Ambitious for Scotland

2 Sep 2026 09:05 AM

Patients will receive better care, with shorter waits, as a result of the most significant structural reform of our NHS in the devolution era, First Minister John Swinney announced yesterday, as he unveiled a major modernisation programme of Scotland’s public services.

Setting out his Programme for Government, the First Minister pledged that all the actions of his government would be focused on delivering lasting improvements to people’s lives as he presented a package of measures to help with the cost-of-living crisis.

The First Minister said the Scottish Government would also continue to drive improvements in the priority areas of eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, investing in public services and tackling the climate emergency as he outlined work to reduce NHS waiting times and action to tackle violence against women and girls.  

Key announcements include:

• Replacing the current 14 territorial health boards with two strategic health boards which – alongside other measures – will free up more time and capacity for treatment

• Delivering a national breakfast club for all primary schools from August 2027 and, by 2031, providing childcare support 52 weeks a year for children from nine months old to the end of primary school

• Tackling poverty by increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week for eligible babies under 1 during 2027-28

• Investing £205 million in winter heating payments for pensioners, families with disabled children and struggling households

• Recognising that hostility to women and girls is a serious societal problem by defining misogyny as a distinct form of prejudice and abuse

• Expanding the £2 bus fare cap beyond the Highlands and Islands to the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport area from Monday 7 September followed by a national roll-out by the end of this Parliament  

• Improving public services by removing unnecessary duplication and overlap, getting resources more directly to the frontline services

• Over the next three months, with partners, reach a clear shared direction on substantial reform to local governance, including social care

• Bringing the national environment public bodies into a single overarching body to make environmental interventions more impactful

• Supporting better jobs and higher incomes by making Scotland a better place to invest and do business

First Minister John Swinney said:

“This ambitious Programme for Government has radical and widespread public service reform at its heart to deliver real, lasting improvements to people’s lives.

“By rewiring a system of services designed for the last century, we will simplify and reshape organisations on which everyone relies and ensure every pound of investment achieves maximum impact.

“As we do so, we will build on the most generous cost of living package anywhere in the UK while continuing to tackle inequality, poverty and division.

“This is a Programme for Government to deliver a fairer, healthier and more prosperous nation.”

The First Minister also stated that Scotland would only reach its full potential by becoming an independent nation.

“We will give the leadership for Scotland to decide her own future and advance our belief that Scotland will be better off with Independence.”

Background

Programme for Government 2026 to 2031 - gov.scot

Programme for Government 2026 to 2031: First Minister's speech - gov.scot

The First Minister also confirmed Scottish Government plans to introduce nine Bills over the course of 2026-27:

• Budget Bill

• Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill

• Council Tax (Scotland) Bill

• Damages (Scotland) Bill

• Food Prices (Scotland) Bill

• Football Banning Orders (Scotland) Bill

• Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill

• Misogyny (Criminal Law) (Scotland Bill

• Public Service Renewal (Scotland) Bill

Plana còig bliadhna gus cruth-atharrachadh a thoirt air Alba

Prògram an Riaghaltais 2026-2031.

Dh’innis am Prìomh Mhinistear John Swinney an-diugh gum faigh euslaintich cùram nas fheàrr agus gum feith iad ùine nas giorra, mar thoradh air an ath-leasachadh structarail as cudromaiche air an NHS againn bho fhuair Alba cumhachdan fèin-riaghlaidh. Dh’fhoillsich am Prìomh Mhinistear prògram mòr gus seirbheisean poblach na h-Alba a dhèanamh freagarrach ris an latha an-diugh.

Fhad ’s a chuir e Prògram an Riaghaltais aige an cèill, gheall am Prìomh Mhinistear gum biodh gach ceum a ghabhadh an riaghaltas aige a’ cur fòcas air oidhirpean gus leasachaidhean maireannach a thoirt air beatha dhaoine. Chuir e sreath de cheumannan air adhart a bhios nan cuideachadh le staing nan cosgaisean bith-beò.

Thuirt am Prìomh Mhinistear cuideachd gum biodh Riaghaltas na h-Alba fhathast ag obair airson leasachaidhean a bhrosnachadh anns na roinnean as cudromaiche, leithid a bhith a’ cur às do bhochdainn cloinne, a’ togail na h-eaconamaidh, a’ tasgadh airgead ann an seirbheisean poblach, agus a’ dèiligeadh ri èiginn na gnàth-shìde. Thug e iomradh air obair airson an ùine a lùghdachadh a bhios daoine a’ feitheamh air an NHS, agus air ceumannan gus dèiligeadh ri fòirneart an aghaibh bhoireannach agus caileagan.

