First Minister announces programme for government

Today, the First Minister announced to parliament her government's legislative programme for the next year.

Our Policy Officer has rounded up the announcements worth keeping an eye on from a social work perspective. SASW will continue working to influence legislation where possible to ensure the voice of social workers are heard and to achieve the best outcomes for our profession and the people we support.

As always, you can contact jonny.adamson@basw.co.uk to discuss our policy, public affairs or campaign work.

Announcements

-Emergency legislation coming into force immediately to deliver a rent freeze and mortarium on evictions until end of March 2023

-Introduce a Housing Bill to strengthen rights of tenants

-Extend eligibility for Warmer Homes Scotland programme to support more households to install energy efficient measures

-Scottish Child Payment increased to £25 a week from today. From 14 November it will open to applications for children up to 16. And Early Learning and School Age payments will be automatically awarded to anyone in receipt of the child payment.

-Universal school meals to be extended to P6 and P7 pupils

-£50m of the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund will be spent on keeping the promise (no more detail was announced)

-Introduce a Children’s Care and Justice Bill to end children under 18 being placed in young offender’s institutions

-Introduce an Education Reform Bill to establish an independent education inspectorate

-Create a new National Care Service in law

-Invest £250m in tackling the drug deaths crisis (no further detail provided). Establish a safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow.

-Introduce a Criminal Justice Bill to abolish not proven verdict and deliver statutory protection of the anonymity in sexual offences cases

-Introduce a Misogyny and Criminal Justice Bill

-Introduce a Police Complaints and Misconduct Handling Bill to improve way complaints are managed and investigated

-Introduce a Legal Services Regulation Bill to improve transparency of legal complaints system

-Introduce a Scottish Indedendence Referendum Bill to call a referendum on 19 October 2023