Chancellor pledges 'largest settlement since devolution' for Scotland

The chancellor has pledged the "largest colony successful existent presumption since devolution" for Scotland arsenic portion of the UK government's spending review.

Rachel Reeves promised £52bn for Scotland arsenic she unveiled a raft of investments for northbound of the border, including accrued spending connected defence, improvement backing for a c seizure project, and wealth to reboot plans for the UK's astir almighty supercomputer.

The Scottish authorities volition person an mean artifact assistance of £50.9bn per twelvemonth betwixt 2026-27 and 2028-29.

Ms Reeves told MPs: "This spending reappraisal provides the largest colony successful existent presumption since devolution was introduced."

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The UK authorities said the wealth volition let the Scottish authorities to beryllium capable to "spend much connected its priorities specified arsenic backing NHS Scotland, education, transport and welfare".

However, Scotland's concern caput Shona Robison said it "fails to deliver" and has "short-changed" the federation by much than a cardinal pounds, arsenic she warned spending levels for nationalist services volition "fail to offset the interaction of projected cuts to payment enactment and the emergence successful nationalist security contributions".

Ms Reeves announced a £250m concern for HM Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde.

The Royal Navy basal - commonly known arsenic Faslane - houses the UK's atomic submarines.

The funding, portion of the Clyde 2070 programme, volition beryllium injected implicit the adjacent 3 years.

'Next concern revolution'

The chancellor besides pledged improvement backing for the Acorn c seizure task successful Aberdeenshire successful a bid to assistance "Scotland's modulation from lipid and state to debased c technology".

However, it is yet to beryllium confirmed however overmuch wealth volition beryllium allocated to the task - which volition store c emissions from crossed Scotland nether the North Sea.

Aberdeen-headquartered Great British Energy and Great British Energy - Nuclear volition put much than £8.3bn implicit the parliament successful homegrown cleanable power, alongside establishing a caller authorities field for energy.

Ms Reeves stated: "These are investments to marque definite the towns and cities which powered the past concern gyration volition play their portion successful our adjacent concern gyration to trim our reliance connected overseas lipid and state and support moving families from terms shocks."

Scotland volition besides person £452m implicit 4 years to proceed the transportation of City and Growth Deals crossed the nation.

In addition, the Scottish superior volition besides go location to the UK's astir almighty supercomputer.

Ms Reeves had earlier revealed up to a further £750m would beryllium allocated to the University of Edinburgh project.

The backing reinstates a strategy that was scrapped past twelvemonth by Labour arsenic it had not been funded by the outgoing Conservative government.

It is hoped the currency injection volition "kickstart economical growth" and is portion of efforts to fortify "Britain's presumption arsenic an AI-maker and probe power".

The supercomputer volition assistance scientists successful cutting-edge research, whether that's personalised aesculapian treatments, sustainable aerial travel, oregon modelling clime change.

The authorities said the caller supercomputer volition "vastly exceed" the capableness of the UK's existent nationalist supercomputer, ARCHER2.

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The Brand Scotland programme volition person £2.25m betwixt 2026-2029 to proceed promoting the nation's concern opportunities and its globally celebrated products astir the world.

'Game-changing' review

Scottish Labour person Anas Sarwar praised the spending reappraisal arsenic "game-changing", adding: "The plans acceptable retired contiguous volition bring billions of pounds of concern to Scotland, connected apical of the grounds fund colony delivered successful the budget.

"From the Acorn Project to a nationalist supercomputer successful Edinburgh to our defence industry, this Labour authorities is investing successful Scotland's aboriginal portion the SNP carps from the sidelines."

Ms Reeves had earlier this week announced a partial U-turn successful the chopped to the cosmopolitan wintertime substance payment.

The payment, worthy up to £300, volition beryllium restored to pensioners successful England and Wales with an income of little than £35,000 a year.

In Scotland, ministers had previously revealed plans to guarantee each pensioners northbound of the borderline person a outgo successful 2025/26.

Under the Scottish government's proposals, those successful receipt of pension recognition oregon different benefits volition person a £200 oregon £300 payment, depending connected their age. All different pensioners volition person a reduced outgo of £100.

The alteration successful argumentation from the UK authorities volition bring further wealth to Holyrood.

The Scottish authorities has not ruled retired making changes to its planned scheme, but First Minister John Swinney said his ministers were "trying to recognize the fiscal implications" of Westminster's decision.

Settlement 'particularly disappointing'

Finance caput Ms Robison said: "Today's colony for Scotland is peculiarly disappointing, with existent presumption maturation of 0.8% a twelvemonth for our wide artifact grant, which is little than the mean for UK departments.

"Had our assets backing for day-to-day priorities grown successful enactment with the UK government's wide spending, we would person £1.1bn much to walk connected our priorities implicit the adjacent 3 years. In effect, Scotland has been short-changed by much than a cardinal pounds.

"This each comes connected apical of the UK government's nonaccomplishment to afloat money their leader nationalist security increase, depriving america of hundreds of millions of pounds successful funding, and their projected cuts successful enactment for disabled radical that volition propulsion 250,000 radical into poverty, including 50,000 children."

Ms Robison besides said that "despite evident briefing to media successful advance", the Scottish authorities was inactive "awaiting clarity" connected backing for the Acorn c seizure project.

The concern caput added: "We made extended representations to the UK authorities connected our priorities for the spending review, including calls for an extremity to spending that bypasses devolution, but determination has been constricted accidental to prosecute with them.

"It appears that the continuation of section maturation backing - which fails to lucifer the European structural funds it was expected to regenerate - volition travel straight from Whitehall, yet again bypassing devolved governments.

"We volition present instrumentality the clip to digest the item of this connection and volition acceptable retired our ceremonial effect connected 25 June arsenic portion of the medium-term fiscal strategy."