MCINNES CALLS ON SNP TO LOWER THRESHOLD FOR COUNCIL ACCESS TO EMERGENCY FUNDING

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 8th Sep 2009

Liberal Democrat Local Government spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP has called on the SNP Government to make it easier for local authorities to access central funding to deal with emergency situations, like flooding.

This is currently done through a process called the Bellwin Formula. Bellwin entitles local authorities to Scottish Government assistance if they are forced to spend more than 0.2 per cent of their budgeted net revenue expenditure in dealing with emergency situations.

Mrs McInnes is calling for the threshold level on the Bellwin Formula to be lowered.

Commenting, Mrs McInnes said:

"I want SNP Ministers to lower the Bellwin Formula threshold for local authorities. This will make it easier for hard pressed councils to access central funding in dealing with emergencies.

"As the dramatic flooding in Moray has shown over the past week, emergencies and natural disasters can cause enormous damage and disruption.

"The freezing of the council tax and the SNP Government's tight financial settlement for councils means that local authorities have less scope than ever for dealing with these kind of situations.

"Lowering the Bellwin threshold was a clear recommendation of the 2007 Flooding Summit. This was nearly two years ago now and so far there is no evidence that the SNP have done anything to follow through on this recommendation.

"Instead Richard Lochhead has done the usual SNP trick of blaming others and passing the buck for his own inaction. He should commit to lowering the Bellwin threshold as a matter of urgency."