Meeting of the Parliament 25 February 2026 [Draft]
Yes. I think that I have made that clear, but I am happy to put that on the record again.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls, which is why we have provided a 5 per cent uplift to the delivering equally safe fund. That is nearly £1.1 million extra per year.
We continue to improve public transport. Last year, Scotland became the only part of the UK to remove peak rail fares—the biggest reform in decades. This year, we will freeze ScotRail fares for 2026-27 and remove peak fares on northern isles ferry services for islanders, encouraging greater use of sustainable transport.
Throughout the budget process, I have worked to build consensus across the Parliament, engaging constructively with members who have been willing to do likewise. That collaboration has helped to deliver improvements in neurodevelopmental assessment and care for children and young people, further investment in our hospice sector to support pay parity via the agenda for change, support for communities that are affected by the Mossmorran closure, and funding for changing places toilets. I can confirm that we will also continue to provide around £1 million of funding for the Aberlour children’s charity in 2026-27, offering on-going support for the important community-based intensive perinatal support service. I am grateful to all who engaged in good faith, and I welcome the confirmation from the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Jeremy Balfour that they will support the budget.
Even among those parties that have indicated that they will not support the budget, there are members who have argued strongly for specific measures that we have delivered. It would be unusual for members to secure outcomes that they have actively championed but then choose not to support the legislation and the funding that make those possible.
In 1999, when I was first elected, this Parliament had very limited fiscal powers. Since then, there has been further devolution, and Scotland now has a substantial share of its own revenue, which delivers key elements of our social security system. However, significant constraints remain, and many critical levers continue to sit with Westminster. As both the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Scottish Fiscal Commission have recently highlighted, funding growth is set to slow significantly in the years ahead, and Scotland remains heavily dependent on UK Government decisions. That is a challenge for this Parliament as a whole, not just for one party.
Through the 2023 fiscal framework review, I was able to agree some welcome improvements with the UK Treasury. That represented meaningful progress; however, I have always been clear that it cannot be the end of the journey. Given that a further review is beginning, the next Parliament will have the opportunity and the responsibility to argue for a more ambitious and flexible settlement. Of course, the simple truth is that only with the full fiscal powers of independence will we be able to realise our true potential as a nation.
It has been an honour and a privilege to serve in the Parliament for more than 27 years, including in various Government roles since 2007. I have held a number of ministerial roles over the years, but the finance brief has been the most rewarding by far, because that is where the tools sit to enable delivery, drive change and support real transformation across Government and society as a whole. I wish my successor in the role well, and I urge them to be bold and ambitious as they take forward the vital task of transforming our public services.
With that, I am proud to move,
That the Parliament agrees that the Budget (Scotland) (No. 5) Bill be passed.