SCOTTISH Government plans for a sweeping remodel of state apparatus are the “complete opposite” of the centralisation of power, John Swinney has said.
The First Minister was speaking to the BBC’s Sunday Show when he was challenged on plans in his Programme for Government, which was published last week and said the SNP would seek to reduce the number of regional NHS health boards from 14 to two, merge various government agencies to cut the number of quangos, and consult on a redesign of local council structures.
Asked about the planned NHS changes, Swinney said he could not yet put a “specific figure” on how many jobs would be cut, but accepted that some would be.
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“I've been very open about the fact that I think public sector employment will fall over the course of this parliamentary term, but fundamentally we have to deliver public services in communities with members of the public and in support of their needs,” Swinney said.
Asked if reducing NHS health board numbers from 14 to two would see some people have to travel further to access services, the First Minister said: “That would not be my intention.”
“What I want to make sure is that by removing health board boundaries, we can maximise the number of local services that can be provided as close to home as possible for individuals in different parts of the country,” he added.
“That's the thinking that's gone into the two-board approach, to make sure that the resources of the National Health Service across the country can be deployed that delivers equity of access to everybody regardless of where they live.”
On local government reform, Swinney was said his Government was in discussions about two central aspects.
“First of all, around about the structure and the focus of local authorities, but also about the delivery of social care,” he said.
“What my objective in all of that is to do is to make sure that we have local authorities and local arrangements that are strategic enough to take big decisions about the issues that need to be wrestled with at regional level within Scotland, but also with a focus on localities that will make sure that local communities have got a stronger voice in the delivery of public services, health and social care.”
“And that is an open question for us to discuss not just with local authorities, but with trade unions, with third sector partners, with a variety of other interested stakeholders to make sure we use this moment of reform in the Scottish Parliament to deliver the best outcomes for people in Scotland,” Swinney added.
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“I'm going into this discussion not with a tablet of stone about what's got to happen. I want to have a respectful discussion.”
The BBC then asked the First Minister if the entire programme was “actually all about centralisation”.
The BBC host said: “If you live in East Renfrewshire and your council is subsumed [into] Glasgow, then you're losing local accountability. If you live in the far north and the health board is no longer based in Inverness, it's actually based in Glasgow, you're losing local accountability.
“Your government has been accused of centralisation up until now, and this is basically that writ large, isn't it?”
Swinney responded: “No, it's not. It's the complete opposite, bluntly.
“It's about making sure that we've got effective regional authorities that can lead the process of growth at a regional level within Scotland and in many areas much further away from the communities.
“The models that I'm talking about are about making sure we've got effective governance at the appropriate level within Scotland.
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“Some things are best resolved at national level. Some things are best resolved at regional level. Some things are best resolved at local level. That’s the heart of the reform programme, it's about making sure decisions are taken at the right level within Scotland, and at the heart of that is a strengthening of local empowerment and local community determination of their own future.”
Following the interview, Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “It’s hard to tell whether John Swinney is being evasive or simply has no idea what he is going to do, but either way it’s not good enough.
“People’s jobs are on the line and our public services could be plunged into chaos – Scotland deserves to know what lies ahead. SNP chaos has done enough damage to our services and our finances already.
“The SNP must come clean about what it is planning, how many jobs are at risk, and what it will mean for our public services.”
Scottish Labour’s manifesto also pledged to cut the number of quangos and NHS health boards, as the SNP are proposing.
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