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Swinney demands more UK funding | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Finance Secretary John Swinney has called for an end to what he says are attempts by the UK Treasury to "bully" the Scottish Government. | |
Mr Swinney met his UK counterpart, Yvette Cooper, in London and demanded £100m extra cash as well as the safeguarding of existing rebates. | |
He will now take the argument to a special committee designed to resolve devolution disputes. | |
The Treasury described the talks as "constructive". | |
Mr Swinney told Mrs Cooper that the Treasury's stance over funding was "unacceptable" and that Scotland was being short-changed. | |
The meeting between the two finance secretaries had been planned for some time. | |
'Financial black hole' | |
However, it was given extra urgency as tensions increased between London and Edinburgh over the level of funding to which Scotland is entitled. | |
Mrs Cooper reiterated the argument that the SNP's plans to scrap the council tax and replace it with a local income tax could result in a huge financial black hole in the Scottish Government's plans. | |
She had claimed in a letter to Mr Swinney that the 3p local income tax envisaged by the Scottish Government would raise £750m less than the amount currently raised by the council tax. | |
But Mr Swinney is adamant £400m of council tax benefit should continue to come to Scotland, even if the specific tax is abolished, because it is part of the existing Scottish block grant. | But Mr Swinney is adamant £400m of council tax benefit should continue to come to Scotland, even if the specific tax is abolished, because it is part of the existing Scottish block grant. |
Mrs Cooper also refused to allocate to Scotland a proportion of the extra funding given for prisons in England. |