Finance Secretary John Swinney told MSPs yesterday that he would have to live with a "crude cut by the Treasury" in his handling of the country's books.
Finance Secretary John Swinney told MSPs yesterday that he would have to live with a "crude cut by the Treasury" in his handling of the country's books.
He outlined to MSPs the way he would handle the impact of the Chancellor's statement.
Much of the £280m in spending which the Scottish Government is bringing forward will be earmarked for new and refurbished schools, MSPs heard yesterday.
But Mr Swinney cited the way housing and transport issues were being developed, and the way in which aid for central heating was being handled north and south of the Border.
It was claimed that, while support for central heating was declining in England, the scheme continued to grow in Scotland.
Mr Swinney's statement to MSPs on the implications for Scotland of or Alistair Darling's pre-Budget report did not specify individual spending plans to be brought forward.
The statement contained sharp criticism of the Chancellor's decision to seek £5bn in savings UK-wide in 2010 and again in the following year - the biggest Scottish spending cut since devolution, said Mr Swinney.
Complaining of "a crude cut in Scotland's budget by the UK Treasury", he added: "Taken together, this will mean a cut of up to £500m in Scottish spending in the financial year 2010 - or approaching £1bn over the next two years, as proposed by the UK Government.
"This government will do all it can to overturn this decision by the UK Government - a decision that will put at risk projects in every part of Scotland."
