01 September 2006
Finance Minister Tom McCabe has come under attack for shelving publication of a major report on the Scottish Executive's spending plans.
The report was drawn up by an expert review group set up last autumn with the aim of ensuring budgets were meeting priorities.
McCabe later told the Scottish Parliament's finance committee that he would publish the findings by spring this year.
Now it has emerged that he does not intend to publish the document until September 2007 – after next year's parliamentary elections in May.
Professor Arthur Midwinter, the Parliament's finance adviser, said he had fully supported the establishment of the independent review group, which included former local authority chief executives and private sector figures, because it would enhance the rigour and transparency of the budget process.
But he added: 'It would be pointless to publish it next September after the key Spending Review decisions have been made. There should be no retreat to the private government of the public finances that existed before devolution.'
Bill Howat, chair of the review group and former chief executive of the Western Isles Council, said the group's report had been delivered to the finance minister early in July in the expectation that it would be made public in the near future.
The main opposition group in the Parliament, the Scottish National Party, is calling on McCabe to appear before the finance committee 'to explain why he appears to have gone back on his word'.
A spokesman for McCabe confirmed the Executive was now in possession of the report, which he said would be 'invaluable as a source of information and advice to aid better informed choices during the formulation and development of Spending Review 2007 decisions'.
He added: 'Ministers and officials require time to deliberate and discuss the options. As it is an important part of our consideration of the next Spending Review, we will publish the report as background information that informs our decisions when we announce the outcome of the Spending Review.'
PFsep2006
