5 key points from John Swinney's Programme for Government

The First Minister set out his legislative agenda, and his ambitions up to 2031, in a speech to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday.

He said there will be “radical and widespread” public sector reform with many services told to shift towards “prevention and early intervention”.

Major shake-ups of the NHS and social care, and a crackdown on the number of quangos, dominated the announcements.

Local government

Mr Swinney promised the “most radical reshaping of public services since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament”, with three months of “intense engagement” with councils.

He said he was open to devolving economic powers down to local regions but ensuring “genuine local decision-making” takes place.

The Scottish Government has long faced scrutiny over claims that power in Scotland is too centralised, with Cosla, the local government body, regularly calling for more devolution.

NHS and social care restructuring

The overarching ambition from the Programme for Government centred around reducing waiting times for operations and at A&E.

Scotland's health boards will be slashed from 14 to two.

Mr Swinney said reducing the health boards would cut inequalities across the country in terms of access to healthcare.

He said it was the “most significant structural reform of our NHS in the devolution era”.

By the end of 2031, no one should wait more than 26 weeks for the treatment they need, according to the Programme for Government.

Data published today showed the target to treat patients at A&E within four hours had been below 80% every month since summer 2021.

Mr Swinney also said there were “fundamental challenges” within the social care sector, adding that these cannot be resolved without a single line of decision-making, accountability and funding.

He said the NHS would take the lead, but a National Care Service was previously met with fury from trade unions, health chiefs and local government over concerns it would lead to more powers being centralised.

Quangos crackdown

The number of quangos in Scotland will be “substantially reduced” over the next five years, John Swinney has promised.

Scotland has around 130 quangos – known as quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations or devolved public bodies.

The First Minister said: “As a result of these actions, at the end of these five years, people in Scotland will notice clear improvements in their lives and in their experience of public services delivered by the Scottish Government and our partners.

“Change will be structural, but also cultural. More open and flexible, acting as an enabler of positive change.”

Violence against women and girls

John Swinney has pledged to take “decisive action on violence against women and girls” as he announced he would bring forward a Misogyny Bill during the current Parliament.

He said: “I will provide the personal leadership to tackle violence against women and girls, but I am clear that the actions we take forward are not the responsibility of any one minister – they cut right across the work of Government.”

He added: “Through legislation, we will seek to make early progress on the serious issue of violence against women and girls through a Misogyny Bill.

“We will end the postcode lottery of service provision to ensure every woman and girl, regardless of where she lives, has access to safe and sustainable services.”

Bus cap

The cost of taking the bus in Glasgow and the west of Scotland will be capped at £2, following on from a pilot across the Highlands and Islands.

The Scottish Government has not said how much the scheme will cost, but the SNP manifesto committed to extending it across Scotland by the end of parliament, in 2031.