Improving Scotland’s Finances (Amendment 3)
S6M-18779.3: As an amendment to motion S6M-18779 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Improving Scotland&rsquo;s Finances), leave out from &ldquo;notes&rdquo; to end and insert &ldquo;that Scotland&rsquo;s public services have been hampered by the UK Conservative administration&rsquo;s austerity budgets; recognises the deep harm that the UK Conservative administration has done to the economies of the UK and Scotland with Brexit, and that this has reduced Scotland&rsquo;s public spending by &pound;2.3 billion annually; further recognises that this loss of public finances impacts on Scotland&rsquo;s vital public services, including Scotland&rsquo;s NHS, support for a just transition, and skills training; notes that a public sector reform programme is underway with the aim of saving public money while protecting the delivery of frontline services; believes that the UK Labour administration should either explore the application of wealth taxation or devolve the necessary powers to Scotland so that the Scottish Parliament can do so; welcomes that the Scottish Government has already announced plans for a three-year spending review to be published alongside the upcoming Budget, and believes that it is only with the powers of independence and full control of the fiscal levers that a truly sustainable and fair system can be developed to support efficiency and public service delivery.

Original motion(S6M-18779):
That the Parliament notes with deep concern the Scottish Fiscal Commission&rsquo;s forecast of a &pound;4.7 billion funding gap in 2029-30; recognises that without the Union dividend of &pound;2,578 per person there would be a&nbsp;substantial deficit, with Scotland&rsquo;s 2024-25 net fiscal balancing standing at -&pound;26.5 billion (-11.7% of GDP);&nbsp;regrets that the Scottish Government continues to dismiss these realities and prioritise constitutional campaigning over sound financial management; calls for urgent measures to restore credibility to Scotland&rsquo;s finances, including a full multi-year spending review to identify priorities, savings, and reform needs, a strategy to cap welfare spending growth, which is currently consuming&nbsp;a significant amount&nbsp;of resource growth, and&nbsp;create jobs by moving&nbsp;more people into work through reskilling and apprenticeships, a focus on productivity and economic growth to broaden Scotland&rsquo;s tax base&nbsp;by allowing businesses to thrive, and a robust public service reform and stronger Audit Scotland oversight to deliver better value; believes that the Parliament must focus on NHS waiting times, education standards, and community safety rather than fiscal denialism, and resolves that Scotland&rsquo;s future depends on fiscal discipline, growth, and accountable government within the United Kingdom.