A NEW index ranking public services in Scotland’s local authorities has been released by think tank.
North Lanarkshire and Glasgow ranked lowest and second lowest respectively, whilst Shetland, Renfrewshire and Highland were ranked the three best-rated areas.
The index was devised as part of the Broken Britain study undertaken by the New Britain Project, looking at the performance of services such as the NHS, education and policing.
The think tank looked at 13 different indicators, with North Lanarkshire being ranked as the most “broken” in the rankings out of the 29 local authorities assessed.
Orkney, Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar and Argyle and Bute were not included in the rankings because “data was not always available”, the think tank said.
The indicators were broken down into three topics: “health emergency” which looked at NHS performance; “forgotten generation”, which looked at education attainment and absences along with young people’s mental health services; and “crumbling communities”, which looked at crime clear-up rates, food insecurity, the number of derelict buildings and the number of roads requiring maintenance.
According to the findings, North Lanarkshire ranked 25th in health, 28th in the “forgotten generation” category and 24th in “crumbling communities”.
Glasgow – the largest local authority in the country, ranked second lowest – while both health and education and young people’s services were in 16th place, it came last in infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Falkirk was in 27th place, ranking the same in health and children’s issues and fourteenth in infrastructure.
The figures were released on Tuesday, the same day the Scottish Government is due to announce the Scottish Budget.
Anna McShane, the director of the New Britain Project, said: “As Scotland faces a crucial budget announcement, our Broken Britain Index sheds light on the urgent need for transparent and comparable data.
“With public services varying greatly across Scotland and the UK, it’s vital the Scottish Government provide clear and comprehensive information.
“This is crucial for addressing the challenges in essential services, which are now more critical than ever.
“Transparency shouldn’t be an option – it’s a necessity for a Scotland striving for accountability and genuine progress.”
The Scottish Government disputed the figures.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “This is incorrect. Differences between Scottish Government data on local government finance are a reflection of the fact that the functions of local authorities here differ widely from other parts of the UK.
“The Deputy First Minister has made clear that Scotland is facing the most challenging budget settlement since devolution as a result of sustained high inflation and a UK Government autumn statement that failed to deliver the investment needed in Scotland’s public services.
“The Scottish Government has increased the resources available to local government in 2023-24 by more than £793 million, a real-terms increase of £376 million or 3%, compared to the 2022-23 budget figures.
“Work is also ongoing with Cosla to establish a new fiscal framework for councils through the Verity House Agreement, a landmark agreement that is forging a stronger partnership between the Scottish Government and local councils through the spirit of collaboration and engagement.”
