Boost of £2bn will not halt drop in funds available for day-to-day spending,claims finance secretary Derek Mackay Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, or faces tougher choices on public spending after the chancellor of the exchequer,Philip Hammond, failed to increase significantly Holyrood’s funding for essential services, or adding to pressure for tax rises.
A headline funding boost of £2bn for Scotland in Hammond’s budget on Wednesday was criticised by the Scottish government,which said it included £1.1bn in loans that could not be spent on services like health. The total package announced by the chancellor also carried an additional £509m for conventional infrastructure spending such as building roads, schools and hospitals.
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Source: guardian.co.uk