PHILIP Hammond is being urged to stop ‘penalising’ Scots when he sets out spending plans in his Spring Statement to the Commons on Wednesday.
Derek Mackay, the Scottish finance minister, called for Scotland to get more cash to mitigate the impact of Brexit and also for Hammond to “unequivocally end the decade of austerity which the UK Government has imposed on Scotland”.
In a letter to the Chancellor, Mackay said: “It is crucial that the UK Government urgently commits to replacing all funding streams in full, and that we receive our fair share of this to ensure that decisions can be taken in the best interests of the Scottish economy and Scottish people.”
He added: “The Chancellor must use his Spring Statement to address this imbalance which is penalising people across Scotland.
“The decision in 2017 to allocate £1 billion exclusively to Northern Ireland without consequentials to the other devolved administrations is yet to be resolved, and it is unacceptable for the UK Government to continue to provide additional funding for devolved services in Northern Ireland without applying the Barnett formula.”
Meanwhile, the Chancellor has today announced £79 million worth funding to help develop a super computer project in Edinburgh.
It’s part of a £200m investment in cutting-edge scientific research to help maintain the UK’s “pole position” in technological innovation after Brexit.
The Edinburgh machine will be used across a range of research programmes including medicine, climate science and aerospace, while building on previous British breakthroughs in targeted treatments for arthritis and HIV.
Hammond said: “UK scientific research is worth £36bn and is at the cutting edge of international innovation and discovery. We want to retain pole position as we leave the EU.”
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