Business Boost in Budget
In his role as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, local MSP John Swinney has set out to the Scottish Parliament the first Budget of the SNP Government
This includes measures to:
. reduce business rates,
. freeze the Council Tax,
. introduce greater support for health improvement,
. abolish prescription charges,
. reduce class sizes for P1-P3,
. put 1,000 more police officeres on the streets
. tackle the drugs menace.
Speaking after the Budget, the MSP said: "After months of careful consideration, much analysing of statistics and information, I felt immensely proud to have been the first SNP Finance Minister to deliver a Budget for Scotland. |
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"The Budget took place against the backdrop of the poorest financial settlement since devolution. Scotland's budget increased by only 0.5% above inflation when a few years ago it increased by 11.5% above inflation. We have put forward a package of measures to maximise the resources we have available but of course we would like to have done more.
"There are many elements in the Budget that are good for Scotland and good for North Tayside. The Government has announced a seven year £1.6 billion Rural Development Programme which will help to bring a combination of financial support to the agricultural economy and also create new opportunities for the rural economy to develop and diversify."
Boost for Local SMEs
The MSP continued: "For small towns throughout North Tayside like Forfar, Brechin, Kirriemuir, Blairgowrie, Alyth, Coupar Angus, Dunkeld, Pitlochry and Aberfeldy, the introduction of a scheme that will result in significant reductions in business rates for small companies and the abolition of business rates for companies with a rateable value of less that £8,000 is a massive boost. This is the type of injection of life that small towns require and I think it is the single biggest contribution the Scottish Government could have made with its resources to assist the development of small towns.
Tax Freeze
"I negotiated a concordat with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities which is designed to give Councils greater flexibility in the way in which they deliver services in exchange for a commitment to implement a number of Government Manifesto commitments to reduce class sizes in P1-P3 and to put 1,000 more police offices on the streets of our
communities. As part of that arrangement I have put in place the resources required to freeze the Council Tax at 2007/08 levels. Once inflation is taken into account this result in a cut in the Council Tax and just another example of the Government delivering on its promises. I hope local authorities will seize the opportunity of these resources and
freeze the Council Tax.
Zero Sum Game
"The Budget now goes to the Parliament and its Committees for consideration. We are a minority Government so we need other parties to support our Budget. The rules of the process are clear. I have set out a balanced budget. If anyone wants to change a provision I have made in the Budget, they must identify where are money is going to come from. It is a zero sum game."
He concluded: " I hope opposition parties will recognise the many benefits in the Budget and will support it as the type of sensible package of measures that invests in our public services and reduces the taxes that are a burden for so many."
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