Parties urge Swinney to reveal plans for spending

SCOTLAND'S finance minister John Swinney has faced calls to publish details of his spending plans ahead of all-party talks on the issue today.

Mr Swinney is due to meet the finance spokesmen of the three other main parties in Edinburgh this afternoon for talks on the cuts crisis highlighted in the Independent Budget Review.

Lib Dem finance spokesman Jeremy Purvis urged Mr Swinney to spell out a detailed response to the review, which examined the options on how to handle the cuts.

He said: "I have told John Swinney that if the meeting is to be meaningful he has to outline the government's detailed response to the Independent Budget Review.

"So far he has simply talked in generalities. If the SNP are serious about engaging others in what will be a difficult budget process coming up, they need to do better."

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray called on the Scottish government to publish its draft budget.

He said: "The SNP delay is damaging confidence and undermining prospects of recovery."

Derek Brownlee, the Tory finance spokesman, said: "We are being constructive and we would like to get to a consensus with other parties but, at the end of the day, our bottom line is that the budget must be credible and sustainable."

Mr Swinney is due to reveal details of his draft budget on 20 October, with the full proposals set to be unveiled the next month.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The Independent Budget Review demonstrated the open and transparent approach we are taking to address the challenges Scotland faces."