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Chamber and committees

Question reference: S6W-29549

  • Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
  • Date lodged: 4 September 2024
  • Current status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 September 2024

Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28112 by Shona Robison on 20 June 2024, whether it will provide (a) an update on the final audited reserves held by each local authority at 31 March 2024 and (b) the percentage increase in reserves for each local authority since 31 March 2014.


Answer

Final audited reserves data for 31 March 2024 is not currently held by the Scottish Government.

As far as possible, where audited reserves figures are available for 31 March 2024, these will be published in February 2025 as part of Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics 2023-24.

The following table shows the cash and real terms value of Local Authority General Fund reserves at 31 March 2014 (final audited) and 31 March 2024 (now updated with provisional outturn data from POBE 2024 dataset). Please note that the information requested on reserves is not held prior to 2007.

Due to small numbers in many of the VJBs and transport authorities, real-term percentage changes in reserves have only been calculated for Councils and Strathclyde Passenger Transport.

Adjustments for inflation have been made using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflators for March 2024 (available at: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).

Further information on Local Government Finance Statistics can be found at: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

General Fund Reserves (in £ millions) as at 31 March

       

Sources: LFR 23 for 31 March 2014 (audited data), POBE 2024 for 31 March 2024 which is provisional outturn data provided in early 2024.

     
        
 

Cash Terms

 

Real Terms (2023-24 Prices)

 

Percentage Increase

Local Authority

31-Mar-14

31-Mar-24

 

31-Mar-14

31-Mar-24

 

Real Terms

 

Final Audited

Provisional Outturn

 

Final Audited

Provisional Outturn

  

Aberdeen City

57.1

85.9

 

75.2

85.9

 

14%

Aberdeenshire

57.5

65.4

 

75.7

65.4

 

-14%

Angus

19.8

71.2

 

26.1

71.2

 

173%

Argyll & Bute

44.0

86.4

 

58.0

86.4

 

49%

City of Edinburgh

123.3

265.9

 

162.3

265.9

 

64%

Clackmannanshire

12.0

21.0

 

15.8

21.0

 

32%

Dumfries & Galloway

58.4

86.4

 

76.9

86.4

 

12%

Dundee City

8.1

56.6

 

10.6

56.6

 

433%

East Ayrshire

28.0

49.1

 

36.9

49.1

 

33%

East Dunbartonshire

11.3

47.7

 

14.9

47.7

 

220%

East Lothian

9.2

26.4

 

12.1

26.4

 

118%

East Renfrewshire

14.9

52.1

 

19.6

52.1

 

165%

Falkirk

25.8

49.7

 

33.9

49.7

 

47%

Fife

85.0

216.1

 

111.9

216.1

 

93%

Glasgow City

32.8

277.4

 

43.2

277.4

 

543%

Highland

40.3

131.8

 

53.1

131.8

 

148%

Inverclyde

42.9

27.4

 

56.5

27.4

 

-51%

Midlothian

20.5

35.0

 

27.0

35.0

 

29%

Moray

21.4

45.7

 

28.1

45.7

 

62%

Na h-Eileanan Siar

18.3

30.0

 

24.1

30.0

 

24%

North Ayrshire

25.2

110.1

 

33.1

110.1

 

233%

North Lanarkshire

75.0

249.9

 

98.8

249.9

 

153%

Orkney Islands

23.8

28.5

 

31.3

28.5

 

-9%

Perth & Kinross

48.2

69.7

 

63.5

69.7

 

10%

Renfrewshire

52.9

127.4

 

69.7

127.4

 

83%

Scottish Borders

17.1

49.6

 

22.6

49.6

 

120%

Shetland Islands

13.9

72.0

 

18.2

72.0

 

295%

South Ayrshire

22.9

47.7

 

30.2

47.7

 

58%

South Lanarkshire

13.4

150.3

 

17.6

150.3

 

753%

Stirling

13.3

29.9

 

17.5

29.9

 

71%

West Dunbartonshire

10.1

29.1

 

13.3

29.1

 

118%

West Lothian

22.6

57.1

 

29.7

57.1

 

92%

Ayrshire VJB

0.2

0.7

 

0.3

0.7

  

Central VJB

0.8

0.4

 

1.0

0.4

  

Dunbartonshire& Argyll & Bute VJB

0.5

0.8

 

0.6

0.8

  

Grampian VJB

0.2

0.7

 

0.3

0.7

  

Highland & Western Isles VJB

0.1

0.2

 

0.2

0.2

  

Lanarkshire VJB

-

1.7

 

-

1.7

  

Lothian VJB

-

1.3

 

-

1.3

  

Orkney & Shetland VJB

-

0.0

 

-

0.0

  

Renfrewshire VJB

0.5

0.8

 

0.6

0.8

  

Tayside VJB

0.1

0.1

 

0.1

0.1

  

Tay Road Bridge

1.2

1.2

 

1.5

1.2

  

HITRANS

0.2

0.1

 

0.3

0.1

  

NESTRANS

0.0

3.6

 

0.0

3.6

  

SESTRAN

-

0.2

 

-

0.2

  

SPT

12.5

109.7

 

16.5

109.7

 

565%

SWESTRANS

-

0.0

 

-

0.0

  

TACTRAN

-

0.1

 

-

0.1

  

ZetTrans

-

0.0

 

-

0.0

  

Scotland

1,085.4

2870.0

 

1,428.8

2,870.0

 

101%

        

VJB = Valuation Joint Board

       

GDP Deflator

75.97

100.00