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Scottish budget: Colleges and housing sector given extra £48m Scottish budget: Colleges and housing sector given extra £48m
(35 minutes later)
Scotland's finance secretary has promised a cash boost to colleges and the housing sector as he seeks to win approval for his spending plans.Scotland's finance secretary has promised a cash boost to colleges and the housing sector as he seeks to win approval for his spending plans.
During Holyrood's budget debate, John Swinney told MSPs there would be an additional £38m for affordable housing and renovation projects.During Holyrood's budget debate, John Swinney told MSPs there would be an additional £38m for affordable housing and renovation projects.
He also said college funding would increase by £10m next year.He also said college funding would increase by £10m next year.
Labour's Ken Macintosh said Mr Swinney's budget measures were "disappointing". Labour's Ken Macintosh said Mr Swinney's budget measures for the year ahead were "disappointing".
Despite criticism from opposition parties, the Scottish government's spending plans are expected to be approved. rel="stylesheet" rev="stylesheet" href="http://static.bbci.co.uk/modules/twitter/0.1.64/css/gel_preset.css"/> rel="stylesheet" rev="stylesheet" href="http://static.bbci.co.uk/modules/twitter/0.1.64/css/gel_single_account.css"/>
Ahead of the key debate, SNP ministers said the £28.6bn proposals would aid economic recovery despite the global economic downturn and Westminster funding cuts. href="http://twitter.com/meljomur" target="_blank">@meljomur href="http://twitter.com/angusde" target="_blank">@angusde not in 2014/15 according to the href="http://twitter.com/scotgov" target="_blank">@scotgov who say it will be an additional £51M that year
Opposition MSPs said the plans as they were did not encourage growth. href="http://twitter.com/BBCRaymondB/status/299185191824547840" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">just now href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=299185191824547840" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=299185191824547840" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=299185191824547840" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply">
  • class="sps-tweet notables" id="tweet_115236758"> href="http://twitter.com/BBCRaymondB" title="View this persons Twitter Account"> class="tweets_user_info"> href="http://twitter.com/BBCRaymondB" title="View this persons Twitter Account">Raymond Buchanan href="http://twitter.com/BBCRaymondB" title="View this persons Twitter Account">@BBCRaymondB
    • rel="stylesheet" rev="stylesheet" href="http://static.bbci.co.uk/modules/twitter/0.1.64/css/gel_preset.css"/> rel="stylesheet" rev="stylesheet" href="http://static.bbci.co.uk/modules/twitter/0.1.64/css/gel_single_account.css"/> An extra £51M for colleges in the 2014/15 financial year is linked to reform and is an attempt to stop a 3rd year of college controversy.
    Budget open debate now, and SNP's Bruce Crawford having a go at the "dithering" UK government against the "decisive" action of the SNP one href="http://twitter.com/BBCRaymondB/status/299176555035389952" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">35 Minutes ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=299176555035389952" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=299176555035389952" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=299176555035389952" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply">
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    • href="http://twitter.com/BBCAndrewBlack/status/299174450224574465" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">10 Minutes ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=299174450224574465" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=299174450224574465" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=299174450224574465" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply">
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    		• Swinney takes money from Scot water loans and renewable energy investment fund to increase housing spending supporting, he says, 800 jobs.
    href="http://twitter.com/JohnSwinney" target="_blank">@JohnSwinney also says there will be £2m to bring empty town centre properties into use and £1m to double entrepreneurship support href="http://twitter.com/BBCRaymondB/status/299167981919952896" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">1 Hour ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=299167981919952896" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=299167981919952896" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=299167981919952896" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply">
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    • href="http://twitter.com/BBCAndrewBlack/status/299172554533384192" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">17 Minutes ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=299172554533384192" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=299172554533384192" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=299172554533384192" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply">
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    		• At 1440 href="http://twitter.com/ScotParl" target="_blank">@ScotParl will debate (and back) the href="http://twitter.com/scotgov" target="_blank">@scotgov's £26 Billion spending plans. Catch the debate here href="http://t.co/9YAu38gR">http://t.co/9YAu38gR href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23spbudget13" target="_blank">#spbudget13
    Scottish budget recap: href="http://twitter.com/johnswinney" target="_blank">@johnswinney says colleges will get an extra £61m, housing an extra £38m, £10m more for trunk road maintenance. href="http://twitter.com/BBCRaymondB/status/299148698712166400" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">2 Hours ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=299148698712166400" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=299148698712166400" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=299148698712166400" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply">
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    • href="http://twitter.com/BBCAndrewBlack/status/299172285347135488" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">18 Minutes ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=299172285347135488" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=299172285347135488" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=299172285347135488" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply">
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    		• RT href="http://twitter.com/TomfromBrighton" target="_blank">@TomfromBrighton: The BBC in Edinburgh have the nicest staff. Fact.
