SNP MSP SLAMS £104M UK GOVERNMENT CLAW BACK

SNP MSP SLAMS £104M UK GOVERNMENT CLAW BACK

SCOTLAND'S FRONTLINE SERVICES ARE PAYING THE PRICE OF LABOUR'S RECESSION

SNP MSP for Cunninghame North, Kenneth Gibson, has hit out at Alistair Darling's decision to increase employers’ National Insurance contributions by 1% from 01 April 2011 as the Scottish Government revealed the move is set to cost Scotland £104m from 2011 - 2012.

In a response to a Parliamentary Question lodged by Mr Gibson, Finance Secretary John Swinney MSP said:

"In total, this will mean an estimated additional pressure on Scottish Budgets from 2011-12 of approximately £104.3m per year.

“The estimated additional costs on individual areas of the Public Sector are £36.3m for NHS, £57m for Local Government, £10m for the Police and Fire services and £1m for the Scottish Government."

Commenting, Mr Gibson:

“Rather than helping Scotland out of recession, the UK Labour Government are hindering it.

“From next year, Scotland's economy faces a £104.3 million annual claw back - cutting resources available to the front line services.

"Scottish local authorities, police forces and health and fire services are having to pay the price of Labour's recession.

“The Scottish Government's forthcoming budget is already being hit with a cut of £814.4 million in the financial year beginning in April – this extra tax burden will make times even tougher.

"Labour keep making the wrong choices on the issues that matter. Instead of hiking taxes and slashing the Scottish Government’s budget by £814.4m, the Chancellor should have announced he was scrapping Trident – saving £100bn and ridding Scotland of this obscene weapon of mass destruction.

"The only way to protect the Scottish economy from the swingeing cuts and tax hikes agendas of both Labour and the Tories is to return a strong group of SNP MPs at the forthcoming General Election - to speak up for Scotland and Scotland's frontline services."