Commenting on the Budget debate today, STUC General Secretary Grahame Smith criticised the Scottish Government’s further concessions to the Tory agenda on small business as a mistake at a time when disadvantage and inequality are still rife in Scotland.
Grahame Smith said “By his own admission, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance has been unable to meet manifesto promises on class sizes, the graduate endowment and childcare. There is enormous concern across the public sector that a 2% efficiency savings targets will lead to a diminution of services to the most vulnerable in society.
“STUC has been disappointed that there has been cursory scrutiny, in Parliament or elsewhere, of the Small Business Bonus Scheme. There is scant, if any, evidence to support the proposition that the Scheme will boost growth in Scotland. This missed opportunity to support skills, science and innovation as an investment in Scottish business and in the economy will be regretted. This tax cut should, at the very least, have been structured to drive up standards in the economy. The Scottish Government must now clarify, with some urgency, how it intends to monitor and evaluate the impact of the Scheme.”
“Equally, while we support the principle of the transfer of additional responsibilities to local government, effective monitoring of the Single Outcome Agreements, in particular decisions such as the removal of the ring-fence around the Supporting People budget, are vital if services to the vulnerable are to be maintained”
ENDS For further information contact Dave Moxham 0141 377 8100