Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid has called on SNP Ministers to explain why they are “rolling back” on a pledge to spend every penny of Coronavirus funding on tackling the pandemic.
Holyrood has received almost £10billion from the UK Government to help fight the virus.
According to reports this week, Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes is planning to keep up to £330million for “Brexit-related needs”.
This is contrary to what the SNP minister said in an appearance before a parliament committee last month, when she promised that “every penny would be allocated on Covid spend”.
The UK Government has, separately, provided £200million in additional funding to the Scottish Government to help prepare for Brexit.
Scottish Conservative MP for Banff and Buchan David Duguid said:
“The UK Government has provided huge sums of money to support jobs, businesses and public services in Scotland.
“There are many businesses that have seen little or nothing in the way of support from the Scottish Government.
“They will be astounded that SNP Ministers are now planning to set aside £330million that should be have earmarked for Covid support.
“Kate Forbes said that ‘every penny’ would be allocated to spending on Covid – the minister now needs to explain why she is failing to stick to that pledge.
“The Scottish Government already has £200million to spend on Brexit preparations, but we are still none the wiser as to where that funding has gone.
“There needs to be far greater transparency from Holyrood on how funds allocated from the UK Government for specific purposes are spent.”
