Sturgeon sets out government’s annual priorities

As MSPs returned from summer recess, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon set out details of 12 new bills in her ‘programme for government’, including mental health funding and infrastructure plans.

Announcing her plans for the coming year at Holyrood, Sturgeon discussed a £250 million health investment package that will deliver dedicated mental health counsellors in schools, extra training for teachers, and an additional 250 school nurses to offer emotional and mental health support and provide more advice for young people and their families dealing with mental health issues.

Furthermore, seeking the most ambitious long-term level of infrastructure spend ever in Scotland, the First Minister pledged an additional £7 billion for new infrastructure work on schools, hospitals, transport, digital connectivity and clean energy by 2026.

Headteachers will be given new powers to become key decision makers in their schools and, in partnership with local government, 750 new, extended or refurbished nurseries will be developed to deliver the Scottish government's commitment to double free childcare hours.

Among the other new pieces of legislation and Bills continuing from the previous legislative session, the government also backed schools to take more control to lead improvements and make decisions about curriculum, staffing and budgets, as well as plans to publish an NHS waiting times improvement plan, setting out a range of short and medium term actions to substantially and sustainably improve performance across our health service.

Sturgeon said: "Last year's Programme for Government set us on a path to address the big challenges faced by Scotland and developed economies around the world and it presented a clear vision of the kind of country we want to be. This Programme for Government flows from that vision and builds on the progress of the last year and indeed the last decade. And it ensures that we remain focused on delivering for today and investing for tomorrow.

"It continues and accelerates the major reforms underway in our health, education and justice systems - underpinned by our new progressive system of income tax. It seeks to make further progress on tackling inequality and reducing poverty. It sets out the next steps in the operation of our new social security system. And it builds on our work to support Scotland's economy and encourage innovation. As the terms of Brexit become clearer in the months ahead, we will consider and set out our view on how Scotland's interests can best be protected and advanced. This Programme for Government will be impacted by Brexit, but it is not defined by it - instead it sets out how we intend to deliver on our vision of a healthier, wealthier and fairer Scotland."