets are under pressure, yet there is this difficulty with VAT. As we are constrained by time, maybe you could answer in relation t...

Michael Matheson SNP

I have made it very clear to the committee before that it is entirely unacceptable that Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are the only...

Gil Paterson SNP

Can the Scottish Government do anything to put the heat on the matter and move it further up the agenda? It seems that we only hear about the issue in discus...

Michael Matheson SNP

We have raised the issue with the UK Government consistently, at every opportunity that we have. I will give you an example. We are having to replace the rad...

The Deputy Convener Lab

The Finance Committee flagged up that problem when the legislation went through, so it was known about. At that stage, Northern Ireland had been exempted by ...

Michael Matheson SNP

To a large extent, no. You are correct to say that it has chosen to give other bodies—such as London Legacy, which is a national organisation—VAT exemptions....

John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Ind) Ind

Good morning, cabinet secretary. I declare an interest as a recipient of a police pension, since police pensions feature in the budget. I am trying to under...

Michael Matheson SNP

Do you mean in May 2016?

John Finnie Ind

Yes.

Michael Matheson SNP

The real-terms increase is £17 million.

John Finnie Ind

What is the relationship between the statement about “a boost of £100 million” in the event that you are re-elected and the announcement of “committing a ...

Michael Matheson SNP

The real-terms increase in the resource budget over the five-year period is projected to accumulate to just over £100 million.

John Finnie Ind

What does that mean for 2016-17?

Michael Matheson SNP

That is the £17 million to which I referred in my response to Gil Paterson.

John Finnie Ind

Is that part of the £55 million?

Michael Matheson SNP

No. There are two separate things: the police central Government budget, which is the £55 million to which you referred and is the continuation of the reform...

John Finnie Ind

What additional sum will be provided in the event of your party being re-elected in May? I am not campaigning for you, but are you saying that the police can...

Michael Matheson SNP

There is £17 million of additional money in 2016-17, and the way in which real-terms protection operates means that the figure will start to increase in furt...

John Finnie Ind

So the statement on the £100 million does not need the qualifier “if we are re-elected”, because it is there anyway.

Michael Matheson SNP

This is a one-year budget, which provides £17 million. As the Deputy First Minister set out, we are committed to maintaining that in future budgets. A change...

John Finnie Ind

So the figure is £17 million, then.