More than £1bn is to be invested annually in early learning and childcare across Scotland under a landmark deal struck between councils and the Scottish Government.
The number of Scots seeking help to pay for food and heating from a crisis fund has increased, with one in eight applications due to a delay in the payment of benefits, according to the Scottish...
Devolving control over all taxes, rates, fees and charges would equip local authorities to meet financial challenges head on, says Alison Payne of Reform Scotland.
The need for Scottish councils to find savings is “increasingly critical” against a backdrop of reduced funding and rising demand for services, the Scotland’s public spending watchdog has said.
The impact of a no-deal Brexit on migration and productivity would cause more damage to the Scottish economy in the long term than the immediate shock to trade, according to the Scottish Government’s...
The Scottish Government faces a “huge and highly complex” challenge as it prepares to take on new financial and social security powers, auditors have warned.
Management of Scotland’s public finances is to be transformed with a far greater focus on outcomes, delegates at the CIPFA Scotland annual conference have heard.
Scotland faces long-term reductions in regeneration funding after Brexit and could be asked to pay its share of the UK’s divorce bill, delegates at the CIPFA Scotland conference have heard.
Scotland benefits from a diversity of opinion on its economic future, even when these predictions appear contradictory, according to the body responsible for producing the nation’s economic and...
Growth in tax revenue would likely be wiped out by the highest earners taking action to reduce their liabilities, analysis from the Scottish Government’s independent budget advisers has said.
Scotland’s Poverty and Inequality Commission has advised the Scottish Government that it must make significant use of new social security powers if it is to meet challenging child poverty reduction...
The latest analysis of Scottish local government finances has shown that education and social work accounted for the bulk of council spending last financial year.
Scottish councils have called for greater certainty over local government funding in the future to allow them to deal with long term pressures such as pay.
It will be difficult to achieve the Scottish Government’s ambition for a huge expansion in early learning and childcare by the end of the decade, auditors have warned.
Scottish councils have been praised for “substantial improvements” in efficiency, innovation and productivity despite the real-terms squeeze in local government funding.
Urgent action is required by Clackmannanshire Council to address “serious concerns” in its financial position, according to a report from the Accounts Commission.
