Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, today asked the Ben Macpherson MSP, Minister for Social Security and Local Government, about fair funding for local government.
Mr Briggs asked whether post pandemic SNP Ministers plan to deliver “a new financial framework to ensure Councils receive a set percentage of the Scottish Government Budget and we see fair funding for Local Government.”
Mr Macpherson responded that any changes to local authority funding would need to be done with the “agreement” of COSLA.
Plans for a rules based framework for local government funding were delayed due to the pandemic, but have now resumed.
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs’s question was a supplementary to Gillian Martin MSPs question “To ask the Scottish Government what support it is putting in place to assist local authorities with recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Covid-19 has had a major impact on Edinburgh, West Lothian, East Lothian and Midlothian Council, with extra spending needed to manage the pandemic. Emergency funding has been made available to councils, but services will be at real risk as we recover from Covid-19 and Councils are forced into making savings where they can.
Mr Briggs continued: "The Scottish Conservatives are calling for all thirty two Councils to receive a set percentage of the Scottish Government Budget, to give them the financial security to recover from Covid-19 and build for the future. For over fourteen years the SNP have underfunded Lothian Councils and NHS Lothian. That must end. It’s time for a fair share for Lothian.”
