BUILDING THE BEST FUTURE FOR SCOTLAND
- clareadamsonmsp
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
PROGRAMME FOR GOVERNMENT 2025/26
SNP MSP Clare Adamson has hailed action to protect Scotland’s economy, increase NHS appointments, and put money in people’s pockets as First Minister John Swinney set out the Programme for Government 2025/26.
The NHS will deliver 100,000 additional GP appointments and Scotland will have a ‘best in UK’ cost-of-living guarantee, including the permanent abolition of peak rail fares.
Speaking one year since he was elected First Minister and one year before the end of this Parliament, Mr Swinney committed to a package of cost-of-living initiatives for households and businesses and a new Six Point Export Plan to unlock target markets.
The programme sets out SNP Scottish Government plans to strengthen the NHS with the delivery of extra GP appointments for key health risks such as high blood pressure, and 150,000 more NHS appointments and procedures, including a 50% increase in surgical procedures such as hip and knee replacements.
Key announcements include:
100,000 enhanced service GP appointments by March 2026 for key risk factors including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, obesity and smoking as well as more than 150,000 extra appointments and procedures, including surgeries and diagnostic tests, and target cancer pathways to tackle backlogs against the 62-day referral to treatment standard
The cost-of-living guarantee which includes ongoing free prescriptions, eye exams, bus travel for 2.3 million people, free tuition for students and more than £6,000 in early learning and childcare support for each eligible child
ScotRail peak rail fares abolished and the general alcohol ban on ScotRail trains removed and replaced with time and location restrictions
Winter fuel payments for pensioners restored
A new Six Point Export Plan, with a focus on actions to unlock target markets, and showcase Scotland to global buyers
A national regeneration fund that will support at least 26 projects to renew and restore communities, with a focus on delivering more local jobs
More rights and stronger protections for tenants, helping deliver more than 8,000 affordable homes, including for social and mid-market rent, and removing barriers on stalled building sites with the potential to deliver up to 20,000 new homes
Ms Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw said:
“The SNP will always stand up for Scotland’s interests and we are delivering for people against a backdrop of global challenges.
“John Swinney’s SNP Government has four key priorities: eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency, and ensuring high quality and sustainable public services
“In stark contrast to the UK Labour Government, whose welfare cuts will push 50,000 children into poverty, the SNP introduced the Scottish Child Payment which is forecast to keep 40,000 children out of relative poverty in 2025-26 and we are taking steps to mitigate Labour’s cruel two-child cap on social security support.
“The Scottish Government is putting money back into people’s pockets. Compared to the rest of the UK we see lower water bills in Scotland; lower average council tax; free prescriptions and eye appointments; free bus travel for young, disabled, and older people; free tuition; the expansion of free school meals; the restoration of the winter fuel payment cut by Labour; and now the scrapping of peak rail fares which will be a huge boost to commuters.
“This Programme for Government is about strengthening public services, growing our economy, and protecting people from the cost-of-living pressures; we are working for a better future for Scotland.”
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