ALLAN WELCOMES PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMME FOR SCOTLAND

SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Alasdair Allan, has welcomed the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government as an ‘ambitious and progressive’ vision for a stronger Scotland.

The programme was set in the Scottish Parliament last week by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. It puts education at the heart of the SNP Scottish Government’s efforts to make Scotland a fairer country with the announcement of plans to help close the gap in attainment and ensure all children are being equipped with the skills they need. There was also the introduction of new national standardised assessments which was welcomed by the Educational Institute of Scotland.

In addition to this the First Minister set out plans to deliver further support for small and medium sized enterprises in Scotland, with a new fund of £40m to provide loans of up to £100,000 and equity investment of up to £2m.

Commenting, Alasdair Allan said:

“The First Minister has set out an ambitious and progressive vision for Scotland in the Programme for Government which I wholeheartedly welcome. The SNP has a proven track record of delivery and success in government over the last eight years and this programme will see us build on that.

“The Programme for Government for the next year covers issues such as the management and devolution of Crown Estate assets, further investment for the rollout of Superfast Broadband to rural areas, plans for the reduction of Air Passenger Duty and a consultation on more autonomy for our island communities. This shows the SNP’s commitment to support our island communities and delivery for them in Government.

“Unfortunately we are now presented with a Scotland Bill that falls far short of what was promised in the referendum. While the UK Government continues to strip away the welfare state and punish vulnerable people, the Scottish Government has announced a consultation on a new Bill to put in place the infrastructure for a new Scottish social security system. This is another signal of the Scottish Government’s intention to continue to use all powers at its disposal to protect and empower people who need support.

With the ambitious and progressive Programme for Scotland put forward by Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP has reiterated our commitment to use every power available to us to meet the aspirations of the people of Scotland and to make our country fairer and more prosperous.”

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