The Scottish Government will receive £1.5 billion in “extra help” as a result of the autumn statement, Jeremy Hunt has said.

On Thursday the Chancellor announced tax hikes and spending cuts in a bid to tamp down the inflationary pressures caused, in part, by Liz Truss’s mini budget.

But as a result of some increases in health and education south of the border, the Scottish Government will receive £1.5 billion in Barnett consequentials over the next two years.

“What I would say is we want to deal with these problems and we want to make sure that vital public services like the NHS are protected through a difficult period.

“The reason for that is it’s the NHS that helps get people back to work when they’re not well, if they’ve got long Covid, they’re waiting for an operation – the NHS has been under enormous pressure in Scotland as it has in the rest of the UK.”

Mr Hunt said he hoped the share of the cash coming to Scotland as a result of health spending would be invested in the NHS – a longstanding Scottish Government commitment that was reaffirmed by the Deputy First Minister later on the same programme.

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