More than £106 million has been allocated to health boards in Scotland to help tackle the longest waits for procedures and operations.
The funding has been assigned to specialty areas for the year ahead where it can have the greatest impact against the longest waits – this includes £25 million for trauma and orthopaedics, £21 million for imaging, £14 million for cancer treatment and more than £12 million for ophthalmology.
The investment is part of the £200 million announced as part of the Programme for Government to build capacity, tackle delayed discharge and improve patient flow through hospitals.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “This government is focussed on taking the action needed to cut waiting lists – significant activity is already underway through this additional investment which will help us target the longest waits for treatment.
“We are determined to reduce patient waits in the year ahead and this £106 million of additional funding will help us to deliver more than 150,000 extra appointments and procedures in 2025-26. This funding is just part of our record investment of £21.7 billion for health and social care this year.
“Last year, health boards vastly exceeded the commitment to deliver 64,000 appointments and procedures – instead delivering more than 105,000 through our targeted approach. This investment will allow us to build on this progress and deliver tangible improvements for patients.”
Cash-first approach to keeping tenants in their homes
A partnership programme to help prevent people from becoming homeless has been launched by the Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville. This is in addition to the £4 million investment in homelessness prevention pilots in 2025-26 highlighted by the First Minister in the Programme for Government.
The £1 million Upstream Homelessness Prevention Fund will bring together Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), third sector organisations, community groups and other local partners to expand on existing successful approaches to preventing homelessness and explore innovative ways to sustain tenancies.
Partnerships funded by the programme will receive a cash fund for individual payments of up to £1,300 to help prevent people becoming homeless. The year long programme will also help to inform how RSLs will carry out the new Ask and Act prevention duties outlined in the Housing Bill currently progressing through Parliament.
The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and Homeless Network Scotland will administer the Scottish Government funded scheme which is open for applications.
Ms Somerville said: “The aim of the fund is to break the cycle of repeat homelessness by providing targeted joined-up support for people struggling to pay their rent while also having to navigate housing, health and social care services.
“This early intervention approach will help to minimise evictions by upstream prevention activity and identifying opportunities to build up support systems where they are needed. This will help people to keep their tenancies and prevent them from becoming homeless.
“The scheme will also provide valuable feedback for the wider RSL network and provide examples of service design and delivery that can be replicated in other places and contexts.”
Scottish Federation of Housing Associations Chief Executive Sally Thomas said: “We are delighted to administer this important funding, which will complement the significant efforts housing associations make to help people remain in their homes.
“This could include providing direct cash interventions to those facing financial difficulties, or forming local partnerships to make use of shared spaces and staff to create joined-up approaches to homelessness prevention.
“Beyond the funding, this programme will also provide vital insights on the support needed to help people at risk of homelessness and inform future approaches to partnership working to deliver the Ask and Act duty.”
Homeless Network Scotland Chief Executive Maggie Brunjes said: “Housing associations and third sector organisations are ideally positioned to prevent homelessness by delivering early, community-focused interventions.
“This Scottish Government funding will support local partnerships, enabling tailored solutions that tackle material hardship and leverage community resources to help people remain in their homes.”
The Scottish Government’s cost of living guarantee will help to deliver vital support for the people of Scotland, First Minister John Swinney has said.
The Programme for Government 2025-26 commits to a range of measures which will help households in a challenging economic climate.
The cost of living guarantee includes:
Lower income tax than in England for the majority of workers
Continuation of free prescriptions and free eye appointments
Free bus travel for 2.3 million people
Scottish undergraduate students will continue to pay no tuition fees
Funded childcare hours, which would otherwise cost families more than £6,000 a year per eligible child.
Free school meals, which save the average family who take up the offer £400 per child per year, will be expanded, and more breakfast clubs introduced.
Winter fuel payments restored for Scottish pensioners in 2025-26
The Programme for Government also committed to scrapping peak rail fares for good from September.
The First Minister said: “This Scottish Government will always do what it can to deliver the best deal for the people of Scotland.
“Our cost of living guarantee is delivering real savings for hard-pressed households across the country and it goes further than any package offered in the rest of the UK.
