No money for lunch for refugees from Ukraine: Scottish authorities have begun to cut back sharply
Date: 2024-09-04 Author: Nazar Litvin Categories: ECONOMY
The cuts in the Scottish government will lead to cuts in funding for mental health, charities and social services. Ukrainian refugees in Scotland will have to pay £3 for lunch, although they used to receive it for free.
The Times writes that Finance Minister Shona Robison detailed more than £188 million in savings in a letter to the Holyrood Finance Committee. The largest chunk - £115.8 million - was taken from health and social care, as a result of which the NHS suffered. In addition, mental health services have been cut by almost £19 million, the national care service and adult social care will lose £13.6 million.
Some of the savings will come from the fact that in the first half of the year the rate of use of the newly opened independent living fund, which supports disabled people, was lower than expected, which means that not as much money will be needed.
Optometry, Covid-19 programmes, education training and digitisation are all being cut. Almost £8m will be cut from central government funds for third sector organisations and communities, while £6m will be taken from higher education student support.
Marketing spending across government is also being cut, including in key areas such as tourism and decarbonisation. £24m will be taken from the travel budget, largely as a result of the end of the peak rail fares pilot.
Robison said the measures were necessary as the government faced an extra £800m in costs. She cited public sector pay deals, prolonged austerity at Westminster, inflation, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine as factors.
Emergency spending protocols, including a hiring freeze and a ban on overtime, are expected to save £60m, while diverting funds previously earmarked for winter fuel payments will cost £160m.
A further £460m will be needed to balance this year’s budget. Robison said the package would free up a total of £933m.
Last week, the Scottish Fiscal Commission said the spending crisis was largely the government’s fault, due to its decision to offer above-inflation pay and more generous welfare benefits.
The Times writes that Finance Minister Shona Robison detailed more than £188 million in savings in a letter to the Holyrood Finance Committee. The largest chunk - £115.8 million - was taken from health and social care, as a result of which the NHS suffered. In addition, mental health services have been cut by almost £19 million, the national care service and adult social care will lose £13.6 million.
Some of the savings will come from the fact that in the first half of the year the rate of use of the newly opened independent living fund, which supports disabled people, was lower than expected, which means that not as much money will be needed.
Optometry, Covid-19 programmes, education training and digitisation are all being cut. Almost £8m will be cut from central government funds for third sector organisations and communities, while £6m will be taken from higher education student support.
Marketing spending across government is also being cut, including in key areas such as tourism and decarbonisation. £24m will be taken from the travel budget, largely as a result of the end of the peak rail fares pilot.
Robison said the measures were necessary as the government faced an extra £800m in costs. She cited public sector pay deals, prolonged austerity at Westminster, inflation, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine as factors.
Emergency spending protocols, including a hiring freeze and a ban on overtime, are expected to save £60m, while diverting funds previously earmarked for winter fuel payments will cost £160m.
A further £460m will be needed to balance this year’s budget. Robison said the package would free up a total of £933m.
Last week, the Scottish Fiscal Commission said the spending crisis was largely the government’s fault, due to its decision to offer above-inflation pay and more generous welfare benefits.
