Matt Hancock has demanded to know what has happened to the “missing millions” meant for NHS spending in Scotland.
The UK Health Secretary went point scoring against the SNP in the Commons by asking why UK government funding for Scotland had not been translated into increased NHS spending.
During a Commons statement on coronavirus Hancock turned the tables on SNP MP Dave Doogan who asked the Health Secretary if he would match the SNP’s commitment to increase health spending by 20 per cent “to truly build back better”?
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon committed the SNP to a four per cent increase in NHS spending for each of the next five years if returned to office.
But Hancock was having none of it and challenged the real terms rise in spending.
Hancock responded: “I recently saw the figures for the proposed increase in NHS spending in Scotland and the proposed increase is lower than in England, it’s lower than the money that has been passed over to the Scottish Government from UK taxpayers to the Scottish Government to spend on the NHS in Scotland.”
“My question is what’s happened to the money for the NHS in Scotland that was given to the SNP government in Holyrood? They have not spent it on the NHS.”
Hancock was careful to praise the Scottish Government for co-operation on the pandemic response and the vaccination effort which he described as a “true UK success story”.
However, he continued: “But this question of the missing millions for the NHS in Scotland is one that we need answers to from the government in Holyrood.”
An SNP spokesperson said: "The SNP has committed a minimum of £2.5 billion to put our NHS on a secure and sustainable footing for the long term - more than the Tories, who have revealed that instead of investing in recovery they are planning £600 million of underhand cuts to our NHS and failing to provide a single penny for social care after the pandemic.
"Only giving both votes to the SNP will guarantee a bold, progressive plan for government with the remobilisation of the NHS at its heart."
