Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics 2012-13
Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics is an annual publication that provides a comprehensive overview of Scottish Local Authority financial activity. The publication covers Local Authority income, revenue and capital expenditure, outstanding debt, local taxation and Local Authority pensions.
3. Local Government Reserves, Fixed Assets and Debt
3.1 Reserves
Reserves are generated by accumulating surplus income, which is generally then used to finance future spending on services. The calculation of surplus of deficit on provision of service is laid out in Table 1.1; in order to be consistent with that table income is shown as negative and expenditure as positive in the following tables however Road Bridges are included in the General Fund.
On 1 April 2012 local authorities had total revenue reserves of £1.68 billion; over the course of the year this rose by £0.15 billion (9%) to stand at £1.83 billion on 31st March 2013. Capital reserves fell by £0.02 billion (4%), from £0.59 billion to £0.57 billion.
Table 3.1 - Movements in Reserves by Account, 2012-13
| £ thousands | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Reserves | Total Revenue Reserves | |||||
| General Fund | Housing Revenue Account | Renewal and Repairs | Insurance Fund | Other Statutory Funds | ||
| Surplus or Deficit on provision of services | 589,445 | -137,040 | 452,405 | |||
| Statutory Adjustments | -759,311 | 126,985 | -632,326 | |||
| Total after Statutory Adjustments | -169,866 | -10,055 | -179,921 | |||
| Movement between Accounts | 45,484 | 7,270 | -5,179 | -3,610 | -22,496 | 21,469 |
| Capital receipts for the year | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Capital Expenditure funded from Reserves | 0 | 0 | 8,793 | 0 | 0 | 8,793 |
| Other Movements in Reserves | 1,308 | -2,551 | -2,431 | 1,019 | 255 | -2,400 |
| Movement in Reserves | 46,792 | 4,719 | 1,183 | -2,591 | -22,241 | 27,862 |
| Level of Reserves held 1 April 2012 | -1,022,360 | -111,523 | -192,011 | -77,335 | -276,631 | -1,679,860 |
| Movement in Year | -123,074 | -5,336 | 1,183 | -2,591 | -22,241 | -152,059 |
| Level of Reserves held 31 March 2013 | -1,145,434 | -116,859 | -190,828 | -79,926 | -298,872 | -1,831,919 |
Source: Local Financial Returns (LFR 23)
| £ thousands | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Reserves | Total Capital Reserves | |||
| Capital Fund | Capital Receipts | Capital Grants Unapplied | ||
| Surplus or Deficit on provision of services | ||||
| Statutory Adjustments | -12,541 | -12,541 | ||
| Total after Statutory Adjustments | -12,541 | -12,541 | ||
| Movement between Accounts | -29,637 | 8,168 | 0 | -21,469 |
| Capital receipts for the year | -4,078 | -54,501 | 0 | -58,579 |
| Capital Expenditure funded from Reserves | 30,608 | 64,982 | 12,130 | 107,720 |
| Other Movements in Reserves | 5,712 | 749 | 0 | 6,461 |
| Movement in Reserves | 2,605 | 19,398 | 12,130 | 34,133 |
| Level of Reserves held 1 April 2012 | -452,490 | -76,560 | -62,193 | -591,243 |
| Movement in Year | 2,605 | 19,398 | -411 | 21,592 |
| Level of Reserves held 31 March 2013 | -449,885 | -57,162 | -62,604 | -569,651 |
Source: Local Financial Returns (LFR 23)
3.2 Fixed Assets
As a result of borrowing to finance capital expenditure, Local Authorities create assets but also a liability to repay the debt. The value of Local Authority fixed assets is shown in Table 3.2 below, and the levels of outstanding debt are shown in Table 3.3.
