THE SNP’S local government minister has failed to rule out councils having more of their vital funding siphoned off to ensure net zero targets remain on track.
The Scottish Parliament has committed to legal targets to end the country’s contribution to the climate crisis by 2045 – with 75 per cent of 1990 levels of pollution to also be reduced by 2030.
But pressure will fall on local councils to deliver the policies on the ground, including transport and heating homes.
Cosla, the umbrella organisation for Scottish councils, has claimed that more than two thirds of councils’ funding is ring-fenced for Scottish Government priorities such as the expansion of childcare.
Councils believe their core funding has been cut in real-terms by the Scottish Government.
Ben Macpherson, SNP local government minister, has been unable to rule out further squeezing of core funding for net zero policies and investments.
Mr Macpherson, who disputed the ring-fenced claim from Cosla, was pressed by Tory MSP Edward Mountain, the convener of Holyrood’s Net Zero Committee.
Mr Mountain said: “From the evidence we heard, local authorities felt that there was about 70 per cent of their funds that were ring-fenced. You were saying it was 7% of their funds so it seems diametrically opposed on the way forward.
“On the principle of the national targets and achieving those national targets will be difficult because there isn’t a mass of money to throw at them – money is tight in all sectors.
“Do you foresee ring-fencing becoming a key part of your armoury to ensure that the national targets are achieved at local government level?”
In response, Mr Macpherson insisted there had been “good constructive discussion on ring-fencing”.
He added: “The funding that’s allocated to local government, where it is ring-fenced, is around how do we meet aspirations and policy targets and commitments that both spheres of government want to achieve.”
But Mr Mountain stressed he was “not sure I’ve had a specific answer from you”.
He asked again: “Do you think that ring-fencing is going to be important for the government to be able to achieve the national targets that have been set?”
Mr Macpherson pointed to “the targets that this Parliament sets and how local government and central government work collaboratively on the delivery of that”.
He added: “Local government quite understandably want to be in a co-design relationship of how policy is developed and obviously contributed to the target-setting of this parliament on climate change.
“In terms of how that is delivered, there needs to be a structure on how that resourcing is properly structured in order to deliver the targets.
“As part of the considerations around the fiscal framework and the new deal, considerations around how do we give local authorities the flexibility that they need to do what’s right in their communities, is part of how we are developing the new deal.”
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