January 2010
January 31, 2010 12:00 AM
Budget deliberations.
For a minority government, getting the budget through parliament is not a straightforward matter. The government has to listen to what all parties are saying about priorities.
The Liberal Democrats have been clear from the outset about our priorities during a recession - investment in additional college courses and support for young people to prevent another lost generation; support for manufacturing businesses such as textiles; support for green energy solutions such as marine renewables; and keeping post offices open. We have also been clear how we will fund this - by cutting the pay bill for the top 1 per cent of the highest paid employees in the public sector - a bill that currently costs the tax-payer £650 million.
Last week we learned that unemployment in Scotland is up. And young people are being hit the hardest. But we've also learned that quango bosses have ignored Government requests and refused to give up hundreds and thousands of pounds of bonuses. They are utterly wrong. It's unacceptable that any high paid public sector worker should receive a bonus this year.
Consultant bonuses, rewarding those who are already so well rewarded, is the kind of expenditure Liberal Democrats would much rather was spent on supporting those most affected by the financial crisis, like our young people. People looking for work would support our Parliament and this Government if money from high paid quango bosses could be used to support new opportunities for young people without jobs and businesses struggling to get through the recession.
Although the government is coming some way towards our proposals to cut the pay bill, they have not yet committed to using the savings to support our proposals. That is why I abstained at Stage One of the budget. Our finance spokesperson Jeremy Purvis will continue negotiations in advance of the final budget vote next week.
Support for Farming.
The government recently commissioned an inquiry into future support for agriculture in Scotland. The inquiry is chaired by the highly respected Brian Pack.
The interim report has recently been published and I am sure it will generate lots of discussion in the forthcoming months. Brian Pack has set the scene well. There are challenging times ahead for Scottish farming, with a squeeze on budgets and competing demands for land use. There are certainly no easy solutions.
But Brian Pack's initial report will help frame and inform the debate about options for the future of a sector whose importance to Scotland economically, socially and environmentally is huge.
Changes to funding are perhaps inevitable, but Brian Pack reinforces the fact that ongoing subsidy will be required. If we wish to safeguard a range of public goods, including food security, sustainable management of our countryside and vibrant rural communities, including in some of Scotland's more remote areas, we need to recognise that this cannot be achieved without public investment.
Prescription Charges.
Last week Parliament debated the government's proposals to completely abolish prescription charges. Those who are on low income, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses already get free prescriptions and that is as it should be. But I believe that, at a time when public finances are tight and facing a prolonged squeeze, it is wrong to make prescriptions free for all when there are many people in Scotland who can pay for their prescriptions themselves.
I would far rather resources were targeted to improve patient care, tackle hospital infections and increase access to NHS dentists.
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