Oral Answers to Questions

Alan Brown Excerpts

Tuesday 19th March 2024 Commons Chamber

[Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)]

11. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Spring Budget 2024 on levels of block grant funding for Scotland.

[Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)]

17. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Spring Budget 2024 on levels of block grant funding for Scotland.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Laura Trott)]

As a result of decisions at the spring Budget, the Scottish Government are receiving around £295 million in additional funding in 2024-25 through the Barnett formula.

--- Later in debate ---

[Laura Trott]

Just to be absolutely clear, the Scottish Government’s total departmental expenditure limit is growing in real terms over this Parliament by over 1% a year on average.

[Alan Brown]

Obviously, the Minister does not understand what “real terms” means after all. Analysis by the Institution of Civil Engineers shows a multiplier effect: every £1 spent in the construction industry brings in an additional £2 of spend. That means that the real-terms cut to the Scottish Government’s block grant for capital by £1.6 billion over two years further deprives our economy of a wider £3 billion. Why do this Government think that it is okay to decimate infrastructure spend in Scotland?

[Laura Trott]

The Scottish Government are well funded to deliver their devolved responsibilities, and receive 25% more funding on average per person than the equivalent UK Government spending in other parts. That translates to £8.5 billion more a year on average.