Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnstonhas demanded that the SNP Government passes on money to Moray Council to help it bring the council’s schools up to an acceptable standard.
Mr Halcro Johnston spoke after the UK Government announced that the Scottish Government would receive an extra £2bn in funding through the Barnett Formula, following prime minister Boris Johnston’s announcement of extra funding for schools in England.
The Scottish Conservative MSP said: “Due to years of unfair cuts to its budget, Moray Council faces a massive repair bill of £141m to bring the school estate up to a minimum standard. Only 16 out of the 53 schools in Moray actually meet the standard.
“The extra cash from the UK Government, which is coming Scotland’s way because of the Barnett consequentials, must not be siphoned off again by the SNP to spend on its own pet projects. All too often this is what has happened in the past leaving local authorities like Moray struggling to meet their obligations.
“This extra £2bn must be targeted at our schools which have been suffering due to a persistent lack of funding. Moray, which gets a very bad deal from the funding formula, has been even worse hit than most Scottish councils.
“There is now no excuse. We must see the extra money coming to Moray.”
Cllr Claire Feaver (Conservative – Forres), a member of the council’s Children and Young People’s Committee, added: “I am grateful for Jamie’s intervention. The council has been put in an impossible situation and it is about time the Scottish Government did something to help us.”
