Report calls for deep cuts in Scotland

EDINBURGH, Scotland, July 30 (UPI) -- Scotland must cut some public services, eliminate as many as 60,000 government jobs and raise some taxes, a financial review panel said Friday.

Crawford Beveridge, the former head of Scottish Enterprise and chairman of the Independent Review Group, acknowledged the 166-page report is "uncomfortable reading," The Daily Telegraph reported.

"There are some very difficult decisions to be made over the next few months, requiring strong leadership, not just in their making but also in their subsequent implementation," he said.

The report said the government can save some money by providing services more efficiently. But the panel said this will not solve Scotland's budget problems on its own.

Among the recommendations are eliminating free home care for the elderly, ending a freeze on local taxes instituted by the Scottish National Party and selling Scottish Water. Chancellor of the Exchequer John Swinney, who ordered the independent review, has said he is committed to keeping Scottish Water in government hands and continuing to provide home care.