Edinburgh lied: Holyrood 'hid' plans to give NHS millions from public
SNP piled pressure on Westminster to increase Scottish budget after promising cash would come from other sources
Exclusive: Plans to give Scotland’s NHS £1.3 billion from the UK government were kept secret from the public by Holyrood ministers, who instead piled pressure on Westminster to increase its budget, The Sunday Times can reveal.
The Scottish government announced in August that it would provide extra funding for the NHS from its own budget. However, internal documents obtained by this newspaper show that ministers knew at the time that the money was coming from the UK government.
The documents show that the Scottish government was told by the UK Treasury in July that it would receive £1.3 billion in additional funding for the NHS. The Scottish government then announced in August that it would provide extra funding for the NHS from its own budget, without mentioning that the money was coming from the UK government.
The Scottish government has been accused of misleading the public by not disclosing that the money was coming from the UK government. The Scottish Conservatives have called for the Scottish government to apologize for its “deception.”
A Scottish government spokesperson said: “We are committed to providing the best possible healthcare for the people of Scotland. The UK government has provided additional funding for the NHS in Scotland, and we are grateful for this support.”
The spokesperson did not explain why the Scottish government had not disclosed that the money was coming from the UK government.
The Scottish government’s handling of the NHS funding issue is likely to damage its relationship with the UK government. The Scottish government has been pushing for more powers to be devolved to Scotland, but the UK government is likely to be less willing to grant these powers if it believes that the Scottish government is not being transparent about its finances.
- July: UK Treasury tells Scottish government it will receive £1.3 billion in additional funding for the NHS.
- August: Scottish government announces it will provide extra funding for the NHS from its own budget.
- September: Scottish Conservatives call for Scottish government to apologize for “deception”.
