SPEAKING ahead of the Stage 3 debate on the 2022-2023 Scottish Budget Bill, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said:
“This Budget provides a platform to accelerate our recovery from the pandemic, tackle inequalities, invest in the economy and public services and continue a just transition to net-zero.”
“Our bold, ambitious and progressive funding package provides record levels of funding to help to restore public services – including £18 billion for Health and Social Care. It will also help tackle poverty by providing £197 million to double the game-changing Scottish Child Payment from April 2022 and extend it to under 16s by the end of 2022, helping to lift an estimated 40,000 children out of poverty in 2023-2024.
“While this budget is focused on tackling our recovery from Covid, we are acutely aware that the pandemic is not yet over. That is why we will provide further details to Parliament on how we are supporting businesses and measures to assist people with the cost of living crisis.
“The Scottish Government is firmly focused on ensuring we can seize Scotland’s economic potential and secure a just transition to net-zero.
“Initiatives like our Green Jobs Fund are helping companies such as Autonomous iOt, a fast growing North Lanarkshire business I visited yesterday and which is winning orders from across the UK for its solar and wind powered intelligent lighting products. Our £243,000 grant will help the company ramp up its manufacturing and research and development activities, creating new, skilled jobs.
“I hope all MSPs will support the Scottish Budget and back our plans to build a fairer, greener and more prosperous Scotland.”
