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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