HENRY McLeish backed free personal care for the elderly without knowing the full financial costs, according to newly-released government papers.
The Cabinet records, which cover the period in 2001 when McLeish was First Minister, reveal how Labour and Liberal Democrat Ministers urged caution on the policy until a funding row with Westminster was resolved.
The documents also show that some of McLeish’s Labour colleagues opposed the creation of a human rights commission in Scotland.
The Labour-Lib Dem coalition backed the principle of free personal care in January 2001 and set up a Care Development Group to advise on the details.
A complication was that the UK Government’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) funded an Attendance Allowance worth millions of pounds in Scotland and it was unclear whether this cash would be given to McLeish’s Executive if free care was pursued.
After the CDG report was published in autumn 2001, McLeish was quick to announce the policy would be rolled out for all elderly people north of the border.
According to the Cabinet papers, McLeish’s colleagues were concerned about a hasty response due to the impasse with the DWP.
Jack McConnell, the then Education Minister, wrote: “We should not go public without a clear position on the full financial implications.”
Ross Finnie, a Liberal Democrat Minister, wrote that for tactical reasons it was best to wait: “I do not favour proceeding without DWP agreement...”
Susan Deacon, at that point the Health Minister, asked for an update on talks between McLeish and the Labour Government.
However, a note written by McLeish’s private secretary after the announcement on free personal care stated:
“Following discussions with other Ministers the First Minister concluded that the Executive’s response to the CDG report needed to be announced yesterday, to put a stop to speculation…...When it became clear that it would not be possible to resolve the Attendance Allowance issue by then, he decided that, in all the circumstances, it was nevertheless best to proceed with the announcement.”
In the end, the UK Government withheld the Attendance Allowance cash and the funding gap had to be closed by the Executive.
The policy has been controversial due to cost increases, with critics also claiming that free care benefits the wealthy.
The late Sam Galbraith, who served as a Minister in McLeish’s administration for a short period, was revealed to be sceptical of plans to consult on a Human Rights Commission.
He wrote: “I do not give my approval to the publication. Such a Commission would be yet another stick which will be used to beat us with. Once the paper has been published we might try to be neutral on the issue but there is no going back. When will we ever learn this lesson?”
Adding: “This would also be another quango – I thought that we were against them! Why do we keep creating new quangos?”
A separate paper showed that Deacon was also unenthusiastic: “Generally, Ms Deacon is opposed to the creation of a Human Rights Commission. It strikes her as another layer of activity, expense and complexity in this area, which could be avoided.”
A Commission was later backed by MSPs and set up.
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