The SNP/Green budget presented today has slashed the funding of key government agencies in the Highlands and Islands according to regional MSP Donald Cameron.
Among the budgets cut are those of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), as well as the Gaelic Capital Fund. The Scottish Conservative MSP said: “This budget makes clear this SNP-Green Government is entirely focused on the Central Belt to the exclusion of rural Scotland."
“It is unbelievable that Highlands and Islands Enterprise, central to our efforts to revive the regional economy after the ravages of the Covid pandemic, once again has had its budget cut."
“Meanwhile the SNP and Greens double-down on their dreadful record on our ferries and roads by cutting the budget of HIAL. Even funding for Gaelic has been reduced."
“This is a budget from a Scottish Government which has forgotten all about the Highlands and Islands.”
NOTES
The following figures are drawn from the Scottish Government’s budget document.
The link is here: Scottish Budget 2022-23 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)