EIJB cuts raised at FMQs
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00:00President Officer, as we've heard already this afternoon, the proposals by Edinburgh IJB are likely to now see key services cut.
00:10These include dropping support, carers services, and as we mark VE Day, even veterans support services.
00:17The First Minister has proportion blame for a budget which is not acceptable.
00:21It will cut £29 million from services here in Edinburgh.
00:25So can I ask him again, does he actually think that our health services will improve by the decisions being taken by the IJB?
00:33And will he agree to meet with a cross-party group of MSPs who are trying to raise this issue in Parliament
00:38and just have had the First Minister whack this back at us.
00:41We need action and we want the First Minister to take heed of that today.
00:45First Minister.
00:46President Officer, I'm just simply being straight with Parliament about the realities of the realities that we've got to face.
00:58That's what I'm doing.
01:00Miles Briggs, I understand the issues he's raising with me.
01:04I'm totally familiar with them.
01:06I understand the importance of them.
01:07I've just answered Mr Whittle about the importance of there being a focus on preventative interventions
01:13and many of the interventions that Mr Briggs is talking about are preventative interventions.
01:19But the point I'm making to Parliament is that the investment in these services doesn't happen by accident.
01:27It happens by political choice.
01:29And Mr Briggs was one of those who voted against the government's budget
01:33and he also argued, he argued in favour, as his leader did, for a billion pounds worth of cuts in public expenditure.
01:42How does Mr Briggs think that it's possible to invest in local services with a billion pounds of swinging cuts from the...