Autumn Budget Revision 2023 to 2024: supporting document

Funding Changes

8. Following the completion of the 2023-24 Scottish Budget additional funding has become available. This funding has arisen from a number of sources as detailed in Tables 1.7a to 1.7e. These include:

• A carry forward within the Scotland Reserve. The 2023-24 Budget made no assumption of an expected carry forward of Resource or Capital budgets from 2022-23. As was set out in the 2022-23 Provisional Outturn statement a modest underspend is now available for deployment against existing funding commitments.
• Additional Barnett consequentials.
• Reductions in the previously forecast in-year borrowing costs.

9. Reprioritisation of budgets have been necessary due to continued inflationary pressures, including on public sector pay, and to support priority areas, such as supporting Ukrainian displaced people. Details of these transfers are set out throughout the document.

10. The largest element of funding deployed in the budget revision is being provided to Local Government within the Deputy First Minister and Finance portfolio. £266.6 million of additional resource funding has been provided as part of the budget revision. At stage 3 of the 2023-24 Budget the Deputy First Minister announced the provision of £100 million of additional support for local authorities. This funding has been allocated here as part of the £155 million package of funding designed to assist councils in making a meaningful pay offer for non-teaching staff, recognising the critical role that those staff play in delivering front line services.

In addition to the funding for non-teaching staff, £109.5 million has been provided to Local Government as part of the Scottish Government commitments to help fund teacher’s pay settlements.

11. Turning to other portfolios, £44 million of additional funding has been provided to the Justice and Home affairs portfolio for Police Pensions. This is a volatile demand led budget for which pressures have historically been managed in-year.

12. £50 million of capital funding is being provided to the NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care portfolio to support services.

13. The Social Justice portfolio is receiving an additional £30 million of resource budget for Ukrainian Resettlement costs as part of the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to the displaced people of Ukraine.

14. Within the Education budget. £52.5 million of managed savings have been taken forward to allow Learning to contribute towards the teacher’s pay pressures.

15. Rural Affairs, Land Reform & Islands have identified £31 million of budget savings to support the overall financial position.