Harvie calls for clarity from Finance Secretary
Scottish Greens Parliamentary Co-Leader Patrick Harvie MSP has called for clarity from the Scottish Government over how it plans to deal with a predicted budget shortfall over the next few years.
Patrick Harvie MSP said:
“The Scotland Reserve is the main mechanism to deal with year-to-year volatility in the Scottish public finances, but after the Government draws down money from the Reserve as it proposes, there won’t be enough to cover the predicted shortfall in the coming years. The Finance Secretary must explain how he plans to rebuild the reserve so that it can cover the estimated £1bn that is needed, and whether he plans to use tax or spending powers to do this.”