“These policies are already saving people money year on year, in the form of free prescriptions, free bus travel and more. This year we will go even further, funding the restoration of winter fuel payments for every pensioner in Scotland after they were abandoned by the UK Government.
“And from September, we will be scrapping peak rail fares for good – delivering a better deal for commuters.
“I know that too many people are still struggling during the cost of living crisis and that is why my government is taking action to keep more money in people’s pockets during tough times.”
Outlined in the Scottish Government’s recent Programme for Government is the Children and Young People (Care) Bill.
This legislation aims to further support The Promise, produced by the Independent Care Review in 2020, and which is Scotland’s pledge to care-experienced children and young people that they will grow up loved, safe, and respected.
As a coalition, along with others, we have been advocating for care-experienced individuals, who often face complex situations alone, to have the right to lifelong, independent advocacy. This will ensure that care-experienced individuals are aware of their rights and can make informed decisions about their lives.
With the Promise Bill now part of the legislative landscape, it is time for this fundamental right, as committed to in The Promise itself five years ago, to be enshrined in law. Too many individuals are currently missing out on the advice and support they desperately need, often when they need it most.
Scotland has an opportunity to lead the way, and the Bill provides the opportunity to deliver action on advocacy.
Poverty Alliance: ‘People in Scotland are demanding better’
The NHS will deliver 100,000 additional GP appointments and Scotland will have a ‘best in UK’ cost-of-living guarantee, including the permanent abolition of peak rail fares, First Minister John Swinney announced as he set out a Programme for Government against a backdrop of global economic challenges.
Speaking one year since he was elected First Minister and one year before the end of this Parliament, Mr Swinney committed to a package of cost-of-living initiatives for households and businesses and a new Six Point Export Plan to unlock target markets.
He set out plans to strengthen the NHS with the delivery of extra GP appointments for key health risks such as high blood pressure, and 150,000 more NHS appointments and procedures, including a 50% increase in surgical procedures such as hip and knee replacements.
Key announcements include:
100,000 enhanced service GP appointments by March 2026 for key risk factors including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, obesity and smoking as well as more than 150,000 extra appointments and procedures, including surgeries and diagnostic tests, and target cancer pathways to tackle backlogs against the 62-day referral to treatment standard
The cost-of-living guarantee which includes ongoing free prescriptions, eye exams, bus travel for 2.3 million people, free tuition for students and more than £6,000 in early learning and childcare support for each eligible child
ScotRail peak rail fares abolished and the general alcohol ban on ScotRail trains removed and replaced with time and location restrictions
Winter fuel payments for pensioners restored
A new Six Point Export Plan, with a focus on actions to unlock target markets, and showcase Scotland to global buyers
A national regeneration fund that will support at least 26 projects to renew and restore communities, with a focus on delivering more local jobs
More rights and stronger protections for tenants, helping deliver more than 8,000 affordable homes, including for social and mid-market rent, and removing barriers on stalled building sites with the potential to deliver up to 20,000 new homes
The First Minister said: “This Programme for Government is focused on providing the best cost-of-living support across the UK, as well as delivering a renewed and stronger NHS.
“When I became First Minister a year ago, I heard loud and clear people’s concerns about the NHS which is why I am taking serious action to ensure the NHS meets the needs of the public.
“This PfG also shows decisive action to protect Scotland’s economy and maximise our economic potential in the face of global challenges.
“It is being published earlier than usual, in part because it allows a clear year of delivery on the NHS and other public services, but also due to the scale of the looming economic challenge.
“It is a programme for a better Scotland, for a stronger NHS and a more resilient and wealthier Scotland. It is a Programme for Government that gets our nation on track for success.”
POVERTY ALLIANCE: Government programme misses need for fundamental change
Commenting on the Programme for Government, Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly said: “Many of today’s announcements are welcome, but the package doesn’t go far enough towards creating a just and compassionate Scotland where people have what they need to build a life beyond poverty.
“More and more people in Scotland believe the system is rigged against them and their families. And they’re right.
“Scrapping peak rail fares for good will help many people on low incomes, but many, many more are still being left with unaffordable buses that don’t meet their needs.
“It’s welcome that this programme turns its back on previous cuts to affordable homes, but we urgently need more investment to create a social housing programme that will bring the scandal of child homelessness to an end.
