Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 07 October 2020
There is serious concern about whether, if there are delays to setting the budget, that could have an impact on a range of projects that are being undertaken or are planned. That is why it is critical that the UK Government recognises the importance of giving clarity to the Scottish Government about its budgetary requirements.
Alongside that, during the past week, the union connectivity review was announced, which shows the UK Government’s desire to start to set project priorities for transport in Scotland, with the apparent intention to almost cut part of our capital spending allocation so that it can be reprioritised to be spent in the areas that the UK Government sees as priorities. That is the type of power grab that we have become accustomed to from the UK Government, and it could have an effect on the very project that Christine Grahame has referred to, and that Michelle Ballantyne has said is critical to the Edinburgh economy. That is the type of short-sightedness that we have got used to from the UK Government on such matters.