In his first Programme for Government since taking on the job, John Swinney announced plans for “significant reform” to public services in order to provide “whole-family support” in the fight against child poverty – which he has said is his overriding goal in Government.
But Mr Swinney did not mention in his 30-minute speech in Holyrood a rolling back on his Government’s commitment to free school meals.
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According to the 47-page document published alongside the speech, the Government will “Work towards further expanding free school meals to those in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment in Primary 6 and Primary 7”.
The document also said nearly £22 million would be made available for “free school meal alternatives in all school holidays for eligible families”.
While the SNP’s 2021 manifesto said: “We will provide free school breakfasts and lunches to every primary school pupil in Scotland, all year round, and for all children in state-funded special schools in Scotland.”
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The First Minister delivered the programme for government just 24 hours after his Finance Secretary announced about £500 million of cuts.
The announcement, which was clearly hamstrung by the fraught financial situation in Scotland, included little in terms of concrete new action.
But the First Minister did pledge to revamp how poverty is tackled.
The SNP leader has already made clear that tackling child poverty is “first and foremost” in his priorities.
“Our goal is to lift every child in Scotland who is in poverty out of it, so, we must do more,” he said.
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Here, Mr Swinney stressed the need to ensure a “system of whole-family support” is available – adding this must be “easy to access, well-connected and responsive to families’ needs”.
He added: “Over the coming year, we will work with partners to enable greater local flexibility, so that services can be more easily tailored to the needs of the families they support.”
He said the Scottish Government would “consider where greater investment is needed”.
But he stated: “The key objective of the approach we will take forward will be to deliver significant reform of the work of public services to deliver whole-family support extensively across the country.”
Along with changes to public services, the First Minister also pledged to introduce rent controls in new legislation, invest £1 billion in “affordable, high-quality and funded early learning and childcare” and provide funding for Creative Scotland to restart its open fund.
Mr Swinney also pledged to overhaul the rules which govern the conduct of ministers.
The ministerial code – which will be published by the end of the year Mr Swinney said – will allow independent advisers to initiate investigations into the conduct of ministers, as opposed to requiring the First Minister to call for a probe.
“I want my Government to set the highest standard of propriety and integrity,” he said.
“I want trust to be at the heart of our relationship with the people of Scotland.”
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Outgoing Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said the financial pressures faced by the Government are due to the “SNP choices”.
He said: “What we are getting now, because of this financial mismanagement, is a threadbare programme for government published today.”
Mr Ross continued: “This was John Swinney’s big chance … has he really waited 25 years to deliver that speech?”
The Tory leader said the programme contained “tired old promises that should have been delivered years ago” and Mr Swinney was “making it impossible for his Government to fail by promising nothing”.
It is “shameful” that the programme contained no mention of drug deaths, Mr Ross said.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the First Minister had failed to deliver a promised “great relaunch”.
He also criticised the lack of any mention of drugs deaths, accusing the SNP of “simply running down the clock” until the next election.
Amid a rowdy debating chamber, Mr Sarwar said: “Clearly, they aren’t learning the lessons of the verdict of the Scottish people.”
The programme for Government “failed” in being honest about the scale of the challenges facing Scotland, he said.
He said: “Scotland needs change, it’s sick of this failing SNP Government and Scottish Labour is ready to deliver it.”
Responding to reports on the expansion of free school meals, a Scottish Government spokesperson said:
“The Scottish Government continues to be committed to the universal expansion of free school meals in primary schools. We are already delivering this provision in primaries 1 to 5, with the next stage of the rollout being for Primary 6 and 7 pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment.
“However, the current financial situation means that universality will now not be delivered by 2026. The Scottish Government will work with partners in local government to meet our joint ambition to fully deliver on this commitment.
“Should funding from the UK Government become available, then we will endeavour to complete delivery for all of Scotland’s primary pupils.”
