Plans to offer free iPads to people who are "digitally excluded" have been axed so that the money can be funneled into a plans to fund new council pay deals.
The project was originally set up during the COVID pandemic has handed out more than 61,000 iPads and Chromebooks to people who would otherwise not have access to the online world. However, a new report explains that Finance Secretary Shona Robison has said that the plans to ditch the Connecting Scotland digital devices program will help save £10 million.
This move comes after ministers offered council workers a new deal that would see them receive an extra £77.5 million and cancel plans for strikes.
No iPad for you
While it's doubtful that the iPads handed out would be the latest M4 iPad Pro, there is no doubt that there is the potential for savings here. But iPads aren't the only way savings will be made. The BBC Scotland reports also notes that a further £2 million will be gained by changing plans for extended school meals while £26 million will be diverted from a program that sought to deal with potential flood risks.
The finance secretary said diverting the funding was "not a decision we have taken lightly," the BBC reports. Unions are still considering the new proposals and it's unclear whether the cuts will be enough to avoid worker strikes.
