Scotland’s block grant at record £50bn, says Treasury

The Scottish Government’s block grant has hit a record £50 billion, the Treasury has said.

The UK Government said the £47.7 billion for 2025/26 recorded after the Chancellor’s autumn budget was already the largest real-terms spending review settlement in the history of devolution.

The increase in the block grant, which accounts for the vast majority of Holyrood’s budget, comes after the Treasury’s Main Estimates 2025-26 publication was released.

The cash includes an additional £572 million in extra funding for the current financial year, including £454 million through the Barnett formula.

The Main Estimates also confirmed £1.8 billion in resource departmental expenditure limit depreciation funding, which includes student loans.

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the money should be used to deliver better public services in Scotland.

He said: “The UK Government delivered the largest spending review settlement in the history of the Scottish Parliament, now Scots rightly expect to see that record funding deliver better results like lower NHS waiting lists, better attainment in schools, more police on the beat and more housing.

“I was very concerned this week to see that attainment targets for Scottish schools have been reduced and housebuilding has fallen by 4,000, meanwhile police officer numbers are lower than when Police Scotland was established and 800,000 Scots are on an NHS waiting list.

“Where the UK Government has responsibility for public services, we are seeing NHS waiting lists fall, more housing being built and more bobbies on the beat, all part of our Plan for Change. This historic funding deal for the Scottish Government should be delivering similar results.”

Finance Secretary Shona Robison said: “By failing to come even close to fully funding its rise in employer national insurance contributions, the UK Government has left Scotland’s public services with a bill running into hundreds of millions of pounds.

“UK ministers should reconsider and fully fund their tax hike, rather than short-changing our NHS and other public services.”