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Publication - Statistics

Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics 2011-12

Published
26 February 2013
ISBN
9781782564232

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.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

4. Local Government Reserves, Fixed Assets and Debt

4.1 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 2.1; 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 2011 local authorities had total revenue reserves of £1.56 billion; over the course of the year this rose by £0.19 billion (12%) to stand at £1.75 billion on 31st March 2012. Similarly capital reserves grew by £0.06 billion (12%), from £0.51 billion to £0.57 billion.

Table 4.1 - Movements in Reserves by Account, 2011-12

£ thousand

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 356,268 252,782 609,050
Statutory Adjustments -556,118 -260,653 -816,771
Total after Statutory Adjustments -199,850 -7,871 -207,721
Movement between Accounts 20,614 -1,915 16,337 -796 -15,139 19,101
Capital receipts for the year
Capital Expenditure funded from Reserves 0 0 2,448 0 0 2,448
Other Movements in Reserves -11,405 -912 5,277 -54 0 -7,094
Movement in Reserves 9,209 -2,827 24,062 -850 -15,139 14,455
Level of Reserves held 1 April 2011 -891,950 -100,823 -216,348 -76,485 -271,548 -1,557,154
Movement in Year -190,641 -10,698 24,062 -850 -15,139 -193,266
Level of Reserves held 31 March 2012 -1,082,591 -111,521 -192,286 -77,335 -286,687 -1,750,420

£ thousand

Capital Reserves Total Capital Reserves
Capital Fund Capital Receipts Capital Grants Unapplied
Surplus or Deficit on provision of services
Statutory Adjustments -21,678 -21,678
Total after Statutory Adjustments -21,678 -21,678
Movement between Accounts -26,305 7,204 0 -19,101
Capital receipts for the year -1,728 -81,683 0 -83,411
Capital Expenditure funded from Reserves 13,238 66,219 -18,481 60,976
Other Movements in Reserves 3,384 646 0 4,030
Movement in Reserves -11,411 -7,614 -18,481 -37,506
Level of Reserves held 1 April 2011 -418,857 -69,124 -21,979 -509,960
Movement in Year -11,411 -7,614 -40,159 -59,184
Level of Reserves held 31 March 2012 -430,268 -76,738 -62,138 -569,144

Source: Local Financial Returns (LFR 00)

4.2 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 4.2 below, and the levels of outstanding debt are shown in Table 4.3.

Table 4.2 - Value of Fixed Assets, 2008-2012

£ thousands

Value of fixed assets
as at 31 March 2008 		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
Operational Assets
Council dwellings 7,953,481 8,739,347 9,140,999 9,780,140 9,475,119
Other land and buildings 12,522,596 13,383,489 18,182,691 19,132,148 18,955,480
Vehicles, plant and machinery 646,958 719,015 769,104 928,814 937,152
Infrastructure assets 3,287,842 3,640,832 3,941,374 4,335,085 4,432,109
Community assets 150,566 170,045 172,117 177,755 165,502
Heritage assets nc nc nc nc 417,174
Total operational assets 24,561,443 26,652,728 32,206,285 34,353,942 34,382,536
Non-operational assets
Assets under construction 897,459 1,019,265 983,249 1,275,873 1,456,501
Surplus assets held for disposal 546,398 540,592 583,577 492,701 397,053
Investment properties 1,238,439 1,130,689 702,732 209,196 205,613
Total non-operational assets 2,682,296 2,690,546 2,269,558 1,977,770 2,059,167
Intangible Assets 46,977 43,305 42,756 18,052 77,184
TOTAL ASSETS 27,290,716 29,386,579 34,518,599 36,349,764 37,168,112

4.3 Debt

Total Loans fund debt at 31st March 2012 was £12.13 billion (of which £9.51 billion was general fund debt and £2.62 billion was HRA debt). Loans fund debt has risen steadily over the past five years from £9.57 billion at 31st March 2008, a rise of £2.57 billion (27%).

At 31st March 2012, general fund loans fund debt was equal to £1,810 per person and HRA loans fund debt was equal to £8,284 per HRA dwelling.

