Where the Money Goes

This month has seen the passing of the 2015/16 budget for the Scottish Government – a financial master plan which will improve the economy, reduce inequality and reform public services.

Scotland’s position as being a global leader in renewables and low carbon development will be further cemented with increased investment of £20m to provide a total budget of £114 million in energy efficiency, and £3.9 million will be ploughed into supporting cycling and walking infrastructure.

Around £20 million of additional funding will tackle educational inequality and raise attainment for school children across the Banffshire and Buchan Coast, and an extra £10 million has been added to the £41 million allocated for local authorities who commit to maintain teacher numbers.

Frontline healthcare gets the money it needs to continue providing excellent care across the country with an additional £127 million on the budget from last year taking it to £383 million for 2015/16. NHS Grampian has had its frontline investment increased more than any other in Scotland since 2007 and this can only be welcomed by people in my constituency area.

Aberdeenshire will receive a share of the £10.8 billion local government allocation, with investment in the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, Aberdeen to Inverness Rail improvements on top of the significant investment such as in the building of HMP Grampian.

The future’s looking brighter with Finance Secretary John Swinney calculating that our economy is back above pre-recession levels and there are a record number of Scottish people in employment. Employment levels rose by 50,000 over the year to reach 2,612,000 which is the highest level since records began.

It is for this reason that £9.4 million has been allocated for housing across Aberdeenshire so that more people can get on the housing ladder and settle down in the area. Lives have been made harder by harsh Westminster cuts on spending and increased challenges for many a hard working family, and the budget is doing its best to soften the blow. Around £81 million has been provided specifically to mitigate against Westminster’s welfare reform, including the ‘Bedroom Tax’.

Levels of local government funding have been maintained and extra money has been put in for new responsibilities including pre-school nursery care for children. This will help parents get back into work and give children a better start in life – giving working families a fair deal.

This is a budget for a new year and one that builds on the Government’s track record since 2007, taking steps to meet the aspirations set out in last year’s referendum campaign. The SNP desire to work for the people of Scotland has not waned, and we will continually to strive for the very best.