Funding is available for all of our town centres
It’s not just love that makes the world go round. We need a bit of money as well.
In fact, at the centre of virtually everything we can achieve within the Scottish Government is the budget. We saw the draft proposals last month, and next month we will hopefully secure support across the Parliament to finalise the proposals.
There is additional support for carers. Derek Mackay MSP announced £37 million to fund the Scottish Government’s Carers Allowance Supplement – in recognition of the important contribution carers have in our society.
The Young Carer Grant will also offer vital assistance to those aged 16 to 18 who do at least 16 hours of caring a week, but don’t qualify for the Carer’s Allowance – giving young carers the chance to explore employment, social or leisure opportunities away from their responsibilities.
The Finance Secretary also revealed plans to commit £12.4 million for the new Best Start Grants – providing financial support of up to £600 for low income families on the birth of a child, with two subsequent £250 payments given when a child begins nursery then primary school from later this year.
Launched last year, the SNP’S Best Start Grant proved extremely popular with families the length and breadth of Scotland. This expanded and improved scheme is welcome news for many of the constituents I meet and talk to every day.
There is good news in plans to increase spending on NHS frontline boards by £430 million – a 4.2 per cent rise on 2018/19 spending. That amount includes an extra £90 million to improve waiting times and a further £8 million to support trauma networks.
Analysis from HM Treasury, shows health spending per head in Scotland is almost nine per cent higher than in England, amounting to over £1 billion more spending on health services for Scotland compared to England.
This SNP Government is investing record amounts in our NHS to build a health service fit for the future.
Our plans would take spending levels to £754 million over and above inflation since 2016/17 – that’s the equivalent of 19,000 extra nurses.
As a cherished public service for the past 70 years, all MSPS, across all parties, must do all we can to ensure our health service is properly funded and fit for the future.
The University of the West of Scotland is set to benefit from increased budget funding. This is a measure I am, predictably, very glad to see!
The proposal will maintain investment in Scotland’s universities at over £1 billion.
With spending on Scotland’s colleges set to rise by over £600 million, the Finance Secretary’s budget proposals for the year will come as great news for UWS and other institutions across the country.
There is good news for Hamilton’s town plan, with an extra £50 million for a town centre fund. South Lanarkshire Council will be able to draw on the ring-fenced fund to help initiatives like re-purposing buildings, business enterprise and improving access and infrastructure.
All high streets across Scotland face challenges as online retail changes the way we shop. But this fund has the potential to stimulate real development in our town centres, to help communities thrive.
The draft budget plans include £180 million for raising attainment standards in schools, including £120 million delivered directly to head teachers – helping schools address the poverty related attainment gap and helping children overcome barriers.
These are just the first steps in the delivery of even more benefits to support people in our society, as the Scottish Government looks to tackle inequality and reduce poverty.
I call on fellow MSPS across Lanarkshire to support these and the many others proposals in the Draft Budget.