Chamber
Plenary, 07 Dec 2000
07 Dec 2000 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
Local Government Settlement
I thank the minister for providing me with a copy of his statement an hour ago. I have guarded it with my life.
I came here this morning hoping to hear from Santa Claus in pre-election mode. However, although Angus MacKay may not quite be the Grinch that stole Christmas, he is not quite the man in red either. Notable omissions from his statement were extra statutory responsibilities and new burdens that may be imposed on local government that would also have to be paid for through the additional resources that were announced earlier today.
Despite the above-inflation increases that Mr MacKay gleefully announced, will he concede that there is still a long way to go before local government again enjoys the resources that it had before reorganisation and prior to the massive hikes in council tax that were endured following that Tory-inspired debacle?
Will the minister explain what the settlement will mean, in relative terms, for local authorities such as Glasgow, Inverclyde and Dundee? Does he agree with Charlie Gordon, leader of Glasgow City Council, that the rejection of the block and formula system, which is advocated by local authorities that are in the greatest need, will mean that Glasgow loses £10 million of much-needed resource and will place an additional burden on the hard-pressed council tax payers of that city and similar authorities?
Does the minister agree with Councillor Gordon's view that the Executive decision on the funding formula over the next three years means that
"ministers would be seen as walking away from their own social justice agenda"
and that
"the Executive is failing to recognise the impact of poverty on the delivery of services like social work and education"
having been browbeaten by more prosperous local authorities?
Does the minister accept that a simplistic reallocation of additional resources, primarily on a population basis, will inflict a disproportionate burden on poorer councils? Those areas often lose employed skilled residents and are left with a higher percentage of the socially excluded population which is desperately in need of higher- quality services.
When will capital allocations again reach the levels, in real terms, that they were a decade ago? Will we be able to question the minister on his pre-Christmas announcement on a small business relief scheme, or will it be leaked to the media through another planted question?
I came here this morning hoping to hear from Santa Claus in pre-election mode. However, although Angus MacKay may not quite be the Grinch that stole Christmas, he is not quite the man in red either. Notable omissions from his statement were extra statutory responsibilities and new burdens that may be imposed on local government that would also have to be paid for through the additional resources that were announced earlier today.
Despite the above-inflation increases that Mr MacKay gleefully announced, will he concede that there is still a long way to go before local government again enjoys the resources that it had before reorganisation and prior to the massive hikes in council tax that were endured following that Tory-inspired debacle?
Will the minister explain what the settlement will mean, in relative terms, for local authorities such as Glasgow, Inverclyde and Dundee? Does he agree with Charlie Gordon, leader of Glasgow City Council, that the rejection of the block and formula system, which is advocated by local authorities that are in the greatest need, will mean that Glasgow loses £10 million of much-needed resource and will place an additional burden on the hard-pressed council tax payers of that city and similar authorities?
Does the minister agree with Councillor Gordon's view that the Executive decision on the funding formula over the next three years means that
"ministers would be seen as walking away from their own social justice agenda"
and that
"the Executive is failing to recognise the impact of poverty on the delivery of services like social work and education"
having been browbeaten by more prosperous local authorities?
Does the minister accept that a simplistic reallocation of additional resources, primarily on a population basis, will inflict a disproportionate burden on poorer councils? Those areas often lose employed skilled residents and are left with a higher percentage of the socially excluded population which is desperately in need of higher- quality services.
When will capital allocations again reach the levels, in real terms, that they were a decade ago? Will we be able to question the minister on his pre-Christmas announcement on a small business relief scheme, or will it be leaked to the media through another planted question?
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Sir David Steel):
NPA
The first item of business is a statement by Angus MacKay on the local government settlement.
Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
On a point of order. This morning I contacted my colleague Kenny Gibson, asking to see a copy of the minister's statement, which he had in his possession at ...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
The answer is no, I cannot do anything about that because it is not a point of order for me. I am informed that, as a matter of courtesy, the Executive gives...
The Minister for Finance and Local Government (Angus MacKay):
Lab
With Fergus Ewing's consent, I will steer clear of freedom of information this morning and stick to the local government settlement. Since devolution, the La...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
That was inevitably a long and detailed statement, so I will allow questions to run on until about 10.15.
Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I thank the minister for providing me with a copy of his statement an hour ago. I have guarded it with my life.I came here this morning hoping to hear from S...
Angus MacKay:
Lab
That was a satisfyingly muted series of questions from Kenny Gibson, which tells me that the announcements that we made today are a substantial change on pre...
Mr Gibson:
SNP
You were.
Angus MacKay:
Lab
No. I have never been a Unison-sponsored MSP. Kenny Gibson has a spade; he should keep digging.Kenny Gibson raised several important points about the settlem...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
I now call Keith Harding. It would be helpful if you pressed the button.
Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
It is pressed.
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
It is normal to press the button if you want to be called, but I knew that you wished to speak.
Mr Harding:
Con
I had pressed the button.
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
No, you had not. On you go now.
Mr Harding:
Con
Thank you, Presiding Officer.I thank Mr MacKay for giving me the statement an hour ago. I spent the hour reading it, not writing a speech.Everyone agrees tha...
Angus MacKay:
Lab
I am left almost speechless by Keith Harding's contribution. It is so far removed from reality that it would have given me some concern if I had not heard so...
Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con) rose—
Con
Angus MacKay:
Lab
I am not sure that I am allowed to take an intervention.
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
No.
Angus MacKay:
Lab
We have adopted a formula that has a good distribution for every council in Scotland. For members to be crying "Bah, humbug", especially at this time of the ...
Mr Harding:
Con
May I ask another question?
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
All right, I will let you in again. Your question was very short. Members: "Oh, come on." His question was very short.
Mr Harding:
Con
Is the minister saying that, as a result of the budget settlement, there will be no cuts in essential services in councils throughout Scotland?
Angus MacKay:
Lab
I get a bit concerned when former councillors come at the debate in those terms.
Mr Harding:
Con
I am still a councillor.
Angus MacKay:
Lab
Oh, dear—that is even more astonishing. I get a bit concerned when councillors ask questions about what the settlement will mean for specific local governmen...
Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD):
LD
As someone who was a councillor in Fife for 17 years before being elected to the Scottish Parliament—
Mr Gibson:
SNP
Is the member that old?
Iain Smith:
LD
I am.
Mr Gibson:
SNP
And I thought that he was a sweet young thing.