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Scottish protest £30m drop in roads spending
Page 11
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IN The Scottish Executive's spending on road repairs and maintenance will be frozen until 2006 amid protests that the country's infrastructure is being neglected.
Figures released in a parliamentary answer from Transport Minister Nicol Stephen reveal that 1913.53m will be set aside for spending on roads for the next three years—almost £30m down on last year.
The road maintenance budget increased between 1998 and 2001 from E98.15m to £116.42m. In 2002-03, 1125:15m was allocated For spending on the nation's roads.
But the Scottish Executive says these figures have been bolstered because VAT was included, and it denies cuts are being made.
A Scottish Executive spokesperson says: "The figures prior to April 2002 are overstated by around 110-15m because of a technical change in the VAT treatment in the budget and accounts."
However SNP transport spokesman, Kenny MacAskIll claims the figures were an "electoral bribe" to aid Labour's promotion to power.
He adds: "It's all short-termism, slap dash. It's also disingenuous; they got the VAT back anyway, Over the next three years there will be 130m cut; it's simply not tenable."