Kenneth J Gibson MSP
Dear Ms Wilson,
Thank you for your email regarding the above.
As you will be aware, the SNP Government has been given a real-terms uplift in its budget by the UK Treasury of only 0.5% next year and 1.4% and 2.3% in the two years following. In addition, Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem MSPs recently combined against us to force the implementation of a £490 million tram scheme for Edinburgh. As a result, it is (understandably I am sure you will agree) proving difficult to meet all Manifesto commitments as early as we would like. Nevertheless, I am sure you are delighted that we will (for the benefit of the people of Scotland) increase expenditure on Health by 13%, Affordable Housing by 23.5% and Policing by 29% over three years. It looks too as if we may also achieve a freeze in Council Tax.
A regrettable casualty of the tight financial settlement imposed by the UK Treasury is that we cannot write off student loans at this time. The Lib-Lab Graduate Endowment Tax of £2,289 per student has been abolished, so I am sure you will acknowledge that students are better off under the SNP. However, we cannot spend money we do not have, as I am sure you will appreciate. And there are so many other priorities that require funding. Colleges and Universities have been awarded the biggest capital injection ever, to maintain their competitiveness, and grants are being re-introduced.
You may feel we should allocate resources differently. I would therefore be keen to be advised of which budgets you believe should be cut to pay off student loans at this time.
Obviously, you will be as disappointed by the tight financial settlement as we are and will no doubt wish to convey this to the UK Labour Government responsible.
With all best wishes,
Kenneth J Gibson MSP
Cunninghame North