“Reversing the effect of the unjust two-child limit for households in Scotland is the right thing to do, but there was no sign of a pledge to raise the Scottish Child Payment – never mind raising it to the £40 a week that we know is needed to meet our legal child poverty targets.
“And it was good to hear the First Minister talking about sharing Scotland’s growing wealth more fairly, but the Government simply can’t do that without using its powers over investment and taxation.
“People in Scotland are demanding better, and they want a Scottish Govt that will make the big, fundamental changes that will empower households to build a better life for themselves and a better future for all of us.”
STUC: Scrapping peak fares is a victory for workers in Scotland
Commenting on the scrapping of peak rail fares within the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government, STUC Deputy General Secretary Dave Moxham said:“This is deeply welcome news that, whilst long overdue, shows the strength of campaigners and rail unions in demanding an affordable and accessible rail network that is fit for the future.
“This is a clear victory for workers in Scotland and it’s commendable the Scottish Government has listened to the voices of our movement – and listened to their own evidence – which showed the positive impact of scrapping peak fares.
“Peak fares were, simply put, a tax on workers that hit commuters directly in the pocket. We can now ensure we build an interconnected, cheaper and greener rail networks that puts people before profit and puts peak fares out of commission for good.”
Children First: First Minister missed another chance by not increasing Scottish child payment
Children First statement on Scottish Government Programme for Government
Mary Glasgow, chief executive of Children first, said: “We hoped the First Minister would bring bold, ambitious plans to tackle the crippling levels of child poverty in Scotland. Instead, the Programme for Government, while well-intentioned, lacked real action. The First Minister missed another chance to help families by not increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £40.
“While we recognise the Scottish Government’s commitment to eradicating child poverty, supporting whole families and improving mental health support for young people, we are deeply concerned that it lacks urgency and the necessary financial resources and policy ambition.
“Scotland is facing a childhood emergency. The children and families we support cannot wait another 12 months for yet another fresh approach.
“They need action now.”
ALBA Party: Scotland “won’t accept” the Scottish Government’s decision to omit independence from its Programme for Government, says Ash Regan
For the second year in a row First Minister John Swinney has failed to mention independence in his Programme for Government with the document not setting out any plans to give Scots a choice on their future in the remainder of the current Parliament.
The SNP were re-elected in 2021 promising a referendum would be held during the life of the current Parliament but after the Supreme Court ruled against the Scottish Parliament’s ability to do so the Scottish Government have taken no action to find a path to giving the people of Scotland a choice on their future.
Alba’s Ash Regan wanted to see First Minister John Swinney set out the actions his Government will take to advance the case for Scottish independence in the run up to next year’s Scottish Parliament elections. But she has hit out as the Government has confirmed today that the only action it will take in the next year will be the publication of another independence paper.
The Alba MSP says that the Scottish Government’s plan for how it intends to progress the case for Scottish independence should have featured “front and centre” of John Swinney’s plans and the failure to do so is a “missed opportunity.”
Last year, in his first ever PfG as First Minister, John Swinney did not make reference to independence when he addressed parliament and in his speech today he again failed to reference any actions his Government would take to help deliver independence.
Commenting Alba Party Holyrood leader Ash Regan MSP said: “Last year the word ‘independence’ was not mentioned once in the Programme for Government statement to Parliament. Since then we have witnessed consistent polling showing that at least half the country favour independence.
“The failure to put independence front and centre of today’s Programme for Government is a wasted opportunity. The people of Scotland are now ahead of the SNP when it’s comes to independence and that is why we have seen a separation of support for independence and support for the SNP.
“Scots want to see a drive towards governing competently again and focus to be put back onto the people’s agenda of health, the economy, jobs and the protection of women and children.
“The case for independence has never been stronger, it is now vital we see support for Alba Party on the list to ensure the SNP don’t see out another term of Parliament without taking action on independence.”
RCEM: Scotland’s Programme for Government a ‘missed opportunity’ to tackle UEC crisis
After enduring another challenging winter, Scotland’s Programme for Government has failed to deliver a tangible plan to address the emergency care crisis. That’s the response from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine after the First Minister, John Swinney, delivered a speech today (6 May 2025) which laid out his government’s key pledges for the final year of the Scottish Parliament’s current term.
