FOREWORD
I am delighted to present the Scottish Government's programme for 2008-09 - the second since we took office in May last year. Over the next 12 months we intend governing with the same energy, and with absolute confidence in Scotland's ability to succeed.
We will show leadership and ambition, with a clear vision of the nation Scotland can be, working always to deliver step-by-step improvements in quality of life. We will work hard to overcome new challenges while making the most of emerging opportunities.
We will continue to work in partnership across Scottish society, because we know that government has only some of the answers and that a united Scotland is better placed to succeed. We will continue to build on our historic Concordat and our new, productive relationship with local government. Working as a team there is so much more that we can achieve.
Our core purpose as a government is to promote higher levels of sustainable economic growth. And in doing so we must harness the new confidence and optimism in this country, enabling all of Scotland's people to achieve their full potential. Our new legislative programme fully reflects this ambition. As always, new laws will only be one aspect of our efforts to create a Scotland that is safer and stronger, greener, healthier, smarter, wealthier and fairer.
Central to the new programme is legislation to advance Scotland's position as an environmental leader, with new bills on climate change, flooding and the marine environment. These will protect homes and workplaces, enable the sustainable management of our seas, create new business opportunities and position Scotland as a global leader in tackling climate change. And alongside these important legislative initiatives we will continue to position Scotland at the forefront of world-wide efforts to tackle climate change through the Saltire Prize, the further expansion of our renewable capacity and our innovative proposals for carbon budgeting.
This year will see new prison capacity and more police on local streets and we will introduce new legislation to strengthen Scotland's justice system through a Criminal Justice Bill. We will improve the operation of the legal system, with bills on the legal profession, arbitration and legislative reform.
In education, we will begin an extensive consultation on how best to invest £30m of additional money to ease the financial pressures on Scotland's students and introduce important legislation on additional support for learning, enabling more of our children to receive the full benefit from their education and helping them to achieve their full potential. Legislation that recognises the importance of rural schools will help to maintain strong communities and quality education across rural Scotland.
In the current climate of ever rising food and fuel costs, the Scottish Government has already taken action to alleviate the burden on households by working with local authorities to freeze council tax. In this parliamentary year we intend to introduce legislation to abolish council tax altogether, and introduce a better, fairer system of local income tax. And we will take forward our proposals to provide new opportunities for shared equity ownership to help young people take their first step on the property ladder and provide additional protections for those currently facing problems paying their mortgage.
The Scottish Government has already protected vital local health services and cut prescription charges, on the way to their full abolition. This year we will do even more to protect the health of the nation with a new Health Bill and continued investment to reduce waiting times. In addition to these new legislative proposals, we will continue our work to ensure that Scotland's economy can flourish. Businesses across Scotland are already benefiting from the Small Business Bonus Scheme introduced earlier this year. Indeed, from 1st April 2009, up to 120,000 business properties will be eligible for 100% rates relief. And this Government will continue to press for Scotland's fair share of soaring North Sea revenues to be invested in a fund that will drive the Scottish economy for generations to come.
The coming year will also see further progress in Scotland's National Conversation on our constitutional future. Several of the issues raised by this legislative programme and other government initiatives show how the current devolution settlement places limits on Scotland's ability to succeed. For example, we plan a bill to separate Scottish parliamentary and local government elections in Scotland, but we cannot enact necessary, more fundamental electoral reforms while Westminster retains responsibility for Holyrood elections.
Our National Conversation will allow the people of Scotland the opportunity to discuss the many improvements that will benefit our country under independence, or other forms of greater responsibility. This open discussion will allow the country to make a fully informed decision in the referendum on our constitutional future which we plan to hold in 2010.
We are moving forward to a future where success belongs to Scotland. And this year's programme marks an important step on that journey.
The Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSPMP
The First Minister of Scotland