Some other announcements worth sharing include:
- Social security benefits and payments will rise in line with inflation, taking the Scottish Child Payment to £26.70 a week.
- NHS frontline Boards will receive an increase of over £550 million, a 4.3% funding rise.
- £556 million will be invested in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, and over £90 million in Discretionary Housing Payments.
- £358 million will be provided to accelerate energy efficiency upgrades and installation of clean heating systems.
- Investment in digital connectivity will rise from £93 million to £140 million.
- Workers in all sectors of social care, early learning and childcare will receive a wage rise to at least £12 per hour from April 2024.
- The Scottish Police Authority’s resource budget will be increased by £75.7 million (5.6%).
- The Scottish Prison Service resource budget will receive an additional £38.6 million (10%) and there will be £167 million of capital funding to progress replacements for HMPs Inverness and Barlinnie.
- Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) will receive an extra £13.6 million and capital investment will rise by £10.3 million (32%).
You can read our Scottish budget economic summary and Scottish budget tax announcements