Reducing time patients wait for treatment by delivering more than 150,000 extra appointments and procedures, including surgeries and diagnostic tests.
Ensuring more people can see their GP and get cared for in the community – reducing pressures in hospitals
Ensuring more people can be cared for at home, reducing pressures in hospitals by expanding the number of Hospital at Home beds to at least 2,000 by December 2026.
Mr Swinney’s speech coincided with the release of new data by Public Health Scotland which revealed in March, there was an average of 1,925 people waiting to be discharged from hospital, despite being deemed medically well enough to go home.
That’s the highest number of so called ‘delayed discharges’ for the month of March since guidelines changed in 2016.
This is often caused due to a lack of social care support. Therefore, the system grinds to a halt, with patients stuck in Emergency Departments, often on trolleys in corridors, facing extreme waits because there’s no in-patient beds available.
Today’s figures, which cover March 2025, also show:
120,143 people attended a major Emergency Department in Scotland – a 17.7% increase when compared to February.
One in three patients waited four hours or more in Emergency Departments, one in 9 waited eight hours or more, and one in 23 waited 12 hours or more.
While waits have slightly improved across the board when compared to February, they are significantly higher when compared to March 2018. The numbers waiting four hours or more has increased by 158%, the numbers waiting more than eight hours by 490%, and the numbers waiting more than 12 hours by 803%.
There was a total of 60,129 days spent in hospital by people whose discharge was delayed – a 2.5% increase compared to March 2024 (58,646).
Dr Fiona Hunter, Vice President of RCEM Scotland said, “Today’s Programme for Government is a missed opportunity. It was a moment to resuscitate emergency care but instead, we have been left without a tangible plan.
“You just have to simply look at today’s figures from Public Health Scotland to see the level of pressure our Emergency Departments our under – thousands of people waiting extreme and dangerous long stays, often on trolleys, in corridors, because there are no available beds on wards for them to move to.
“And let’s be clear – these aren’t just numbers, data, statistics. Each is a loved family member – mums, dads, grandparents, sons, daughters.
“While we welcome the government’s commitment to improving access to GPs, this can’t be done in isolation. Equal attention is needed at the ‘back door’ of hospitals – ensuring patients who are well enough to be discharged, can be, with the appropriate social care in place.
“Only then will our patients be able to move as they should throughout the hospital system, rather than experiencing significant delays.
“Our members and their colleagues will be deeply disappointed after enduring another challenging winter. It’s left us asking, when will Emergency Care become a political priority?”
Greens hail peak rail fares U-turn and call for cheaper buses
The Scottish Greens have welcomed the Scottish Government’s decision to finally take forward the Green policy of scrapping peak rail fares for good, and have called for action to make public transport cheaper across the board.
The policy was initially secured by the Scottish Greens through budget negotiations in 2023 before being dropped by the SNP in 2024.
In the 2025 budget the Greens secured a £2 bus fare cap that the Government has committed to rolling out as a regional pilot project by January 2026.
Speaking in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2025-26 debate today at Holyrood, the party’s co-leader, Lorna Slater, said: “I am delighted that the Government has finally committed to the Scottish Green policy of ending peak rail fares for good.
“Earlier this year, they said they wouldn’t do it. They even voted against Green calls to do it. We’ve finally got there.
“More brave decisions are needed to make all public transport cheaper.
“The Scottish Government agreed to Green proposals for a £2 bus cap, only as a local pilot from January 2026, but people all across Scotland need cheaper buses now.
“Will the First Minister avoid the hesitation he showed over peak rail fares, get on with delivering another great Green idea: capping the price of bus fares in Scotland for good?”
Independent Age: No New Support for Older People in Poverty
Debbie Horne, Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Independent Agesaid: “Today’s Programme for Government announced no new support for older people in poverty.
“Making sure every pensioner in Scotland receives some winter heating support is very welcome, particularly for older people on lower incomes. However, there is more the Scottish Government should do to reduce the growing number of pensioners in poverty.
