Support starts in the cradle (or Baby Box)

At the beginning of this month, the First Minister announced the SNP Scottish Government’s legislative programme for the next year. The ambitious programme for Government sets out a blueprint for a more progressive and fairer society.

It comes with a commitment to end the one per cent cap on public sector pay, ensuring that pay rises will be affordable and take into account the real-life circumstances that people face whilst recognising the valuable contribution that the public sector workforce makes to our communities. Furthermore, I am delighted that the UK Government has followed the Scotland’s lead on this issue and has also announced scrapping the public sector pay cap.

The programme for government also includes a number of innovative plans to help improve Scotland’s education system. As part of the Scottish Government’s wider policy to close the attainment gap in our schools, newborn babies who receive a Baby Box this year will be among the first who will be entitled to 1,140 hours of free early learning and childcare from 2020, almost double the amount available now.

Education in Scotland is cause for much celebration with more people passing Higher level exams and more young people going on to positive destinations beyond school than ever before. However, closing the attainment gap and ensuring every child has access to quality education, no matter their background, presents a number of challenges that are at the heart of SNP Scottish Government policy.

Putting more funding directly into the hands of teachers will allow those who work closely with children and young people to make the best and most informed decisions about how this resource can and should be spent.

With the newly devolved powers to Holyrood on welfare, Scotland’s new social security system will build on a system that is based on dignity and respect – improving the support that is provided to some of the most vulnerable people in our society. This will begin with the Carers’ Allowance and a special package for young carers – who contribute a huge amount and should be supported in any way possible.

The First Minister also announced the Scottish Government’s plans to phase out the need for petrol and diesel cars in Scotland by 2032 – a full eight years earlier than the current UK Government target.

This will drive the transition to a low carbon economy in Scotland by electrifying the road network and encouraging Active Travel through the provision of additional networks of walkways and cycle paths in our towns and cities.

The Scottish Government has also reaffirmed its commitment to mitigating as far as possible the damaging effects leaving the European Union will have on our economy.

This will include arguing for further powers to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament so that key decisions can be made to reflect the fact that a majority of Scottish voters preferred to stay in the EU.

This comes at a time when the EU (Withdrawal) Bill is being considered by the Westminster Parliament and will require legislative consent from Holyrood in order to proceed. However, this bill offers no assurances that the appropriate powers would come to the Scottish Parliament upon Brexit and the Law Society of Scotland has warned that this would “remove legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament – including those that are currently devolved.”

As UK Government ministers have refused to meet with the Scottish Government on Brexit negotiations since February 8, it is time for respect from Westminster and a willingness from the Tory Government to listen and cooperate with devolved administrations from across these islands before the whole of the UK is pulled out of the European Union.

Education in Scotland is a cause for celebration