"The commission found that national spending had fallen by 3% in real terms since 2018 and warned that more analysis was needed to understand how the decline was impacting public health and wellbeing. Local government body Cosla said councils remained committed, within tight budgets, to ensuring that the best possible leisure and culture services were available. In its report, the Accounts Commission said many local authorities were reviewing the services they offered while raising or introducing charges."
"It warned that the most deprived communities would face "inequality and exclusion" if cuts to spending on culture and leisure services continued unchecked. "The provision of culture and leisure services is important to help improve longer-term physical and mental wellbeing, linked to activity across a range of other services, and reducing them risks deepening inequalities," it said. The watchdog warned councils that they not only risked increasing inequalities across Scotland, but also risked legal action being taken by the communities affected by cuts."
Physical activity, culture and leisure services provide substantial benefits for physical and mental health and should be prioritised in council budgets. National spending on culture and leisure has fallen by 3% in real terms since 2018, prompting calls for more analysis of the impact on public health and wellbeing. Many councils are reviewing services and raising or introducing charges, while local government bodies say they remain committed to delivering the best possible services within tight budgets. Cuts or fee increases risk deepening inequalities, with the most deprived communities potentially facing "inequality and exclusion", and failures in consultation and equality assessment have led to reversals and legal challenges.
Read at www.bbc.com
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