“With 156,000 older people across Scotland currently living in poverty – an increase of 30% the last decade – the need for a clear strategy to address this is more urgent that ever. Our polling shows that people of all ages in Scotland agree that a strategy to reduce pensioner poverty should be created – with 9 in 10 supporting the idea. Without one, people facing financial hardship in later life will continue to struggle to maintain even the most basic quality of life.
“Poverty at any age is extremely damaging to both mental and physical wellbeing. Our 2025 Index showed that nearly one in five (19%) older people in Scotland have a household income of under £15,000 a year and almost one in three (29%) older people in Scotland have skipped meals in the last 12 months.
“In a compassionate and wealthy society, this shouldn’t be the case. Both the UK and Scottish Governments need to take action. If the Scottish Government wants to make Scotland the best place to grow old and tackle the injustice of pensioner poverty it is essential they have a plan for doing so.”
First Minister to publish Programme for Government on Tuesday
New measures to strengthen Scotland’s public services and ensure people are supported during the cost-of-living crisis will be set out by the First Minister this week.
First Minister John Swinney will deliver his Programme for Government on Tuesday 6 May, focused on his four key priorities – eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, investing in public services and tackling the climate emergency.
The First Minister announced last month that he would bring forward the Programme for Government from its expected publication date post-summer to enable a full year of delivery before the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
The First Minister said: “Times are tough for households and businesses across Scotland, and the world around us is changing in ways that are difficult to predict.
“But my promise to the people of Scotland is that amidst the uncertainty there is one thing they can be sure of: the government I lead will always seek to do what is best for Scotland.
“As First Minister, I will always put the needs and interests of the people of Scotland first.
“I made the decision to bring my Programme for Government forward to ensure people know that the government I lead is entirely focused on improving their lives.
“On Tuesday, I will bring my plan to Parliament that will strengthen our health service and ensure more money stays in people’s pockets during this cost of living crisis.
“The 2025-26 Programme for Government will make Scotland healthier and wealthier.”
Recently, John Swinney announced that he would bring the 2025-26 Programme for Government to 6th May, which will situate the PfG exactly one year before the Holyrood election in May 2026 ((writes Fraser of Allander Institute’s MAIRI SPOWAGE)..
Normally, the Programme for Government is the annual opportunity for the Scottish Government to set out its policy priorities and the legislation it plans to pass in the coming year. This is usually published just after the return from the Summer recess, setting out both political statements and policy priorities but also (importantly) the legislation that the Government wishes to progress during the parliamentary year.
The First Minister has said he is bringing the statement forward to “enable a full year of delivery” before the Holyrood election.
The PfG that was set out in September was the first opportunity for John Swinney and Kate Forbes to set out their agenda since taking the leadership in Spring 2024. Our thoughts at the time are here – but broadly we welcomed the clear statement of the government’s prioritisation and what they would put first (tackling child poverty) above all else. Whether the government’s spending and policy decisions have actually been consistent with that may be a matter for debate.
Given the relatively short time that have elapsed since John Swinney’s first PfG as FM, there will be significant scrutiny of the document published on the 6th May – how have the policy priorities changed? What was promised in September which has now been sidelined in the run up to the election? And, given the limited legislative time left between now and March, what legislation has a realistic chance of making it through before the parliamentary session comes to an end.
Look out for our analysis on 6th May on the PfG!
Further fiscal fun in May
The PfG won’t be the last opportunity fo the Scottish Government to set out policy priorities.
On the fiscal side, the SG will publish the Medium-Term financial Strategy (MTFS) on 29th May. This will be accompanied by new forecasts from the Scottish Fiscal Commission, and is the SFC’s opportunity to produce forecasts that are consistent with the OBR forecasts that were produced alongside the Spring Statement in March.
In terms of the forecasts, we can expect (probably) that the view of the SFC on growth prospects for this year are likely to have worsened. The OBR in their forecasts in March cut growth for 2025 from 2% to 1%, and a number of independent forecasters have cut the forecast for the UK significantly. This is because of the impact of global uncertainty and turmoil, but also due to policy decisions by the UK Government such as the employer national Insurance increase.