Seo na prìomh cheumannan a chaidh fhoillseachadh:

• A’ cur dà bhòrd-shlàinte ro-innleachdail an àite nan 14 bùird-shlàinte roinneil a th’ ann an-dràsta. Le seo, agus le ceumannan eile, bidh barrachd ùine is goireasan daonna ann airson leigheas a thoirt seachad

• A’ lìbhrigeadh club bracaist nàiseanta dhan a h-uile bun-sgoil bhon Lùnastal 2027 air adhart. Ro 2031, bidh taic cùraim-chloinne ann 52 seachdain sa bhliadhna do chloinn bho aois 9 mìosan suas ri deireadh na bun-sgoile

• A’ dèiligeadh ri bochdainn tro bhith ag àrdachadh Pàigheadh Pàiste na h-Alba  gu £40 san t-seachdain tro 2027-28, do leanabhan fo aois 1 a choileanas na slatan-tomhais

• A’ tasgadh £205 millean ann an suimean-teasachaidh sa gheamhradh a gheibh peinnseanairean, teaghlaichean le clann chiorramach, agus dachaighean a tha a’ strì le cosgaisean

• Ag aithneachadh gu bheil nàimhdeas an aghaidh bhoireannach agus caileagan na thrioblaid mhòr sa chomann-sòisealta, ’s fuath-bhan  ga làimhseachadh mar shèorsa claon-bhreith is droch-dhìol sònraichte

• A’ leudachadh cuibhreachadh £2 air faraidhean bus bho roinn na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean a-mhàin gu roinn Com-pàirteachas Còmhdhail Shrath Chluaidh cuideachd. Tòisichidh seo Diluain, an 7mh latha dhen t-Sultain, mus tèid an sgeama a thabhann gu nàiseanta ro dheireadh na Pàrlamaid seo

• A’ leasachadh sheirbheisean poblach tro bhith a’ cur às do phròiseasan dùbailte a tha neo-riatanach no a thèid thairis air a chèile. Bidh na seirbheisean duine ri duine againn a’ faighinn ghoireasan nas luaithe mar seo

• Ag obair còmhla ri com-pàirtichean thar nan trì mìosan ri thighinn airson slighe air adhart a cho-dhùnadh a bhios soilleir is coitcheann, gus ath-leasachadh mòr a thoirt air obair-riaghlaidh ionadail, leithid cùram sòisealta

• A’ toirt còmhla buidhnean poblach na h-àrainneachd nàiseanta againn, ’s iad mar aon bhuidheann ioma-chùiseach leis an gabh iomairtean àrainneachdail nas èifeachdaiche a chur an gnìomh

• A’ cumail taic ri obraichean nas fheàrr agus teachd a-steach nas àirde, tro bhith a’ dèanamh Alba nas tarraingiche do dhaoine a tha airson airgead a thasgadh agus gnìomhachas a dhèanamh.

Thuirt am Prìomh Mhinistear John Swinney na leanas:

“Aig cridhe Prògram an Riaghaltais àrd-amasach seo, tha atharrachaidhean radaigeach, farsaing air seirbheisean poblach ann, gus leasachaidhean a tha fìor, maireannach a thoirt air beatha dhaoine.

“Tro bhith a’ togail às ùr siostam de sheirbheisean a thogadh bho thùs airson an linn a dh’fhalbh, nì sinn cinnteach gun tèid buidhnean air a bheil gach duine feumach ath-structaradh agus a shìmpleachadh, agus gun toir sinn ar làn-chomasan gu buil le gach not a thasgas sinn.

“Fhad ’s a nì sinn seo, togaidh sinn air prògram cho fialaidh ’s gheibhear san Rìoghachd Aonaichte air fad airson dèiligeadh ri cosgaisean bith-beò, agus cumaidh sinn ar n-oidhirpean suas gus dèiligeadh ri neo-ionannachd, bochdainn agus sgaraidhean sòisealta.

“Seo Prògram an Riaghaltais leis an tog sinn dùthaich nas cothromaiche, nas fhallaine is nas soirbheachaile.”

Thuirt am Prìomh Mhinistear cuideachd nach ruigeadh Alba na làn-chomasan aice ach a-mhàin tro bhith a’ dol na dùthaich neo-eisimeileach.

“Bheir sinn seachad an stiùireadh a dh’fheumas Alba airson an t-àm ri teachd aice fhèin a cho-dhùnadh, agus bheir sinn air adhart a’ bharail againn gum bi Alba nas fheàrr dheth le Neo-eisimeileachd.”

Cùl-fhiosrachadh

Prògram an Riaghaltais 2026 gu 2031 - gov.scot

Òraidean a’ Phrìomh Mhinisteir - gov.scot

Dhearbhaich am Prìomh Mhinistear cuideachd planaichean Riaghaltas na h-Alba gus naoi Bilean a thoirt a-steach thairis air 2026-27:

• Bile a’ Bhuidseit
• Bile nan Toglaichean (Coileanadh Teas is Cumhachd) agus Lìonraidhean Teas (Alba)
• Bile na Cìs Comhairle (Alba)
• Bile Airgead Dìolaidh (Alba)
• Bile nam Prìsean Bìdh (Alba)
• Bile nan Òrduighean Casg Buill-choise (Alba)
• Bile Taic Laghail (Alba)
• Bile Fuath-bhan (Lagh Eucoirean) (Alba)
• Bile Ath-leasachadh nan Seirbheisean Poblach (Alba)