Meeting of the Parliament 30 January 2025
I begin by recognising the importance of the role of Parliament’s committees in scrutinising the Scottish budget. I thank the Finance and Public Administration Committee for its budget report, which was published yesterday. I will respond to it in detail formally ahead of stage 2.
In my statement to Parliament on 4 December 2024, I spoke of how we can deliver progress for the people of Scotland only if there is a willingness to work together across the chamber. That is how Parliament is designed to work: as a Parliament of minorities improving the budget, as the people of Scotland would expect. The agreements that were reached with the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Green Party demonstrate what can be achieved in that collaborative space, and I welcome that constructive engagement.
The Government recognises the importance of longer-term financial planning and fiscal sustainability. In looking ahead to the new financial year, and given the clear view of the Finance and Public Administration Committee, I have instructed officials to begin planning for a Scottish spending review that will identify opportunities to optimise the use of Scottish Government funding over the longer term. I will engage with the committee and the Scottish Fiscal Commission on those plans.
On the infrastructure investment plan pipeline refresh, multiyear certainty on capital budgets is essential to determine what projects and programmes can be delivered over the medium term. For that reason, the UK spending review is essential to support that process.