Programme for Government 2020-21
Ensuring Scotland’s economic, health, and social recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is the focus of this year’s Programme for Government.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, the First Minister said the Scottish Government would prioritise work to suppress the virus – building on its commitment to COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and surveillance.
The COVID-19 response will be bolstered with the launch of Protect Scotland, a new proximity tracing app, later this month. The app will add an additional means of notifying people that they may have been exposed to the virus and that they should isolate to prevent onward transmission.
The First Minister also set out the government’s plans for renewal while ensuring a green recovery is at the heart of the economic recovery, with job creation, support for health and wellbeing and work to tackle inequalities all high on the agenda.
A National Transition Training Fund will support up to 10,000 people at risk of redundancy or unemployment. The Scottish Youth Guarantee will ensure every young person has the opportunity of work, education, or training.
A new £100 million Green Jobs Fund will be created while a new Inward Investment Plan will create 100,000 high value jobs over the next decade and boost GDP.
The pandemic has also reiterated the need for a radical rethink of social care. An independent review of the care system will be established to examine how adult social care can be most effectively reformed to deliver a national approach to care and support services. This will include consideration of a National Care Service.
In order to support families, applications for the Scottish Child Payment will open in November 2020, with the first payments to be made in February 2021.
A new £10 million Tenant Hardship Loan Fund will protect people from homelessness by providing interest-free loans for those struggling to pay their rent and there will be a ban on evictions until March 2021.
Other measures include:
- accelerating the roll-out of Community Treatment and Assessment Centres so more people can receive medical care in their community rather than going to hospital
- expanding digital access to health care to ensure more people can get the help they need
- £1.6 billion low carbon funding to secure a just transition to a net zero economy, including a £100 million Green Jobs Fund, investment in heat and energy efficiency and industrial decarbonisation
- a 20 year vision for energy efficient, zero carbon housing, with access to outdoor space, transport links, digital connectivity and community services
- £500 million for infrastructure to support active travel
- bringing 50,000 people into the digital world through the Connecting Scotland programme and creating a world class digital eco-system in Scotland
- introducing legislation on domestic abuse protection orders and progressing legislation to improve forensic medical examinations for victims of sexual assault
The First Minister said: “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a profound impact on our health and wellbeing, on business and the economy – indeed, on our whole way of life. That is true here in Scotland, and across the globe.
“Today’s Programme is clear that suppressing COVID is our most immediate priority – and it will remain so for some time. However, it also makes clear that we will not simply hunker down and wait for the storm to pass.
“This Programme for Government sets out plans for a stronger, more resilient and sustainable economy – with a laser focus on creating new, good, green jobs.
“It guarantees opportunities for young people – and refuses to accept that their generation will carry the economic scars of COVID into adulthood.
“It sets out plans to strengthen and reform our public services, including our NHS. And it takes the first step on the road to a National Care Service.
“It promotes equality and wellbeing, with decisive action to combat child poverty. At its heart is the new, game-changing Scottish Child Payment.
“We must treat the COVID-19 challenge not as a brake on our ambitions but as an accelerant – helping us shape a stronger, greener, fairer future.”
STUC welcome National Care Service commitment in Programme for Government, but raise concerns around Fair Work
STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “While we strongly support many of the aspirations in today’s Programme for Government, aspirations aren’t enough and it will take a serious stimulus package to deliver the sort of transformative change being talked about by the First Minister.
“We welcome the First Minister’s commitment to review adult social care and support for a National Care Service. This is a very important development that we have long called for. However, it is deeply disappointing that trade unions representing the workers in this sector have not been offered a seat at the table for any review in order to hold the Scottish Government to account and represent our members.
“Additionally, given the scandal that has unfolded across our care services and the sub-standard employment practices that have been uncovered the Government must commit now to ensuring that the profit motive is removed from any future social care model and Fair Work issues are addressed as an urgent priority.
“We commend the Programme’s ambition of building a green economy. Unfortunately, the level of investment to create a zero-carbon economy is simply too small to meet the scale of the challenge. Supporting workers to upskill and retrain is important, but it counts for little when there is currently a lack of jobs and demand in the green economy.
“We need to see major investment and intervention and would have liked to have seen an extension of public ownership in key areas like transport, construction and energy to ensure that the government’s aspirations can be delivered effectively.
“Where money is invested it is essential that it comes with Fair Work conditionality attached. We are disappointed that the Fair Work agenda and conditionality has not featured more heavily in today’s programme.
“We would also have liked to have seen more commitment to increased funding for local government, which is absolutely vital if we are to ensure services in local communities for our most vulnerable.
“Overall the programme is full of the right ambitions, but it’s too cash tight. We will continue to call on both the UK and Scottish Governments to work together to deliver the level of stimulus our economy so desperately needs as this investment can’t wait for the debate on independence to be resolved.
“Today’s programme has good potential, but we need more investment to ensure real transformative change in our society.”
Joanna Barrett, NSPCC policy and public affairs manager, said: “It is clearly right that Covid-19 recovery, including for children, is at the heart of this year’s Programme for Government.
“Calls to our Childline service from children and young people who had experienced sexual abuse in the home tripled during lockdown. And there was an increase in referrals from our helpline to Scottish agencies, due to parental behaviour, physical and emotional abuse and neglect, during this time.
“It is, therefore, crucial that any efforts to support children recover from the effects of the pandemic, especially those focusing on mental health, include specialist and timely treatment for those who have endured traumatic experiences, such as abuse and neglect.”
Bills to be progressed during this parliamentary session (2020-21):
Budget Bill
Domestic Abuse Bill
Incorporation of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Bill
University of St. Andrews (Degrees in Medicine and Dentistry) Bill
Defamation and Malicious Publication Bill
Forensic Medical Services (Victims of Sexual Offences) Bill
Hate Crime and Public Order Bill
Heat Networks Bill
Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) Bill
Social Security Administration and Tribunal Membership Bill
UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) Bill
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