News In Focus
29 December 2006
Executive attacked as "busybody" legislators
The Scottish Executive's legislative record was thrust into focus yesterday as the Scottish Conservatives attacked the Labour-Liberal Democrat administration as a "busybody government" while First Minister Jack McConnell boasted that 97% of pledges made since 2003 had been kept.
Pointing to the 106 Acts of the Scottish Parliament, 71 Sewel motions and 3,100 Scottish Statutory Instruments since 1999, the Tories' deputy leader Murdo Fraser accused the coalition of using its political muscle "to over-regulate, over-burden and over-rule".
The party also released figures showing that in the year to March 2006, the actual cost of devolved legislation was over £980 million, exceeding ministers' estimates by around £177 million.
Mr Fraser was backed by business leaders who claimed the Executive should have followed the UK Government and European Commission in aiming to cut regulation by 25%.
The SNP said the main objective should be to get Scotland's economy working, and rules and regulations were stifling enterprise.
Mr McConnell however claimed that the Executive's ambitious programme was delivering real improvements to people's lives. Pointing to the smoking ban, the meeting of waiting list and other health targets, the growing economy, the falling crime rate, free bus travel for elderly and disabled people and the school building programme, he said:
"Our Partnership Agreement was a huge programme, and we have met or are on track to deliver more than 95% of our pledges."