    Mr Macintosh says Mr Swinney is trying to make much of his "legal obligation" to balance the budget. href="http://twitter.com/BBCRaymondB/status/299039501106413568" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">9 Hours ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=299039501106413568" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=299039501106413568" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=299039501106413568" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply">
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    • 22 Minutes ago
    • Mr Macintosh says the government has failed to restore cuts imposed in previous budgets. He says £35m taken from colleges needs restoring
    26 Minutes ago
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    Despite criticism from opposition parties, the Scottish government's spending plans are expected to be approved.
    In his address to parliament, Mr Swinney said it was important to make available the "best possible deal we can" for the country's colleges.
    To achieve that aim, he promised that the sector's budget would stand at £522m for 2013/14 and would be maintained at that level for 2014/15.
    He added that the Scottish government was investing to "deliver for Scotland's young people in the future".
    Announcing a series of budget changes following opposition demands, Mr Swinney said there would be:
    • A £61m increase in college funding over the three-year spending review period, putting the college budget at £522m in 2012-13 and £522m in 2013-14.
    • An additional £38m for housing, bringing total budget for housing supply to £859m.
    • £2m to bring empty town centre properties into residential use.
    • An extra £10m for vital trunk road and bridge repairs.
    • and £1m to double support for entrepreneurship.
    Mr Swinney finished his statement by saying: "The Scottish government has delivered a budget for growth.
    "We are building on our original spending plans having listened to the views of parliament and the country and are delivering extra funding for housing, creating jobs and cutting emissions, funding to regenerate our town centres, more support for entrepreneurship, investment in our trunk road network and a decisive further investment into our colleges."
    Opposition MSPs said the budget failed to encourage growth, although the SNP's overall majority will ensure the spending plans are passed.
    Ministers have said they would be willing to listen to opposition suggestions on improving the budget, but said those would need to include information on where the money to pay for them would be coming from.Ministers have said they would be willing to listen to opposition suggestions on improving the budget, but said those would need to include information on where the money to pay for them would be coming from.
    Mr Swinney, who has asked MSPs to back the government's Budget Bill, said his budget, funded by the Treasury, was being cut by about 8% in real terms between 2010-11 and 2014-15, as Westminster ministers seek to cut the spending deficit.Mr Swinney, who has asked MSPs to back the government's Budget Bill, said his budget, funded by the Treasury, was being cut by about 8% in real terms between 2010-11 and 2014-15, as Westminster ministers seek to cut the spending deficit.
    The SNP minister said his plans would create jobs and support business, as well as keep up spending on infrastructure projects and public sector reform. Childcare provision
    He also said help for young people included the offer of education or training to unemployed 16 to 19-year-olds and maintaining college student numbers.
    Before Mr Swinney announced his budget concessions, opposition politicians had backed concerns from the National Union of Students that colleges faced a £34.6m funding cut next year, and called for the reduction to be reversed.Before Mr Swinney announced his budget concessions, opposition politicians had backed concerns from the National Union of Students that colleges faced a £34.6m funding cut next year, and called for the reduction to be reversed.
    In addition to college funding, the Conservatives said previous cuts to the housing budget needed to be reversed, and cash set aside for town centre regeneration.In addition to college funding, the Conservatives said previous cuts to the housing budget needed to be reversed, and cash set aside for town centre regeneration.
    The Liberal Democrats, who have been holding budget talks with Scottish ministers, want childcare provision for two-year-olds extended in line with a commitment from the UK government.The Liberal Democrats, who have been holding budget talks with Scottish ministers, want childcare provision for two-year-olds extended in line with a commitment from the UK government.
    Party leader Willie Rennie said: "Scottish Liberal Democrats have worked constructively with the Scottish government, as we did last year, to influence the budget.Party leader Willie Rennie said: "Scottish Liberal Democrats have worked constructively with the Scottish government, as we did last year, to influence the budget.
    "In tough economic times we must make choices which deliver a stronger economy in a fairer society.""In tough economic times we must make choices which deliver a stronger economy in a fairer society."
    Labour said the extra cash given to Scottish ministers by the UK government in the autumn statement should be used solely for housing.Labour said the extra cash given to Scottish ministers by the UK government in the autumn statement should be used solely for housing.