People must be given real powers - says David Mundell

Scotland's cities, towns and villages risk being left behind other parts of the UK if Holyrood does not step up and send real powers to the people'', the Scottish Secretary is set to say.

David Mundell is due to make a speech in Glasgow where he will set out what he believes is a radically different vision of how Scotland could be governed. Under the plans, local authorities would have more control over areas like health, transport and policing while towns and villages could take more control over their own affairs.

The speech comes days after local authority leaders warned John Swinney's latest budget plans will be catastrophic'' for jobs and services in Scotland's councils. The Scottish Finance Secretary has allocated £10.3 billion for local government as part of his spending plans for 2016, which local government body Cosla said amounted to a £350 million cut.

Mr Mundell will argue that councils' concerns about the futures they face mean it is time for an honest and frank'' debate about the way forward for them.

He will say: The interminable debate about Scotland's constitutional place within the UK has drowned out debate about how power and responsibility is distributed within Scotland.

The referendum was decisive and an obsession with independence can no longer be an excuse to ignore this issue. It's time for Holyrood to step up and send real powers to the people.

There is a revolution going on in local government across the rest of the United Kingdom, with local areas regaining power and responsibility at an unprecedented rate. Scotland cannot afford to be left behind.

This is a good time to start that debate, in the week following a Scottish Budget which put local government in the spotlight.

The choices which the Scottish Government have made are significant.

Serious cuts to local authority budgets and absolutely no new powers to raise their own funding. In fact the reverse - with the council tax freeze retained for a ninth consecutive year.

Councils across Scotland are rightly concerned about the futures they face and it is about time we had an honest and frank debate about it.''

The Scottish Secretary will stress that he is not advocating a reorganisation of local government but bringing an end what he sees as a one size-fits-all'' approach for councils.

He will urge the Scottish Government to follow the lead of the UK Government'' in devolving powers to cities, counties and towns across the rest of the UK.

Mr Mundell will argue that the Northern Powerhouse is breaking new ground'' and theMidlands Engine is gaining pace'' south of the border.

On the crucial issue of breaking up the central government monolith, it's now Westminster which is setting the pace and leading the way,'' he will tell the Glasgow audience.

There is now real risk that Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, and indeed the towns and counties of Scotland as a whole will be left behind - stuck in a 1990s time-warp of centralised, Holyrood dominance.''

A spokesman for Mr Swinney said: David Mundell has just spent months opposing amendments to the Scotland Bill, refusing Scotland job-creating powers, so his calls now have absolutely no credibility.

The Scottish Government's approach is one of partnership with local government - it is an approach that varies substantially from that taken in some other parts of the UK and is based on a shared vision of strengthened community planning, engagement and empowerment.

But our approach to devolution does not stop at local authority level and through, for example, the Community Empowerment Act and Land Reform Bill, we want to help shift the balance of power more towards communities.

Initiatives such as the Scottish Rural Parliament, and the Cities Convention, are also aimed at bringing people and policymakers together to enable better understanding, improved policy and greater empowerment of communities.

These institutions, alongside action to ensure island communities benefit from the revenue of the Crown Estate, demonstrate our commitment to subsidiarity.''

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