Table 3.2 - Value of Fixed Assets, 2009-2013
| £ thousands | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value of fixed assets as at 31 March 2009 | Value of fixed assets as at 31 March 2010 | Value of fixed assets as at 31 March 2011 | Value of fixed assets as at 31 March 20121 | Value of fixed assets as at 31 March 2013 | |
| Operational Assets | |||||
| Council dwellings | 8,739,347 | 9,140,999 | 9,780,140 | 9,475,119 | 9,990,448 |
| Other land and buildings | 13,383,489 | 18,182,691 | 19,132,148 | 18,955,480 | 18,554,162 |
| Vehicles, plant and machinery | 719,015 | 769,104 | 928,814 | 937,152 | 1,016,628 |
| Infrastructure assets | 3,640,832 | 3,941,374 | 4,335,085 | 4,432,109 | 4,699,297 |
| Community assets | 170,045 | 172,117 | 177,755 | 165,502 | 167,808 |
| Heritage assets | nc | nc | nc | 417,174 | 1,802,226 |
| Total operational assets | 26,652,728 | 32,206,285 | 34,353,942 | 34,382,536 | 36,230,569 |
| Non-operational assets | |||||
| Assets under construction | 1,019,265 | 983,249 | 1,275,873 | 1,456,501 | 1,255,409 |
| Surplus assets held for disposal | 540,592 | 583,577 | 492,701 | 397,053 | 366,146 |
| Investment properties | 1,130,689 | 702,732 | 209,196 | 205,613 | 205,220 |
| Total non-operational assets | 2,690,546 | 2,269,558 | 1,977,770 | 2,059,167 | 1,826,775 |
| Intangible Assets | 43,305 | 42,756 | 18,052 | 77,184 | 19,747 |
| TOTAL ASSETS | 29,386,579 | 34,518,599 | 36,349,764 | 37,168,112 | 38,077,091 |
1. Total Assets for 2011-12 includes £649,225 thousand for South Ayrshire Council that couldn't be broken down into the above categories.
Source: Capital Returns (CR Final)
3.3 Debt
Total Loans fund debt at 31st March 2013 was £12.77 billion (of which £9.94 billion was general fund debt and £2.83 billion was HRA debt). Loans fund debt has risen steadily over the past five years from £10.29 billion at 31st March 2009, a rise of £2.49 billion (24%).
At 31st March 2013, general fund loans fund debt was equal to £1,870 per person and HRA loans fund debt was equal to £8,973 per HRA dwelling.
Table 3.3 - General Fund and HRA Loans Fund Debt, 2008-09 - 2012-13
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Fund | |||||
| Total Debt (£ thousands) | 8,293,563 | 8,701,375 | 9,107,360 | 9,513,353 | 9,939,022 |
| Per Head (£) | 1,605 | 1,675 | 1,744 | 1,810 | 1,870 |
| Housing Revenue Account | |||||
| Total Debt (£ thousands) | 1,993,493 | 2,209,731 | 2,383,441 | 2,621,205 | 2,833,400 |
| Per HRA dwelling (£) | 6,149 | 6,896 | 7,502 | 8,284 | 8,973 |
Source: Capital Returns (CR Final)
Table 3.4 - Outstanding Loans Fund Debt for each Local Authority, 2012-13
| General Fund Services1 | Housing Revenue Account | Total All Debt (£000s) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Debt (£000s) | Per Head (£) | Total Debt (£000s) | Per HRA dwelling (£) | ||
| Scotland | 9,939,022 | 1,870 | 2,833,400 | 8,973 | 12,772,422 |
| Aberdeen City | 421,936 | 1,876 | 196,880 | 8,668 | 618,816 |
| Aberdeenshire | 342,517 | 1,340 | 130,239 | 10,082 | 472,756 |
| Angus | 130,410 | 1,122 | 35,743 | 4,606 | 166,153 |
| Argyll & Bute2 | 182,324 | 2,098 | 0 | 0 | 182,324 |
| Clackmannanshire | 85,229 | 1,662 | 32,127 | 6,496 | 117,356 |
| Dumfries & Galloway2 | 247,828 | 1,643 | 0 | 0 | 247,828 |
| Dundee City | 284,330 | 1,924 | 175,781 | 13,445 | 460,111 |
