First Minister’s Statement (4th September): Programme for Government 2024-25
Today (04th September) the First Minister made a statement to parliament outlining the Programme for Government for the parliamentary year ahead. The full speech to parliament can be found here.
The Scottish Government also published a press release along with the document.
Some of the key points of interest in the document for our sector include:
Health Policy
Collaborate across the four nations on banning the sale of single use vapes and the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will progressively increase the age at which people can buy cigarettes and restrict the promotion of vapes
Reduce deaths and the level of harm caused by alcohol.
Economy
Improve how businesses and government work together by delivering the commitments set out in the New Deal for Business. The Government have written in the document that it has heard from business and regulators on the cumulative impact of regulations and recognise the need for certainty, phasing, and effective implementation of regulations.
Support the transition to a more circular economy by reforming Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and consulting on a charge on single use beverage cups.
Lay the draft Good Food Nation Plan before Parliament by the end of the parliamentary year and establish the Scottish Food Commission along the same timeframe.
Creating jobs, supporting innovation, and attracting investment through the work of the Scottish National Investment Bank.
Increase the number of women starting and scaling businesses by implementing key recommendations of Ana Stewart and Mark Logan’s review of gender equality in entrepreneurship.
Advance the use of the Community Wealth Building model – an approach to local economic development that aims to create new employment opportunities and help local businesses to expand.
Crime
Support action to prevent and reduce retail crime, including the Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE).
Engage with Police Scotland as they develop and implement a three-year reform programme focused on developing police capacity and capability.
Prioritise crime prevention initiatives and implement a Violence Prevention Framework.
Bills
The Scottish Government intends to introduce 14 Bills over the course of the parliamentary year – alongside 12 Bills already before the Scottish Parliament. It will also continue to develop other proposals for legislative change for the next parliamentary year and beyond. Some include:
Community Wealth Building - The Bill will seek to address economic and wealth inequality by supporting the retention of more wealth in local and regional economies.
Leases (Automatic continuation etc.) - The Bill takes forward Scottish Law Commission recommendations to improve, simplify and update aspects of the law of commercial leases, particularly in relation to the circumstances in which leases continue after their termination dates.
Scottish Government Pre-Budget Fiscal Update
In addition to the Programme for Government, a statement from the Finance Secretary on 3rd August outlined £500 million worth of savings to balance the 2024-25 Scottish Budget in the face of what she describes as “enormous and growing pressure on the public finances”.
The savings include:
Ending the ScotRail Peak Fares pilot
Mirroring the UK Government’s policy to means test Winter Fuel Payment