Tell John Swinney how money should be spent

Published 9 Aug 2010 16:40

I want to hear what people in East Ayrshire think about the huge challenge Scotland faces in dealing with reduced public spending.

We face this difficulty due to the mismanagement of the public finances by the last UK Government and because the new UK Government is cutting spending too far and too fast.

There will be substantially less money around, placing a huge responsibility on the Scottish Parliament to spend wisely and to spend in ways that match the priorities of the people of Scotland.

We can only do that if we know what your priorities are. What are the day to day services that really matter to you, and how we can deliver them better - or in other ways?

When I publish the Scottish budget in November I am determined it will reflect the outcome of the feedback we receive from East Ayrshire and around Scotland.

To inform the debate, the Scottish Government earlier this year asked an independent panel of experts to offer advice on addressing the challenges of a future with less public money to spend in Scotland.

This Independent Budget Review is now complete and the findings have been published. I want to hear your comments on the report, the ideas presented in it and how public spending should be shaped.

We won't know Scotland's exact budget until the UK announces the results of its own Comprehensive Spending Review in October. This, of course, points up the fact that we need the same economic and financial powers as other nations have, to give us the tools to improve our present circumstances.

So to help us bring forward a budget in November that protects the services we value most, and that sustains economic recovery, we want to hear what you have to say about how the country's next budget is spent.

For more information, visit our website at www.scotland.gov.uk/publicspending and give us your views.

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This article appeared in Cumnock Chronicle 09 Aug 10

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