| East Ayrshire | 225,308 | 1,836 | 77,528 | 6,067 | 302,836 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 139,343 | 1,316 | 23,473 | 6,559 | 162,816 |
| East Lothian | 222,479 | 2,206 | 123,597 | 14,732 | 346,076 |
| East Renfrewshire | 88,781 | 975 | 27,741 | 9,439 | 116,522 |
| Edinburgh, City of | 1,122,408 | 2,326 | 368,768 | 18,386 | 1,491,176 |
| Eilean Siar2 | 164,201 | 5,958 | 0 | 0 | 164,201 |
| Falkirk | 178,649 | 1,139 | 66,254 | 4,184 | 244,903 |
| Fife | 597,174 | 1,631 | 188,527 | 6,282 | 785,701 |
| Glasgow City2 | 1,574,141 | 2,645 | 0 | 0 | 1,574,141 |
| Highland | 513,744 | 2,206 | 161,445 | 12,010 | 675,189 |
| Inverclyde2 | 222,918 | 2,763 | 0 | 0 | 222,918 |
| Midlothian | 103,255 | 1,226 | 134,500 | 19,733 | 237,755 |
| Moray | 127,299 | 1,370 | 54,253 | 9,317 | 181,552 |
| North Ayrshire | 150,667 | 1,095 | 96,352 | 7,306 | 247,019 |
| North Lanarkshire | 552,133 | 1,634 | 179,421 | 4,916 | 731,554 |
| Orkney Islands | 19,006 | 883 | 12,110 | 15,166 | 31,116 |
| Perth & Kinross | 186,024 | 1,259 | 45,156 | 6,273 | 231,180 |
| Renfrewshire | 258,474 | 1,483 | 128,137 | 10,286 | 386,611 |
| Scottish Borders2 | 193,114 | 1,698 | 0 | 0 | 193,114 |
| Shetland Islands | 11,933 | 514 | 36,761 | 20,828 | 48,694 |
| South Ayrshire | 121,774 | 1,079 | 59,179 | 7,267 | 180,953 |
| South Lanarkshire | 703,120 | 2,237 | 195,860 | 7,737 | 898,980 |
| Stirling | 133,273 | 1,464 | 29,072 | 5,448 | 162,345 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 105,405 | 1,167 | 124,605 | 11,333 | 230,010 |
| West Lothian | 360,179 | 2,047 | 129,891 | 9,985 | 490,070 |
| Central Scotland Fire | 5,541 | 19 | . | . | 5,541 |
| Dumfries & Galloway Fire | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
| Fife Fire and Rescue Service | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
| Grampian Fire | 8,986 | 16 | . | . | 8,986 |
| Highlands & Islands Fire | 9,266 | 30 | . | . | 9,266 |
| Lothian and Borders Fire | 5,911 | 6 | . | . | 5,911 |
| Strathclyde Fire | 40,670 | 18 | . | . | 40,670 |
| Tayside Fire | 5,429 | 13 | . | . | 5,429 |
| Central Scotland Police | 8,753 | 29 | . | . | 8,753 |
| Dumfries & Galloway Police | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
| Fife Constabulary | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
| Grampian Police | 4,561 | 8 | . | . | 4,561 |
| Lothian & Borders Police | 22,420 | 23 | . | . | 22,420 |
| Northern Police | 16,545 | 54 | . | . | 16,545 |
| Strathclyde Police | 32,930 | 15 | . | . | 32,930 |
| Tayside Police | 8,634 | 21 | . | . | 8,634 |
| Forth Estuary Transport | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
| Tay Road Bridge | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
| HITRANS | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
| NESTRANS | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
| SESTRAN | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
| SWESTRANS | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
| SPT | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
| TACTRAN | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
| ZetTrans | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 |
1. Includes Trading Services
2. These councils have transferred their housing stock to Registered Social Landlords
Source: Capital Returns (CR Final)
Contact
Email: Euan Smith
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