Meeting of the Parliament 28 January 2025
I am sorry—I am struggling for time. I cannot take Pam Duncan-Glancy’s intervention.
Overall, the Scottish Government will invest more than £1 billion in high-quality funded ELC next year.
The budget also invests in our schools, teachers and support staff. It includes £186.5 million for local authorities to maintain teacher numbers and £29 million of additionality for additional support needs, including funding to support the recruitment and retention of the ASN workforce.
That funding is part of a wider package and deal that has been agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities that is predicated on trust. We will see the Scottish Government and COSLA working together to restore teacher numbers to, and maintain them at, 2023 levels, to freeze learning hours and to make meaningful progress on reducing teacher class contact time. In addition, we will continue our investment of £1 billion in the Scottish attainment challenge over this parliamentary session to support closing the poverty-related attainment gap.
At this stage, I declare an interest in that my wife is a primary school teacher.
On justice, the 2025-26 Scottish budget will invest almost £4.2 billion across the justice system.
On transport, we will continue our strong focus on sustainable transport, which is central to the 2025-26 Scottish budget, by investing nearly £2.9 billion in public transport infrastructure and green initiatives.
Recognising the importance of public sector reform, we are also introducing greater flexibility in how our key services can be delivered locally to better support the families who need them most. We will work with local government and community partners to redesign systems so that they are integrated, locally responsive and focused on improving lives.
The Government is delivering key funding to support investment in our public services through the 2025-26 budget.
As I conclude, I wish to emphasise and acknowledge the valued contribution of Scotland’s public sector workforce, which forms the true backbone of our society. Our hard-working public sector workers deliver our essential services all across Scotland with dedication, dignity and compassion every day. I am proud that Scotland’s nurses, teachers and public sector workers are paid more than those in the rest of the UK. I thank each and every one of them for the significant contribution that they make to society in Scotland.