Shona Robison has confirmed that the Scottish Government will need to make £500 million of cuts to Scotland's public services to balance its books.

The finance secretary said £188m of savings would be found across the Scottish Government departments with further cuts coming from the emergency spending controls and the decision to reintroduce peak fares on Scotrail trains.

So who will lose out and where will the axe fall?

The NHS, health workers, and people with physical or mental health conditions

In a letter to Holyrood's finance committee Ms Robison confirmed the health and social care budget would be hit with the biggest savings of £115.8 million.

She said ministers would seek to protect "front line emergency workers" stating: "Whilst savings have been made within the health budgets, I want to provide assurances that the Health portfolio will seek to protect key front line emergency services."

However, the scale of the cuts and where the axe would fall was set out by the finance secretary in a letter published on Tuesday afternoon to Holyrood's finance committee.

It revealed:

£18.8m cut to mental health services

Ms Robison: "Saving includes mainstreaming elements of the Distress Brief Interventions programme, student mental health measures and additional Mental Health Officer funding, and reprofiling the commencement of the Changing Places Toilet fund."

Her letter also revealed £2.4m to be cut from community eyecare services

And she also set out that £8.2m would be cut from education and training in the NHS.

Ms Robison stated: "Scaling back activity in various workforce lines including NHS Academy, and Leadership Talent Management. Also includes reduction in Distinction Award line, reflecting declining scheme demand."In addition, she told the finance committee £11m would be cut from the NHS's General Medical Services including on digital improvement and strategic communication work, while £4.1m would be cut from health improvement and protection.

 

The finance secretary also told MSPs in her letter that £13.6m would be cut from the National Care Service  and adult social care - the latter cut will no doubt raise eyebrows given the Scottish Government's ambition to improve the service to alleviate pressure on hospital beds.

Ms Robison stated: "Savings mainly come from a refinement of some assumed non staff spend associated with the delivery of the NCS...and uptake of the reopened Independent Living Fund being slower than anticipated in the first half of the year, leading to a reduction in the funding requirements."

Students and pre school children will also be hit with cuts of £6.7m to education.

Ms Robison said £6m will be cut from the higher education budget relating to student support.

"These savings are currently anticipated due to the demand led  nature of this budget line, underlying trends such as previous COVID places, and the expectation that as a result this funding will  not require to be drawn down," Ms Robison's letter to the finance committee stated.

She also said in her letter that £200,000 of cuts would be made from early learning services which she said are anticipated from "reprofiling of spend activity which will not impact on service provision".

Big losers in the cuts will be civil servants and employees of public bodies

Ms Robison told MSPs around £60m would come from emergency spending controls, targeting civil service recruitment, overtime, and travel.

"Up to £60 million of further savings that will be realised through the implementation of Emergency Spend Controls - particularly targeting recruitment, overtime, travel and marketing," Ms Robison told MSPs.

Cyclists and pedestrians will be badly affected with £23.7 million cut from active travel.

Ms Robison stated: "In part taken to fund the extension to the peak fares removal pilot to the end of September 2024. We have continued to invest in  interventions to support more people to walk, wheel or cycle for everyday journeys through our new infrastructure and behaviour change delivery models."

Rail travellers and asylum seekers will also lose out

Ministers announced last week that peak fares would return on Scotrail routes, while asylum seekers would no longer be able to receive free bus travel with savings of £65m being diverted to help councils pay for pay deals.

She referred to that announcement on Tuesday and stated: "As previously announced, we will not progress with the removal of rail peak fares, or the concessionary fares extension to asylum seekers pilot. We have also agreed with local government that they can draw on specific existing programmes to fund the pay deal. Collectively, these decisions amount to a further £65 million of savings."

Tourists In her letter to the finance committee Ms Robison confirmed a freeze on government marketing spend which her letter to the finance committee revealed would mean a £800,000 cut to Visit Scotland marketing activity during 2024-25.