Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-15693, in the name of John Swinney, on the Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill. 14:40

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy (John Swinney) SNP

The Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill for 2016-17 maintains our strong record of managing the public finances using the fiscal powers that are currently availabl...

Willie Rennie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD) LD

On the other side of the coin, we are seeing massive cuts to local authority budgets because of the financial straitjacket that Mr Swinney has imposed on loc...

John Swinney SNP

It is for individual local authorities to take the decisions that they want to take about their budget choices—Interruption.

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Order.

John Swinney SNP

The examples that Mr Rennie cited are the sort of options that are often circulated before council meetings, but when councils take their decisions they reje...

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green) Green

If it is for councils to make their own decisions about how to manage the cuts, why is it not also for local councils to make their own decisions about the t...

John Swinney SNP

Because the Government has a commitment to freeze the council tax for the duration of this parliamentary session, and we are determined to ensure that we del...

Alex Rowley (Cowdenbeath) (Lab) Lab

Given that tens of thousands of public sector jobs are going to be lost as a result of the budget, regardless of whose fault that is, will the Deputy First M...

John Swinney SNP

The claims that are being made about public sector employment are utterly exaggerated. I will cite the evidence for that. Interruption.

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Order.

John Swinney SNP

In the past 12 months, the number of jobs that have been lost in the devolved public sector in Scotland is 500—that is 0.1 per cent of public sector employme...

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab

What does the Deputy First Minister feel about the budget for SNP-controlled Clackmannanshire Council that was passed last week, which imposed a 7.1 per cent...

John Swinney SNP

Individual local authorities must make their choices within the resources that are available to them. I am also entitled to insist on the need to freeze the ...

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

Will the member give way?

John Swinney SNP

I must make more progress. We know that there is much more that we need to do. We want to create a world-class education system that delivers success for al...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Will the cabinet secretary confirm that every local authority that is allocated a certain amount of money from the attainment fund will receive all that mone...

John Swinney SNP

I can give Jenny Marra the assurance that authorities that are allocated the money will get the money that they are allocated. I thought that Jenny Marra mig...

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

Yesterday was an historic day for this Parliament. Interruption.

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Order.

Kezia Dugdale Lab

The deal on the fiscal framework has ushered in a new and exciting era of devolution, and I congratulate the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister on ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Order.

Kezia Dugdale Lab

We do so in the spirit of a new and powerful Parliament with a positive alternative: to set the Scottish rate of income tax 1p higher than the rate that has ...

John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) SNP

Will Kezia Dugdale give way?

Kezia Dugdale Lab

No, thank you. I would like to make a bit more progress. This is a Parliament that has often heard arguments from all sides about what we cannot do and what...

Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) SNP

Will Ms Dugdale give way?

Kezia Dugdale Lab

Let me make a bit more progress. First, it is beyond any reasonable doubt that the policy is a fair one. Let us look at the facts. It is simply a fact that ...

Kevin Stewart SNP

Will Ms Dugdale give way on that point?

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

It appears that Ms Dugdale is not giving way at the moment, so allow her to make some progress.

Kezia Dugdale Lab

Mr Stewart should listen to the facts before he ignores them anyway. Analysis from the Scottish Parliament information centre shows that out of every £1 tha...