Meeting of the Parliament 06 December 2023
The result of the division on motion S6M-11546, in the name of Shona Robison, on the fiscal framework review, is: For 63, Against 56, Abstentions 1.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament recognises the limited improvements to the Scottish Fiscal Framework, following a joint review with the UK Government; welcomes the outcome of the review, which provides an increase in the Scottish Government’s borrowing and reserve capacity, and also confirms the Indexed Per Capita methodology as the permanent basis for calculating Block Grant Adjustments for devolved tax and security spend; notes that, while the limited progress is welcome, the Framework cannot protect Scotland from the UK Government’s austerity-driven budget decisions; understands that the Autumn Statement saw real-terms cuts to frontline spending in NHS England and on justice, and that these cuts have impacts on the finances that are consequently available to Scotland; calls for the UK Government spending plans for 2024-25 to be urgently revisited to invest in services and provide the funding necessary to meet the costs of public sector pay deals, not least in the NHS, and believes that the Scottish Parliament should have all the fiscal levers to prevent Scotland being subject to the austerity policies that harm efforts to reduce poverty, develop a growing wellbeing economy, tackle climate change and invest in public services.
Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.