IT has been remarkably clear throughout this crisis that Local Government has been crucial – being responsible for getting large parts of the support promised by the Scottish Government out to those that need it most.

The City Council has been incredibly important in providing funding and other support to our third sector partners across the city – community groups and charities that have done so much to support the most vulnerable.

The council has also been responsible for getting Farmfoods vouchers for every child who is entitled, to make sure parents have the money in their pockets to put food on the table.

There is still a lot of work to be done on the administration of the Coronavirus Business Support Grants. Staff are working flat out to get as many applications processed as quickly as possible.

But, for many businesses, it’s just not been good enough so far. The reasons for that are understandable, but this issue needs to be resolved this week. A commitment has been made, and I will watch closely.

It’s Local Government that’s responsible for providing social care – and trying to make sure that staff have access to the personal protective equipment that they need (where there still needs to be significant improvement) or mental health and well-being support to cope with the personal consequences of this crisis.

Which is why it’s so disappointing and disheartening to see Kate Forbes, the Finance Minister, dismiss an argument about an additional £155million for local authorities as a “storm in a teacup”. This dismissive attitude is unhelpful – and an insult to frontline workers.

It’s almost beyond belief that a senior politician would dismiss a conversation about a very significant sum of money so brazenly. Especially at a moment of national crisis.

But who would have thought, just a few months ago, that we would be here? The price of oil has reached historic lows, the economy looks set to take one of the biggest hits ever recorded and Scottish football could potentially be out of action for 18 months until a vaccine is found.

These are truly unprecedented times. Arguing over the allocation of £155m and dismissing it as a storm in a teacup is nothing short of shocking while there are people in our communities who are crying out for some immediate help.

When lockdown began just about seven weeks ago now, a number of immediate steps were taken by both Scottish and UK Governments. These measures were welcome – but it’s clear it wasn’t anticipated that lockdown could last until June or beyond.

On that basis, the monies that were allocated by Scottish ministers back then will be clearly insufficient.

Government is facing challenges every day in delivering a service to people. But the next three to four weeks could prove a crucial test – how serious are they about putting money where it is needed most? Small businesses are the lifeblood of the Glasgow economy, and we have to do everything we can to make sure they survive this current crisis.