The MTFS itself aims to focus on the longer-term sustainability of Scotland’s public finances and support a strategic approach to financial planning. The publication of this document alongside the Spring forecast is supposed to support the year round budgeting process in Holyrood, allowing the pre-budget scrutiny of committees in the Summer and Autumn to be based on up to date and meaningful information.
However, the MTFS to date has not really been successful in achieving these aims. It appears to be a strategic document, but has more often than not felt like a political statement, more aimed at managing expectations of what might be funded than in setting out a credible central scenario.
One of the issues with the MTFS is that there is no detail on how the spending projections contained within it are arrived at, and therefore it is impossible to scrutinise the priority of each and how realistic they are. When we come to try and understand the net fiscal position, we are often unable to reconcile the MTFS with any in-year spending changes. This throws into question its usefulness as a document. It is also why it has largely been abandoned by those scrutinising the Scottish Government – especially when it has not always been published when it was due.
See our commentary on the last version of this published in May 2023.
In addition to the MTFS, The Scottish Government said it will publish a Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan alongside the MTFS 2025 for the first time. The Government say this will support fiscal transparency and a foundation for longer-term financial planning, and announced this in the Autumn in the run up to a debate about fiscal sustainability in the Scottish Parliament.
The MTFS is supposed to address fiscal sustainability, and the fact that the Scottish Government is creating a separate one casts doubt on the usefulness and the seriousness with which the SG treats the MTFS – and therefore how seriously we should treat it.
However, let’s see what it contains, and we will analyse the contents in detail when it is produced on 29th May. We would expect that it will say something about pay and the size and shape of the public sector in Scotland. Given that around half of Scottish Government current spending is on pay, any long-term-focussed document that does not have a specific view on the size of employment and rate of growth in payroll over a number of years cannot be regarded as credible.
We understand there are also other documents that are likely to come over the summer, such as a plan for Public Service Reform, and a plan for a shift to prevention, particularly on public health.
The issues on pay and public sector size are very relevant to Public Service Reform as well as fiscal sustainability, as it is likely that we will have to drive reform which delivers more productive public services with fewer people than work in the public sector today.
First Minister John Swinney has announced he will bring forward the Scottish Government’s legislative programme to ensure the country is as prepared as possible to secure its future in the face of the uncertainty facing the global economy.
Speaking during a press conference at Bute House this morning, the First Minister announced the Programme for Government will be presented to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 6 May 2025.
It will set out the actions the Scottish Government will take to ensure resilience and deliver on the four core priorities to eradicate child poverty, grow the economy, tackle the climate emergency and ensure high quality and sustainable public services.
The First Minister also set out plans to immediately begin work with key partners in the business community and trade unions to map out the actions required in Scotland, and the UK as a whole, to respond to emerging economic challenges and ensure the needs of the devolved nations are at the heart of UK decision-making.
First Minister John Swinney said: “I know that this is a time of great uncertainty for people, that many families and businesses are worried about what global events will mean for them.
“We face yet another storm, after almost two decades of knocks and challenges – the financial crisis, austerity, Brexit, Covid, the energy price spike following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the subsequent inflation spike. Each has weakened us in some way, but none has defeated us.
“The Programme for Government will be laser-focused on delivery. It will set out what I believe my government can and will deliver for the people of Scotland over the coming year.
“The economic headwinds are blowing strong across the Atlantic and they demand a response that is both immediate and measured. My Programme for Government will set out what practical steps we will take to strengthen our response to those headwinds and ensure Scottish business and our economy is positioned well to create jobs and grow the economy.
“I want to make sure the UK Government understands where we need them to do much more to protect Scotland’s economic interests.
“As a result, I will be bringing together our key partners in the business community and the trades union movement on Wednesday to map out the actions we can take, here in Scotland, and which can be complemented across the UK, to respond to the emerging economic realities. That work will influence my government’s approach, and I want it to shape the response at a UK level into the bargain.
“A Scotland that is wealthier, fairer, more resilient – that is my ambition. I want people feeling more confident about the future and more secure in the midst of the uncertainties, because they have a government that is fighting Scotland’s corner.
“A government that is bringing people together, so that our response to the challenges we face is rooted in a Scotland that is united, prepared and determined, a Scotland confident in its ability to, once again, weather the storm and come out of that storm a great deal stronger.”
