Budget aimed at helping recovery from pandemic
Finance secretary Kate Forbes believes this week’s budget will help Scotland “recover and renew” from the pandemic.
Ahead of the delayed announcement, which customarily takes place in December, she said there would not be a public sector pay freeze similar to that announced by the UK Government, and workers would be offered a settlement that was “fair and affordable”.
In pre-budget consultations, Ms Forbes said different industries had stressed the need for targeted support, which she claims will be delivered when she addresses MSPS on Thursday.
She said: “The budget on Thursday will create the conditions for Scotland to recover and renew.
“The budget will include innovative, targeted measures to help businesses and families get back on their feet and bolster our vital public services.
“I have already ruled out following the UK Government’s publicsector pay freeze and will set out details of a pay settlement that is both fair and affordable.”
The UK budget has been delayed until March by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, something Ms Forbes said at the time would cause “significant difficulties” in the process north of the border.
Yesterday the deaths of another 76 people in Scotland were recorded, while 1,307 more positive cases have been confirmed.
The figures arrived exactly a year since the first people in Scotland were tested for Covid-19.
Since the start of the pandemic, 5,704 people have died under the daily measurement, which counts people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days.
Yesterday, the Scottish Government said 380,667 people had received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, up by 22,213 from the previous day, while 5,188 people had received their second.
There were 2,085 people in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19 and 159 in intensive care.