Two Moray politicians have expressed concern that the local council stands to lose out financially if the Scottish Government fails to pass on to local authorities extra funding coming from the UK Government.
In the Scottish Parliament yesterday, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes failed to commit to passing on £155 million in Barnett consequentials to help local government combat coronavirus.
Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston said that local authorities in his region, including Moray, desperately needed the funding because coronavirus had placed increased pressures on resources. He said that, even before the pandemic struck, many were in serious financial straits.
Mr Halcro Johnston said: “I had already written to the Chief Executive of Moray Council to assure me that the council is able to access its share of the extra money, and I am disappointed that the Scottish Government seems unwilling to confirm that is the case.
“Local authorities have a vital role to play in delivering care to vulnerable people. But they need the resources to do that properly and I am concerned that Moray Council, which historically has had a very poor deal from the Scottish Government, is now facing an increasing financial black hole as it plays its part in keeping essential services open.
“Kate Forbes must give our councils the assurances that the money the UK Government has made available for Scottish local authorities actually goes to our local authorities, and doesn’t just end up sitting in the Scottish Government’s coffers in the central belt”.
Cllr Tim Eagle, Leader of the Conservative Group on Moray Council, added: “The council, through its partnership with the NHS in the Moray Integration Joint Board, plays a vital part in the response to COVID-19 here in Moray.
“Our workforce also delivers an incredibly important range of essential services such as waste collection, street cleaning, education and, of course, in delivering social care to the most vulnerable.
“We have already been told that the cost to the council will run into the millions and without national government support the council will really be struggling. It has been over a week since COSLA’s original call for the money to be passed on and yet still yesterday we hear nothing.
“This no time for the Scottish Government to get in the way and do things differently in Scotland just for the sake of it, that money really should be passed on.”
