26 Apr 2020
A full breakdown must be published of how much councils are receiving from the SNP government to help fight the impact of coronavirus, the Scottish Conservatives have said.
Thanks to Barnett Consequentials, ministers here have around £155 million to pass onto local authorities as health and social care services struggle to cope.
However, care homes themselves have expressed concerns that the money isn’t filtering through in all areas, and now the Scottish Conservatives have called for transparency.
Leader Jackson Carlaw said the public were keen to know exactly how relief money was being spent, and in which parts of the country.
Earlier this week, care home owner Robert Kilgour said only certain councils had so far passed the cash on, prompting questions about where the full £155 million had been allocated.
He said homes in Dumfries and Galloway and Fife had been given support, but his facilities in other parts of the country had not.
His demands echo calls from COSLA, who’ve also demanded action on the passing on of the £155 million from Westminster.
Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said:
“There is increasing public appetite for full transparency when it comes to the allocation of funds.
“We know there is £155 million to be spent across Scotland by local authorities to help facilities like care homes battle this intense crisis.
“But the SNP government needs to go further than just a press announcement. It must publish in detail how this £155 million has been spent and where.
“People need to know how much extra their local council has been given.
“We’re still waiting for the SNP to publish in detail how it has passed on money for economic support.
“Workers and residents in care homes won’t accept similar delays for this fund.”
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