Meeting of the Parliament 24 February 2016
I can give Jenny Marra the assurance that authorities that are allocated the money will get the money that they are allocated. I thought that Jenny Marra might have been intervening to welcome the fact that the Government is increasing investment in the children who need it the most, but I suppose that that would be a little too much to hope for on a Wednesday afternoon in Parliament.
The budget does not just lay the foundations for our children’s future, because this Government will continue to invest heavily in Scotland’s infrastructure, using all the levers at our disposal to maximise investment and to support economic growth. At the same time, we will continue to offer a competitive advantage within the United Kingdom for the majority of our business ratepayers.
I have reflected on feedback from a number of businesses and can confirm to Parliament that I have moderated the adjustment to the level of relief available for empty industrial properties proposed in the draft budget: 100 per cent relief will now be available for six rather than three months as originally proposed. I will also extend the fresh start and new start reliefs for the duration of 2016-17.
I look forward to the forthcoming review of business rates, which will be detailed shortly, and the opportunity that that provides to test our business rates policies to continue to support investment and growth.
The Government is committed to protecting our public services and pursuing ambitious reform to help ensure that public services meet the needs of the people of Scotland. The budget contains a series of measures to demonstrate our further commitment to extending digital applications in public services. In addition, we will invest £250 million to deliver the most significant reform to health and social care since the creation of the national health service in 1948 and invest a further £200 million over the next five years in six new elective treatment centres.
As well as maintaining 1,000 additional police officers, the front-line police resource budget will be protected in real terms, and we have allocated further funding to support continuing reform. We will continue to prioritise preventative interventions across our services, including by building on the success to date of the early years collaborative.
Those are the measures that the Government will take to support the sustainability of the public services.
I also welcome local authorities’ agreement to the financial settlement that we are providing which, when taken together as a package of funding, will enable them to increase the pace of reform and improve essential public services to communities all over the country.
As we debate the priorities in the budget, the financial landscape is changing. In the years to come, the Scottish Parliament will acquire even greater responsibilities to exercise fiscal flexibility. The Scottish Government will set out its priorities in that respect before Parliament rises for the election campaign, but the budget that is before Parliament today establishes very strong foundations for the delivery of public services and the achievement of sustainable economic growth, and for ensuring that the priorities of the people of Scotland are delivered by the Government of Scotland.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees that the Budget (Scotland) (No.5) Bill be passed.
14:55