Table 4.3 - General Fund and HRA Loans Fund Debt, 2007-08 - 2011-12

2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12
General Fund
Total Debt (£ thousands) 7,703,178 8,293,563 8,701,375 9,107,360 9,513,353
Per Head (£) 1,497 1,605 1,675 1,744 1,810
Housing Revenue Account
Total Debt (£ thousands) 1,862,912 1,993,493 2,209,731 2,383,441 2,621,205
Per HRA dwelling (£) 5,637 6,149 6,896 7,502 8,284

Source: Capital Returns (CR Final)

Table 4.4 - Outstanding Loans Fund Debt for each Local Authority, 2011-12

General Fund Services1 Housing Revenue Account Total All Debt
(£000s)
Total Debt
(£000s) 		Per Head
(£) 		Total Debt
(£000s) 		Per HRA dwelling
(£)
Scotland 9,513,353 1,810 2,621,205 8,284 12,134,558
Aberdeen City 425,517 1,930 193,225 8,510 618,742
Aberdeenshire 315,991 1,276 129,494 10,021 445,485
Angus 130,136 1,176 32,089 4,129 162,225
Argyll & Bute 2 177,279 1,979 0 0 177,279
Clackmannanshire 88,132 1,736 30,835 6,206 118,967
Dumfries & Galloway 2 243,370 1,644 0 0 243,370
Dundee City 255,364 1,754 168,202 12,677 423,566
East Ayrshire 199,370 1,659 76,014 5,931 275,384
East Dunbartonshire 138,013 1,320 19,289 5,396 157,302
East Lothian 209,707 2,136 106,827 12,966 316,534
East Renfrewshire 91,436 1,018 26,377 8,902 117,813
Edinburgh, City of 992,850 2,004 352,296 17,429 1,345,146
Eilean Siar 2 155,510 5,963 0 0 155,510
Falkirk 183,393 1,188 54,016 3,413 237,409
Fife 549,477 1,496 173,376 5,782 722,853
Glasgow City 2 1,546,489 2,583 0 0 1,546,489
Highland 507,405 2,282 145,908 10,817 653,313
Inverclyde 2 196,552 2,481 0 0 196,552
Midlothian 100,849 1,224 125,447 18,772 226,296
Moray 123,992 1,421 48,189 8,334 172,181
North Ayrshire 155,885 1,154 90,467 6,838 246,352
North Lanarkshire 538,747 1,649 163,083 4,458 701,830
Orkney Islands 15,852 786 10,821 14,438 26,673
Perth & Kinross 179,649 1,202 44,188 6,167 223,837
Renfrewshire 203,796 1,194 109,538 8,681 313,334
Scottish Borders 2 195,976 1,732 0 0 195,976
Shetland Islands 13,304 591 40,496 22,808 53,800
South Ayrshire 127,576 1,144 59,563 7,305 187,139
South Lanarkshire 661,511 2,116 180,646 7,109 842,157
Stirling 138,138 1,522 25,053 4,725 163,191
West Dunbartonshire 111,558 1,235 110,680 9,784 222,238
West Lothian 359,018 2,075 105,086 8,137 464,104
Central Scotland Fire 5,846 20 . . 5,846
Dumfries & Galloway Fire 0 0 . . 0
Fife Fire and Rescue Service 0 0 . . 0
Grampian Fire 9,436 17 . . 9,436
Highlands & Islands Fire 10,139 35 . . 10,139
Lothian and Borders Fire 7,249 8 . . 7,249
Strathclyde Fire 43,340 19 . . 43,340
Tayside Fire 5,886 15 . . 5,886
Central Scotland Police 8,990 30 . . 8,990
Dumfries & Galloway Police 0 0 . . 0
Fife Constabulary 0 0 . . 0
Grampian Police 5,185 9 . . 5,185
Lothian & Borders Police 24,501 25 . . 24,501
Northern Police 17,231 59 . . 17,231
Strathclyde Police 34,216 15 . . 34,216
Tayside Police 9,492 23 . . 9,492
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: Bruce Golding

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