THE First Minister is set to deliver her Programme for Government (PfG) to MSPs at Holyrood.
The annual event gives us an insight into what to expect in the Scottish Parliament over the next five-year term.
Last year, Nicola Sturgeon announced plans to incorporate the UN Convention on the Right of the Child into Scots law, as well as plans for “20-minute neighbourhoods”, reaching the goal of 50,000 new affordable homes and plans to “eliminate digital exclusion”.
But what exactly is the PfG and what can we expect from the announcement tomorrow (Tuesday)?
READ MORE: COP26 Glasgow: Nicola Sturgeon fires back at Boris Johnson over No 10 plot
What is the Programme for Government?
The PfG is published every year at the beginning of September and sets out the actions the Scottish Government intends to take in the next year and beyond.
In particular, it lays out the legislative programme for the next parliamentary year, and which bills will be put before MSPs.
When will it be set out?
The PfG will be set out in Holyrood at between 2.20pm and 2.50pm on Tuesday September 7 in a statement from the First Minister. A two-hour debate will follow her statement.
The PfG was originally scheduled to be released last week, the first week parliament sat this term, but was postponed due to work finalising the co-operation deal with the Scottish Greens.
The programme for government will be announced in Holyrood
Will a second independence referendum be mentioned?
Shortly before May’s Holyrood election the First Minister published a draft bill for a new vote, and the commitment to hold a new referendum before 2026 - providing the Covid crisis has passed - was at the heart of the SNP’s manifesto.
The pledge to hold a second constitutional vote in the first half of the current parliamentary term was also included in the co-operation agreement signed with the Greens.
It explicitly said, “we will give people a choice about Scotland’s future in this parliamentary session”, so it is likely more information on the plans will be revealed.
READ MORE: National Insurance increase: Boris Johnson faces Tory anger over 'stupid' plan
What about recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and the NHS?
Recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 crisis will likely play a big role in the PfG, as the First Minister has frequently said that she will prioritise pandemic recovery before moving forward with a second referendum.
The NHS will benefit from a £2.5 billion increase in health spending, set to be announced by Sturgeon on Tuesday.
This record investment will see health spending increase by 20% over the five-year Holyrood term, which runs until 2026/27. The first rise will be confirmed in the 2022/23 budget expected this year.
And, as Health Secretary Humza Yousaf previously said that the legislation to create a National Care Service will be introduced to parliament during its first year, it is likely this will be included in the PfG.
The co-operation agreement with the Scottish Greens may influence the number of environmental policies in the PfG
Will climate change and Net Zero targets be mentioned?
With the co-operation agreement with the Scottish Greens signed and sealed, we can expect to see a renewed focus on net zero commitments and climate change mitigations in the next parliamentary term.
With Greens co-leader Lorna Slater appointed Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, we may see a resurgence of the Circular Economy Bill, which was previously delayed due to the pandemic.
The proposed legislation included measures to cut litter and waste, and plans for a new approach to reduce, reuse and recycle materials.
Other environmental issues covered in the cooperation deal include a 10-year £500 million Just Transion Fund for the North East and Moray, enhancing marine envionmental protection and increasing investment in active travel and public transport.
READ MORE: BBC Scotland accused of 'casual racism' over Humza Yousaf image
What about the Gender Recognition Act (GRA)?
Reform of the GRA is likely to be on the agenda as it was also contained in the SNP-Greens co-operation deal.
Both parties agreed to introduce a Bill in the first year of the parliamentary session to “ensure the process by which a trans person can obtain legal recognition is simplified, reducing the trauma associated with that process”.
A long-awaited consultation on the reforms was published last week, which showed the public were split on the issue.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel