05 October 2011

Richard Baker MSP Scottish Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance has criticised the SNP Government for not producing detailed financial information to Scottish Parliament’s committees.

He is now writing to John Swinney, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, to demand that he provides the Level four financial information that he promised to supply to allow proper scrutiny of his budget decisions.

Richard Baker said: "Every year subject committees ask for Level four information, which is the most detailed and every year there is a delay before the numbers are grudgingly provided.

"Subject committees have already started their departmental budget scrutiny sessions and yet while they have level three figures none has the more detailed level four.

"It is vital that Opposition members receive this information so that they can question witnesses to their committees properly.

"What has John Swinney got to hide?

"Perhaps he feels that with being in a majority he doesn’t need to worry about what other parties say as he knows he can get his budget through.

"That is not the way to treat a democratically elected Parliament.

"Members have a right to see in detail what Mr Swinney’s decisions means for each departmental budget, especially in a period when budgets are going down instead of up.

"I would hope he’ll now instruct his department to provide the information required as a matter of urgency."