Seòmar agus comataidhean

It was not possible to fund all the Scottish Government’s priorities in the budget but, despite the financial challenges, the budget continues to support businesses and communities with a competitive non-domestic rates regime including the reintroduction of a 40% relief for hospitality.

The freeze to the Basic Property Rate in 2025-26 is estimated to save ratepayers £9m a year compared to an inflationary increase, and our generous relief package is worth an estimated £731 million next year and includes reliefs which will benefit properties in the retail and leisure sectors such as the most generous small business rates relief in the UK. In combination, we estimate that around half of the properties in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors will continue to pay no rates in Scotland in 2025-26.

The Scottish Government has received representations from retail representative organisations including the Scottish Retail Consortium, Scottish Grocers’ Federation and others through correspondence, and meetings with Ministers including the New Deal for Business Non-Domestic Rates Sub-group.

Budget is allocated on an annual basis therefore there is no defined unspent funding arising from the pausing of the Bus Partnership Fund. The Scottish Government is pleased to announce in the draft budget that we will provide a Bus Infrastructure Fund in 2025-26.

The Scottish Government recognises the important role that grandparents have in many families bringing up children, particularly following parental separation.

When the Children (Scotland) Bill (now the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act)) was introduced, the Scottish Government considered whether to include a presumption or right for grandchildren to have contact with their grandparents.

However, no such provision was included.A presumption in favour of a particular group of adults could cut across the driving principle of the legislation that the welfare of the child must be the paramount consideration in any contact or residence case.

We have no plans to change the law in this area at the present time.It remains possible for any person with an interest in a child, including a grandparent, to apply to the court to seek an order under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act), which is the key provision in relation to contact and residence.

Section 16 of the 2020 Act sets out additional factors that the court must consider when deciding whether or not to make an order under section 11 of the 1995 Act.It provides that the court must consider the effect the order might have on the child’s important relationships with other people.This could include the child’s grandparents. Section 16 is not yet in force but the Scottish Government will consider in 2025 which further sections of the 2020 Act could be commenced.

The Scottish Government has produced the Charter for Grandchildren as part of the Your Parenting Plan. The Charter sets out that grandchildren can expect to maintain contact with their wider family except in very exceptional circumstances.

Work to scope out what the fund will deliver and how it will be managed is underway. Transport Scotland is engaging with key stakeholders on this and will confirm details in due course. However, the fund will look to build on the work undertaken through both the Bus Partnership Fund and Community Bus Fund with renewed focus on bus priority infrastructure to help address the negative impacts of congestion on bus services, and support local public transport improvements.

The draft 2025-26 Budget, which is subject to Parliamentary approval, provides indicative funding for a Bus Infrastructure Fund. Work is underway to assess allocations and this will be dependent on business cases, assessments of value for money/impact of spending and deliverability.

Any further ongoing funding for future years will be considered as part of the annual budget setting processes and prioritisation exercises.

The awards made through the Bus Partnership Fund to date were the first step towards delivering long term investment in bus priority infrastructure, beyond the course of the parliament. To date £20.5 million has been spent through the Bus Partnership and with a Bus Infrastructure Fund announced for 2025-26 this will enable the delivery of further bus priority and other supporting measures.

Scotland’s volunteers make a fantastic contribution to people’s lives and our communities.

The Scottish Government provide direct funding to national and local intermediaries to support the national and local volunteering infrastructure. This includes funding for Volunteer Scotland to implement Scotland’s Volunteering Action Plan. This long-term plan seeks to increase participation and reduce barriers to volunteering for all. The Scottish Government also funds the local Third Sector Interface network who support volunteering across all 32 local authorities as well as funding youth volunteering and the Volunteering Support Fund.

Volunteer Scotland has strategic leadership of volunteering, including provision of a national advice centre and delivery of research. We very much welcome the launch, in September, of a national volunteering recruitment campaign, led by Volunteer Scotland, to address volunteer shortages. This will provide volunteer involving organisations with practical guidance and promotion materials to help attract and retain volunteers.

Inspections of care homes for adults and older people completed 2021-22 to 2024-25 (to date)

We have allocated over £66 million of funding to Sustrans this financial year. This includes funding and support to Local Authorities and others to deliver infrastructure to help people walk, wheel or cycle, as well as support to upgrade and expand the National Cycle Network throughout Scotland. This is delivered by Sustrans’ Scotland based staff from their office in Edinburgh.

As part of our transformation of active travel delivery, the funding of the main Transport Scotland infrastructure programme, Places for Everyone, managed by Sustrans, winds down to December 2025.

The new Active Travel Infrastructure Fund which will see Transport Scotland directly award funding to Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships and National Park Authorities.