Scotland to get extra £125m from autumn statement, UK Govt says

Chancellor George Osborne's autumn spending statement will provide an extra £125m to Scotland, to spend on the NHS, according to the UK Government.

The Chancellor is expected to announce an injection in spending on the NHS in England, which would lead to an increase in funding for the Scottish Government through the Barnett Formula. It would then be up to the Scottish Government how to spend it.

The Government will also invest heavily in flood defences and roads across the UK.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander said: “Good quality infrastructure is vital for the economic well-being of this country. Every part of the country needs to be able to move people, goods, data and power, quickly and easily, and to protect itself from flooding. That is what our pioneering focus on better infrastructure seeks to achieve.”

Despite the extra funding, Osborne will look ahead to more austerity, as borrowing is higher than expected, while tax receipts are lower.

Commenting ahead of the statement in the House of Commons, SNP Depute Leader and Treasury spokesperson Stewart Hosie MP said: “Despite promising recovery, all we have had is austerity from the broken promises Chancellor. In his Budget this spring he brought us news that debt will not fall until 2016/17 and that he doesn’t expect the UK current account to be back in the black until 2017/18.”