Parliament to debate 2026-27 spending plans.
Finance Secretary has urged Parliament to back
the Scottish Government's 2026-27 Budget at the final vote today
(Wednesday 25 February).
The Budget Bill sets out investment of almost £68 billion with a
record £22.5 billion for health and social care, expansion of
cost of living support and investment in Scotland's
infrastructure.
It enhances a package of practical support – such as new free
children's sporting activities, including lessons on how to swim
for every primary school child in the country – while continuing
to invest in free prescriptions, free eye examinations, free
tuition fees for young Scots, free school meals for thousands of
pupils and free bus travel for under-22s and over-60s.
In addition to the spending plans set out in the first stage of
the process, at stage two the Finance Secretary tabled amendments
to allocate additional funding for social care, grassroots
charities and cost of living support – with £20 million
extra to councils for social care, £5.3 million more for the
Investing in Communities Fund and £4.3 million to freeze rail
fares.
Speaking ahead of today's stage three debate, Ms Robison said:
“Our Budget is focused on delivering for the people of Scotland –
driving improvements in our NHS and providing real support with
the cost of living.
“It will continue to improve access to healthcare with funding
for a network of 16 walk-in GP clinics open seven days a week and
expands our landmark efforts to eradicate child poverty by
increasing the Scottish Child Payment.
“The Budget will make lives better for people in Scotland and our
plans mean that 55% of taxpayers can expect to pay less income
tax than in the rest of the UK.
“It is a Budget worthy of support and I urge Parliament to back
it today.”
Background
Budget Bill
The 2026-27 Budget includes:
- a record £22.5 billion for health and social care, including
a record £17.6 billion for NHS boards and resources to begin the
national rollout of walk-in GP clinics, making it easier to
access same-day appointments
- significant extra funding for universities and colleges, with
colleges seeing a combined increase of £70 million in resource
and capital funding, equivalent to a 10% uplift, targeted
support to help retrain workers in the oil and gas sector and
ongoing commitment to Scotland's apprenticeships, which this year
will provide more than 31,000 Scots with a pathway to
sustainable, well-paid jobs
- a cost of living package to: help families with funding to
trial a programme of activities in a range of primary schools
between 3-6pm; a Summer of Sport – free children's sporting
activities, including lessons on how to swim for every primary
school child in the country; and a breakfast club for every
primary school by August 2027
- funding to increase Scottish Child Payment to £28.20 per week
and investment to allow the introduction of a premium payment of
£40 per week for eligible children under 12 months from 2027-28,
bolstering efforts to drive down child poverty
- continued investment in Scotland's existing cost of living
measures, including free prescriptions, free eye examinations,
removal of peak rail fares on Scotrail and freezing of remaining
Scotrail fares including season tickets and flexipass, free
tuition fees for young Scots, free school meals for thousands of
children, including all pupils in P1 to P5, and free bus travel
for under-22s and over-60s