People seeking work who are disabled or have long-term health conditions are to be offered help from a dedicated employability adviser.
The initiative will be in place by next summer and involve advisers working with employers to develop roles suited to an individual’s needs.
Included as part of last week’s Programme for Government, it is designed to support people into work, boosting Scotland’s workforce and helping to drive economic growth. It will also help to deliver the Scottish Government’s ambition of creating a fairer labour market and halving the disability employment gap by 2038.
The Scottish Government will partner with local authorities and others including health and voluntary organisations to implement the measures. They build on the existing No-one Left Behind approach which has supported 61,930 people since April 2019, 19% of whom reported having a disability.
Employment Minister Tom Arthur visited the Routes to Work South, Cook and Learn Café in Cambuslang to find out how people facing challenges in getting back to work are currently being helped.
Mr Arthur said:“Our commitment to deliver specialist employability support from summer 2025 will ensure that more disabled people are able to secure fulfilling jobs.
“Tackling discrimination and stigma faced by those with disabilities and long-term health conditions is key to building a diverse workforce and creating a more prosperous and resilient economy.
“The project that I am visiting today demonstrates how supporting those furthest away from employment into work helps us to address labour market inequality and provide people with a better of quality-of-life.”
This support is being brought forward as part of the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind Strategic Plan launched earlier today.
John Swinney presented his first programme for government to parliament on Wednesday. John Swinney came to power as First Minister in May, but due to the UK General election, this was his first opportunity to set out his government’s programme (write MAIRI SPOWAGE and EMMA CONGREVE).
The Programme for Government has four key themes: eradicating child poverty, economic prosperity, improving public services and protecting the planet. So far, so familiar – and not a huge departure in the substance from the three priorities presented in the 2023-24 Programme for Government by his predecessor.
The speech, of course, focused on the upside and how each strand of what was set out will be mutually reinforcing. One thing we often comment on when looking at these high-level speeches is that some of these things might occasionally conflict with each other. So, what is good for business might not be good for tackling child poverty, and vice versa.
However, the FM made clear that child poverty is ‘first and foremost in these priorities’. This sounds like a clear signal that where there are trade-offs, child poverty concerns will win over. Some may disagree with putting that first above all else, but for those of us trying to understand why certain decisions are being made, it’s not unhelpful for the government to be setting out a clear steer.
We’ll be looking at what that means in practice when it comes to Budget allocations; to implement much of what he talked about – for example, a roll-out of the type of whole family support that has been piloted so far – will require new money.
Also, following on from the Finance Secretary’s grim statement on Tuesday, no amount of prioritisation can totally overcome fiscal constraints.
Despite the fact that more targeted (rather than universal) measures are probably sensible for targeting child poverty, the non-delivery of the pledge to roll-out free school meals to all children in primary 6 and 7 is likely to sit uneasily with the FM. More tough decisions in this mould are likely to need to be made.
Elsewhere in the Programme for Government, there are some interesting specifics in relation to the economy, particularly on planning. The government has committed the establishing Scotland’s first “Planning Hub”, the establishment of Masterplan consent areas, and a planning apprenticeship programme. Whilst this sounds like pretty dry stuff, one of the most common frustrations raised by businesses is about the planning system, so this is likely to be welcomed.
Other things were notable by their absence. The Human Rights Bill and the Learning Disability, Autism and Neorodivergence Bill were not on the list of Bills for this 2024-25 session.
Given the 2025-26 session will be cut short by an election, they aren’t likely to be passed this parliament. This has come as a shock to many given previous assurances and the substantial resources that civil servants and stakeholders alike have put into the pre-legislative process to get these ready.
We’re yet to hear a convincing explanation for why they’ve been delayed.
The fiscal statement casts a long shadow
The statement on Wednesday was hugely overshadowed by the fiscal statement on Tuesday. Overall, as well as setting out fiscal “black holes” it felt like Tuesday’s statement sucked up most of the political energy around in the week, leaving Wednesday to feel like a bit of a low energy anti-climax.
We are still not sure after the statement exactly what the Finance Secretary sees as the gap in the budget. Given she has set out £500m of “direct savings” plus the use of £460m of use of Scotwind money, we assume it is roughly £1 billion. £800m of this has been tied to “pay pressure”, and the rest (we assume £100-200m?) has been described as “in demand-led activities like legal aid, police and fire pensions and the costs of accommodation for Ukrainian displaced people” plus COVID-related health measures.
After a bit more detective work, we’ve documented the “£500m of direct savings” in the table below, along with where we still have questions:
Published description
What we’ve worked out
Savings
£65m
Pre-announced decisions: peak fare train fairs to return, no free bus travel for asylum seekers plus agreement with local government to draw on existing programmes to fund pay deals
According to Transport Scotland, the cost of the full year subsidy for the peak fares pilot was approximately £40m[i]. In theory then, not having it running for the last 6 months saves £20m, although it is unclear to us if this was budgeted for to begin with given the pilot was only expected to last for 6 months of the year.The BBC reports £2m had been set aside for free bus travel for asylum seekers[ii]BBC reports that Councils have been asked to redirect £5m of this year’s nature restoration fund to help fund pay deals[iii]. In addition, £10m has been redirected from the Connecting Scotland’s digital devices programme (free iPADs and laptops for people who were digitally excluded), £2m from the fund to expand free school meals to p6 and 7 pupils who receive the Scottish Child Payment (although they say it will still be delivered) and £26m from the Flood Risk Management Programme, on the basis that “councils do not need it in this year”.ivThese total £65m.
£188.4
New additional measures announced on 3rd September
Full table of figures are laid out in the Annex of the letter to the Finance Committee.As there are no figures to help put these reductions into context (i.e. in relation to the size of the original budget allocations) it makes it hard to judge whether these are likely to have a large or small impact.
£60m
Savings anticipated through emergency spending controls, in addition to savings set out as part of the £188.4 million.
They are linked to recruitment freezes, and reductions in costs of travel and marketing, as per the letter to Cabinet reported in the mediav. We have no information on how the number has been calculated.
£160m
The cost of universality in the Winter Fuel Payment.
The money for an equivalent to the UKG universal WFP was added to the Block Grant adjustment for 2024-25. The recent UKG decision to remove universality means that this money will need to be returned to UKG through the fiscal framework reconciliation process.SG could spend this money in 2024/25, but would then need to find savings in subsequent years to cover the reconciliation.We understand a decision on whether it will be spent this year is yet to be made.
Total savings
£473.5m
Up to £500 million saving measures
We understand from officials that the “up to £500m” is a rounding up of the total.
The fact that we are having to piece this together, including from media reports, is obviously not ideal. We don’t think it would have been too much to ask to have all this detail laid out, along with the evidence of impact that was cited in the letter to the Fiance and Public Affairs Committee.
We hope more information is released into the public domain in the coming weeks alongside the Autumn Budget Revision so help clear things up, as far as possible…
A look ahead to the budget
We now know the Scottish Budget will be on the 4th of December. The other important day to understand what the budget may look like for the rest of this financial year and the next will be the UK Budget on 30th October.
We should at that point have much more clarity about the financial envelope which the Scottish Government is working with for 2025-26.
There are also likely to be significant changes to departmental allocations for the current financial year (2024-25). Rachel Reeves said in her fiscal statement as Chancellor in July that she expected some of these in-year issues to be soaked up by departmental budgets.
The extent to which this will actually be achieved will also impact the monies coming to the Scottish Government. Therefore we may be most of the way through 2024-25 before we actually understand how much of the Scotwind revenue is required to balance the budget in 2024-25. It may mean that this is not the last fiscal statement we have about the current financial year.
Given all these in-year movements we would like to call, yet again (like SPICe have done in their blog), for the Government to provide in the Budget next year’s plans alongside the current position for 2024-25.
The convention (for some reason) would be to present the budget plans for 2025-26 compared to the plans that were set out for 2024-25 in December 2023. The in-year movements we have seen over the last three years make a nonsense of this convention (which reduces transparency and hampers parliamentary scrutiny).
This may be a bit of a niche point but it would make analysis of these statements much easier. Here’s hoping that this is finally the year this change is made.
