Scottish Budget 2021-22

29 January 2021 at 15:40:03

The Scottish Budget sets out the Scottish Government's proposed spending and tax plans for 2021 to 2022, as presented to the Scottish Parliament.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2021-22/

To support family budgets, £90 million is being made available for local authorities to freeze council tax.

The budget also proposes:

• £11.6 billion for local government, which represents a £335.6 million increase in core revenue funding, including the £90 million to compensate local authorities which choose to freeze Council Tax, plus £259 million in one-off funding

• £1.9 billion for primary health care to help deliver more services in the community. A further £550 million is earmarked to build new Elective Care Centres and the Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Centre in Aberdeen

• £98.2 million to improve Scotland's digital infrastructure and deliver access to high quality broadband and mobile coverage.

• £711.6 million for affordable housing and £68 million for the first full year of the Scottish Child Payment, tackling child poverty

• a new £55 million programme to support town centres and community-led regeneration projects

• more than £3.1 billion in resource and capital investment for education and skills, and £567 million to provide 1,140 hours of early learning and childcare, supporting implementation of the UK's most ambitious childcare programme

• £1.3 billion for the Scottish Police Authority, including a £60 million increase in Police Scotland's revenue budget - exceeding an earlier pledge of a £100 million boost over five years

• £1.6 billion for rail and bus services and £100.5 million for active travel to consolidate changes to healthy, green travel options seen during the pandemic

• doubling the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund, helping tourist attractions and local communities make improvements to cope with increased visitors

• an additional £27 million to expand woodland creation and the associated infrastructure, supporting green jobs

Business support remains a priority and the Finance Secretary confirmed that the Local Authority Discretionary Fund will be doubled to £60 million in this financial year to allow councils to respond to local needs. In addition, businesses eligible for the Strategic Framework Business Fund will receive full Level 4 payments on 22 February, regardless of any future changes to local restrictions.

The Scottish Government will also increase a scheme which compensates councils for the loss of income from sales, fees and charges due to the pandemic from £90 million to £200 million in 2020-21.