Highlands & Islands MSP Dave Thompson has lodged an amendment in Parliament correcting the public house building record in the Highlands & Islands and the support for it by the Scottish Government.
Correcting fellow North MSP Jamie Stone's motion alleging cuts of 45% by the Scottish Government to Highland & Island affordable housing next year, Mr Thompson's motion highlights the refusal of the Westminster Government to accelerate another round of capital funding for the 2010-2011 current financial year.
The Scottish Government received £120 million in accelerated capital funding from the 2010-11 budget into the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 budgets, but the Westminster Government has resolutely refused a continuation of this for next year even though the country is still recovering from a hard-felt economic recession.
Commenting, Mr Thompson said: "The Chancellor today missed his last opportunity to support Scotland's recovery and growth.
"It's important to note the countless requests up to today that the Scottish Government has made, backed initially by the Scottish Labour Party but blissfully ignored by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, to accelerate further capital funding to aid our economic recovery.
"This Scottish Government is doing absolutely everything to champion communities across Scotland with its Economic Recovery Programme and ensure they are able to pick up from a damaging downturn.
"It is unhelpful party politicking by Jamie Stone of the Scottish LibDems to assert the Scottish Government is cutting anything when they blissfully ignored the opportunity to back calls for further accelerated funding from the Treasury.
"I hope they will now consider opening their eyes to the difficult financial circumstances this Scottish Government has been handed and learn to champion local communities rather than put them down.
Note:
Dave Thompson's amendment to Jamie Stone MSP's motion below:
S3M-05947.1 Dave Thompson (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish National Party): Housing Budget Cuts
As an amendment to motion S3M-5947 in the name of Jamie Stone (Housing Budget Cuts), leave out from of the shortage to end and insert that the £120 million accelerated capital funding from the Scottish Governments 2010 -11 budget into the 2008-09 and 2009 -10 budgets is now due to be paid back; regrets that the UK Governments refusal to accelerate further spending into 2010 -11, while the Scottish economy is still recovering from an extreme economic downturn, will further constrain the Scottish Governments ability to protect the Scottish economy from further damage due to the recession, and finally calls on the Scottish Liberal Democrats, who did not back the Scottish Governments call for accelerated capital spending for the 2010 -11 financial year, to now join the Scottish Government in demanding no more cuts to the Scottish budget in any emergency budget following the UK general election.
S3M-05947 Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): Housing Budget Cuts
That the Parliament is aware of the shortage of affordable housing across Scotland and particularly in the Highlands and Islands where the problem can be described as acute; is therefore very concerned by the Scottish Governments move to cut spending on affordable housing in 2011-12 by 45%, which will mean a reduction in spending from £32 million to £17.5 million; believes that this will be very damaging to affordable housing programmes and make a real impact on families trying to find a place to live, and, therefore, as a matter of urgency, calls on the Scottish Government to revisit its decision.
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