Chamber and committees

The challenges that are posed by the current cost of living and climate crises require additional funding. The autumn statement delivered the worst-case scenario for Scotland’s finances. It is deeply worrying that Labour’s leader, Keir Starmer, has indicated that he is likely to follow austerity. That makes it all the clearer that only the full fiscal powers of independence can ensure that the people of Scotland continue to receive the high-quality front-line services that they expect and deserve.

Despite a decade of austerity under the United Kingdom Government, Scottish local government revenue funding is 2.6 per cent higher in real terms than it was in 2013-14. Scotland is facing the most challenging budget since devolution as a result of a UK Government autumn statement that failed to deliver the investment that is needed for Scotland’s public services—an autumn statement that delivered a real-terms cut to vital public services, including NHS England.

This Government will do all that we can within our powers to ensure that public finances are on a sustainable path. Work is on-going with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to establish a new fiscal framework through the Verity house agreement, and decisions on the local government budget for next year will be confirmed in the Scottish budget.

The Scottish Government places great importance on community sports and leisure facilities. The Deputy First Minister met representatives of East Lothian Council on 23 August. We are fully aware that local councils, like all public authorities, are facing challenging financial circumstances, which is why, in 2023-24, we increased the resources that are available to local government by more than £793 million.

In 2023-24, East Lothian Council will receive £221.5 million to fund local services, which equates to an extra £8.1 million to support vital day-to-day services, or an additional 3.8 per cent compared with 2022-23.

The member makes a strong point. The benefits of physical activity, and sport as part of that, are huge across our country. It is really important that we all work together, and local authorities, the Scottish Government and sportscotland are working hand in hand. We absolutely understand the particular challenges that we face with the estate, which is why sportscotland has been tasked with looking at facilities across Scotland and how they can be sustainable in the long term.

It is also why the Government’s programme for government mentioned a working group, including our partners in the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and sportscotland, to look at how we can better use all of that estate, particularly the schools estate. On many occasions, although the best facilities in a community are located in the schools estate, they are often inaccessible to members of that community. We need to do more, but we need to do it in partnership.

The Scottish Government is fully aware that local authorities are facing challenging financial circumstances, in particular in maintaining and operating facilities, largely due to energy costs and other cost of living pressures. The Scottish Government will continue to regularly meet the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and individual local authorities to cover a range of topics, including current and future budget processes. It is vital that all avenues are explored to ensure, where possible, that local clubs and communities have access to sport and leisure facilities.

Sandesh Gulhane will be well aware that Glasgow City Council, like other local authorities, is a democratically elected institution, and it is important that this Parliament respects the democratic mandates of local councillors across Scotland.

On the specifics of the question, I know that Scottish Hockey has written to the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, and a response will be going to Scottish Hockey in due course.

The refreshed town centre action plan, which was published last year, is a call to action, both locally and nationally, to support the rejuvenation of our town centres, and it reaffirms our commitment to the town centre first principle.

In 2021, we established the place-based investment programme, which we deliver in partnership with local government to accelerate our ambitions for town centres, place, 20-minute neighbourhoods and community-led regeneration. We have invested £70 million this year to support projects across the country through that programme.

I am aware of the challenges that some in the hospitality sector are facing, so we have established an industry leadership group with the tourism and hospitality sector to understand its unique needs. Glasgow City Council has benefited from a range of investments. For example, in addition to the investments that were made through the city deal, the council has already received a direct allocation of more than £9 million from the place-based investment programme, and the council has discretion on how it uses that money. We continue to work closely with Glasgow, holding quarterly leadership meetings with the Scottish Cities Alliance.

Last week, the First Minister and Mr Gray and I met all eight city leaders to further reinforce our aims to encourage investment and strengthen the prosperity and wellbeing of our cities.

Many of the small properties that the member is talking about already benefit from substantial support from the Scottish Government, but we need to consider what more we—the Scottish Government and local government colleagues—can do working in partnership to ensure that our town centres remain vibrant and sustainable. Footfall is crucial to that, but the points that the member makes about sustainability, particularly given the incredible increases in energy costs, are an important factor to consider.

The member is absolutely right. Across the piece, we are all looking at how town centres can have a new vision for the future, with potentially more people residing in them, increasing footfall and ensuring that they remain vibrant. However, I absolutely agree that a commercial basis for our town centres is crucial. That is at the heart of the town centre action plan.