Scottish Government’s Budget Bill passes final Parliamentary vote

The budget secures an additional £900 million of expenditure including an additional £160m investment for local authorities to spend on local priorities over the next year, which was agreed at Stage 2 of the Budget Bill.

The Scottish Government will add additional funding and free up councils to raise additional revenue by allowing councils to retain £111m from the reform of Council Tax multipliers for higher value homes and providing the freedom to raise the Council Tax for all band homes by up to 3 per cent.

To date, 18 councils have chosen to raise the Council Tax rates with 8 opting for a freeze.

Budget at a glance

Finance secretary Derek Mackay said: “This budget secures Scotland’s social contract with investment in public services on a massive scale, support for our economy and help for those on low incomes.

“With £900m of additional investment we are putting in place the foundations to transform and reform our public services and to deliver on our commitments over the next five years.

“We are providing the funding for education to close the attainment gap, double childcare and protect higher and further education.

“We are investing record amounts in our frontline NHS, in social care and protecting free prescriptions and free personal care for the elderly.

“Business has the full backing of the Scottish Government with a £500m Scottish Growth Scheme, £4bn of infrastructure investment and over 100,000 properties paying no business rates at all.

“And we are helping those on low incomes by freezing the basic rate of income tax, backing first time buyers and mitigating the impact of UK welfare reform.

“This is a budget that delivers for every part of Scotland and it is one that ensures taxpayers all across the country get more for their money, than anywhere else in the UK.”