THREADBARE & SHAMELESS

'Incompetent & wasteful' SNP tries to dodge blame for cuts | Budget carnage 'will scar communities for generations'

- PAUL HUTCHEON, CHRIS McCALL

FIRST Minister John Swinney has slashed NHS and social care as part of brutal cuts to fill a £1billion budget black hole.

The SNP Government is cutting almost £ 500 million from its budgets and also spending another £ 500 million from a sell-off of Scotland's wind energy.

Finance Secretary Shona Robison tried to blame the cuts on Westminster, but last night Labour blamed "SNP waste" for the savage hit to public services.

The cuts include a £116million reduction in health spending - with savings from mental health, the planned National Care Service for looking after elderly people and community eye care.

Robison told MSPs she needed to make £500million of cuts to help fund public sector pay deals.

Up to £ 60 million of the cuts are "emergency spending controls" that will target recruitment, overtime, travel and marketing.

Another £65million will be saved by decisions including axing free travel for asylum seekers and reintroducing peak rail fares.

But she revealed an additional £ 188 million of departmental cuts, with £ 115.8million in health and social care.

Labour finance chief Michael Marra hit out at the cuts, saying: "This statement is a threadbare, shameless attempt to once again pass the buck.