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| Budget talks ahead of crunch vote | Budget talks ahead of crunch vote |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The Scottish Government has been continuing last-minute talks to win enough support to pass its budget. | The Scottish Government has been continuing last-minute talks to win enough support to pass its budget. |
| Labour and the Liberal Democrats intend to vote against the £33bn spending plans for 2009-10, after negotiations with ministers broke down. | Labour and the Liberal Democrats intend to vote against the £33bn spending plans for 2009-10, after negotiations with ministers broke down. |
| The minority government is hoping to get the budget approved in parliament, with help from the two Green MSPs and the Conservatives. | The minority government is hoping to get the budget approved in parliament, with help from the two Green MSPs and the Conservatives. |
| Ministers said rejection of the budget could cost Scotland £1.8bn. | Ministers said rejection of the budget could cost Scotland £1.8bn. |
| Scottish Labour, which wanted changes including more money for apprenticeships, said the concessions offered by the government were not enough. | Scottish Labour, which wanted changes including more money for apprenticeships, said the concessions offered by the government were not enough. |
| From a Green perspective, there is a lot of big, bad stuff in this budget Patrick HarvieGreen MSP | |
| The party's leader, Iain Gray, said: "Despite a series of meetings, we regret the response from Finance Secretary John Swinney so far continues to fall short of what needs to be done. | The party's leader, Iain Gray, said: "Despite a series of meetings, we regret the response from Finance Secretary John Swinney so far continues to fall short of what needs to be done. |
| "Nonetheless our door remains open in the sincere hope that they will now consider their decision and act in the interests of the Scottish people and the economy." | "Nonetheless our door remains open in the sincere hope that they will now consider their decision and act in the interests of the Scottish people and the economy." |
| The Liberal Democrats' call for a 2p income tax cut has already been rejected by ministers. | The Liberal Democrats' call for a 2p income tax cut has already been rejected by ministers. |
| Meanwhile, talks have been on-going between ministers and the Greens, who have demanded a £100m-a-year free home insulation scheme. | Meanwhile, talks have been on-going between ministers and the Greens, who have demanded a £100m-a-year free home insulation scheme. |
| Mr Swinney has offered a lower-price pilot scheme, but Green MSP Patrick Harvie said he did not think his party's demand was unreasonable. | |
| He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "From a Green perspective, there is a lot of big, bad stuff in this budget. | |
| "I know that £100m is a substantial demand, or a substantial request, but there is a substantial amount in this budget we would be asked to overlook if we were to vote for it. | |
| "I really hope that John Swinney and others right across the spectrum will see the value of what we are proposing, and that we will see a budget pass this evening." | |
| Emergency measures | |
| It is thought the Conservatives, whose list of demands includes more action on hospital infections and a town centre regeneration fund, will vote for the budget. | It is thought the Conservatives, whose list of demands includes more action on hospital infections and a town centre regeneration fund, will vote for the budget. |
| Ministers also hope they can secure support from independent MSP Margo Macdonald. | Ministers also hope they can secure support from independent MSP Margo Macdonald. |
| The Scottish Government said its budget would support thousands of jobs and bring forward £230m worth of transport, health and education projects to get the economy moving again. | The Scottish Government said its budget would support thousands of jobs and bring forward £230m worth of transport, health and education projects to get the economy moving again. |
| It said that rejecting the spending plans would cost Scotland £1.8bn of spending in 2009-10, under emergency measures allowing ministers to spend at the latest version of the current year's budget. | It said that rejecting the spending plans would cost Scotland £1.8bn of spending in 2009-10, under emergency measures allowing ministers to spend at the latest version of the current year's budget. |