MSP WELCOMES SPENDING REVIEW BOOST FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Colin Beattie MSP has welcomed nearly £4.7 billion of extra investment for Scotland’s Health and Social Care portfolio over the next 4 years. The Resource Spending Review, outlined by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes this week, invests in frontline services and outlines over £70 billion of investment in the Health and Social Care budget between 2023/24 and 2026/27. This investment will increase capacity in the health service, help establish the National Care Service, help deliver care in the community, and tackle health inequalities. Commenting, Colin Beattie MSP said: “The SNP Scottish Government has invested significantly in difficult financial times to ensure our NHS and social care sector are fit for the 21st Century. “I’m delighted that this week’s Resource Spending Review will see significant investment in the Health and Social Care budget - which will help health services in Midlothian and East Lothian as Scotland recovers from the pandemic, where there will undoubtedly be pressures on the healthcare sector. “The SNP Government's twin approach of delivering record investment and taking forward vital reforms will help ensure that the people of Scotland get the care they need in the right place at the right time. “None of this would be possible to deliver without our hard-working NHS and social care staff working across Midlothian and East Lothian. I’d like to extend my personal thanks for their tremendous efforts over a very difficult few years.”
0 Comments
HOUSEHOLDS IN MIDLOTHIAN AND EAST LOTHIAN TO BE SUPPORTED BY £23 BILLION
As communities across Midlothian and East Lothian recover from the pandemic and face a Tory made cost of living crisis, yesterday the SNP Government’s spending review outlined record social security spending to help households facing increasing pressures. The Scottish Government allocated around £23 billion for social security over the course of the parliament. The focus on supporting households under increasing pressure reflects the SNP’s commitment to create a fairer Scotland by tackling child poverty, reducing inequalities and supporting financial wellbeing in Midlothian and East Lothian and builds on current efforts to help families and mitigate Westminster welfare cuts. The Resource Spending Review outlined over £23 billion worth of payments, with a total of almost £1.8 billion for the ‘game changing’ Scottish Child Payment alone. By 2026-27 the budget for Social Security Assistance will have increased by £6.3 billion. This is despite the Scottish Budget for this year being cut in real terms by 5.2 per cent by the Tory UK government and the SNP government already spending almost £770 million on cost of living support, including several measures for families in Midlothian and East Lothian not available elsewhere in the UK, such as:
Additionally, the Scottish Government is making investment in areas like energy efficiency to bring down costs and the spending review set out how SNP will build on these over the coming years. Commenting SNP MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Colin Beattie, said: “I am very glad to see this record investment in social security by the SNP Government, putting such a strong focus on tackling child poverty and helping households in Midlothian and East Lothian who are facing severe pressures right now which seems likely to only increase for the next while. “Many families across Midlothian and East Lothian are already benefitting from support like the Scottish Child payment, a £150 council tax reduction, the Scottish Welfare Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments which mitigate Westminster’s cruel bedroom tax. “These are policies that built on the SNP’s current efforts. They will make a real difference to people’s lives and build on long standing measures that we benefit from every day – such as free prescriptions, free university tuition, free personal care, and 1,140 hours of free early learning and childcare which will continue to be maintained. “When times are tough, Governments have to make tough decisions and I’m grateful the SNP continue to focus on what matters most to people but it is acting with one hand tied behind its back as Westminster continues to inflict its cruel austerity agenda at a time when people need support the most. “Once again, it is clear that only with the full powers of independence that we can stop spending a fixed budget on protecting households against Tory cuts and start to properly build a fairer, more equal Scotland.” 4,615 children in Midlothian and East Lothian have been supported by the Scottish Child Payment since its introduction by the SNP Scottish Government.
Since the support started putting extra money in the pockets of families over £2.12million has been spent supporting families in Midlothian and East Lothian since February 2021. Children across Midlothian and East Lothian are already benefitting from further support after the Scottish Government doubled the payment to £20 per week per child in April and will increase it further to £25 by the end of the year. Commenting, SNP MSP Colin Beattie said: “During a Tory-made cost of living crisis, the SNP Scottish Government has supported more than 4,615 children in Midlothian and East Lothian with the Scottish Child Payment – which is a payment that is not available anywhere else in the UK. “The Scottish Child Payment is just one of a raft of support payments that have been introduced in Scotland to build a social security system that is built on dignity, fairness and respect. “Families in Midlothian and East Lothian are already benefitting from further support after the Scottish Child Payment was doubled in April and is set to be increased even further by the end of the year. “The Scottish Government continues to support households in Midlothian and East Lothian with one hand tied behind its back as most of the levers of power are held by a Westminster government that has cut Universal Credit at a time when people need it most. “That is why it is only with the full raft of powers that independence would bring that we can start to build a fairer, more equal Scotland.” |
Parliamentary WorkArchives
April 2023
Links |