THE Scottish budget gap could soar to £16 billion a year in the coming decades unless Holyrood ministers take action to tackle the ill-health of the country’s increasingly elderly population, according to a new report.

The independent Scottish Fiscal Commission’s (SFC) latest fiscal sustainability report looks at the long-term state of the nation’s finances.

The SFC predicted that there could be “negative average annual budget gap” of £9bn per year over the period 2030‑31 to 2074‑75 as ministers at Westminster seek to curb debt.