The Scottish Government

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1 INTRODUCTION: THE STRATGIC OBJECTIVES

One of our first actions following the Scottish Parliamentary elections in May 2007 was to focus the resources of government on creating a more successful country.

We aligned the Scottish Government to deliver on the five overarching strategic objectives listed below. This involved delivering a smaller, more effective Ministerial team, with five Cabinet Secretaries and ten Ministers - as well as putting in place a much more streamlined structure for the Scottish Government.

We believe that success lies with focusing as never before on working consistently and in an integrated way to make Scotland wealthier and fairer; smarter; healthier; safer and stronger; and greener.

OVERALL PURPOSE

To focus government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

WEALTHIER & FAIRER - Enable businesses and people to increase their wealth and more people to share fairly in that wealth

SMARTER - Expand opportunities for Scots to succeed from nurture through to life long learning, ensuring higher and more widely shared achievements

HEALTHIER - Help people to sustain and improve their health, especially in disadvantaged communities, ensuring better, local and faster access to health care

SAFER & STRONGER - Help local communities to flourish, becoming stronger, safer places to live, offering improved opportunities and a better quality of life

GREENER - Improve Scotland's natural and built environment and the sustainable use and enjoyment of it

Reporting on 100 Days set out the progress we have made so far toward meeting each of these strategic objectives.

The Strategic Spending Review later this year will explain how we will use the resources of government to meet each of the strategic objectives over the full four-year Parliamentary term.

In the meantime, this document sets out the legislative and policy priorities for the year ahead that will bring us closer to making Scotland wealthier and fairer; smarter; healthier; safer and stronger; and greener.

In summary, our legislative and non-legislative priorities for the coming year are as follows:

Building a Wealthier and Fairer Scotland

• We will publish our Government Economic Strategy and the steps we will take to achieve our tough economic growth targets - including our target of raising Scotland's growth rate to the UK level by 2011;
• We will introduce our Abolition of Bridge Tolls Bill to remove tolls on the Forth and Tay Bridges, test fairer fares on the Western Isles route and progress our plans to deliver a replacement Forth Crossing;
• We will work with Local Authorities to freeze council tax at 2007-08 levels and begin detailed consultation on our proposals to replace council tax with a local income tax based on ability to pay;
• We will set out proposals to reduce or remove the rates burden for small businesses in Scotland;
• We will introduce our Interest on Debt and Damages Bill to develop fair and consistent rules for the application of interest rates to payments of debt and damages in Scotland;
• We will introduce our Budget Bill 2008 to provide the framework for spending the resources of government to achieve our strategic objectives;
• We will invest in rural business ventures as part of our new Scotland Rural Development Programme, capitalising on our tremendous natural assets and developing the potential for increased tourism;
• We will introduce legislation to enable the establishment of a new cultural development body, Creative Scotland, to replace the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen; and
• We will publish a housing consultation paper including proposals for improving our housing so that it supports economic growth and meets the current and future needs of Scotland's people.

Building a Smarter Scotland

• We will introduce the Graduate Endowment (Abolition) Bill to abolish the Graduate Endowment Fee for graduates from 2007 onwards;
• We will issue a consultation paper seeking the views of stakeholders about our policy to replace the current system of student loans with a fair and affordable system of means-tested grants. As part of this process, we will seek the views of stakeholders on measures to tackle graduate debt;
• We will set out the details of our new Skills Strategy to put success within reach of more and more Scots;
• We will consult on the secondary legislation to implement the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act, as part of child protection measures and realistic risk assessment for children;
• We will develop positive policies to improve outcomes for vulnerable families, children and young people at risk and families needing support;
• We will consult on introducing a legislative presumption against the closure of rural schools;
• We will ensure that Scotland's colleges continue to receive the benefits of charitable status and we will introduce any legislation necessary to achieve this;
• We will begin working on our comprehensive early years strategy; and
• We will establish a pilot of free school meals for all primary 1 to 3 children in selected local authority areas.

Building a Healthier Scotland

• We will introduce the Public Health Bill to help comprehensively modernise Scotland's public health legislation;
• We will consult on our proposals for a Patients' Rights Bill including the right to an individual waiting time guarantee;
• We will ensure that NHS Boards deliver the 62-day cancer target from December 2007;
• We will develop our proposals to phase out prescription charges in Scotland; to establish an 18-week waiting time guarantee; to increase the number of school nurses; and to introduce health checks in schools in the most disadvantaged areas;
• We will develop our action plan on alcohol and set out a radical range of measures to reduce alcohol-related harm;
• We will consult on proposals to give greater patient and community involvement in how local health services are delivered, including through participation in direct elections to Scotland's Health Boards. This will lead to the introduction of a Local Healthcare Bill;
• We will introduce legislation to help ensure that, if the bid is successful, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games set a new standard for others to follow; and
• We will set out proposals for the provision of affordable housing and support for first-time buyers.

Building a Safer and Stronger Scotland

• We will introduce the Judiciary (Scotland) Bill to modernise the arrangements for the judiciary;
• We will work with police forces to increase policing capacity through the deployment of the equivalent of 1,000 additional police officers;
• We will introduce legislation to reform the law on rape and sexual offences in the light of the Scottish Law Commission's review;
• We will continue developing a new drugs strategy - and extend the most successful elements of drug treatment and testing orders to lower level offenders;
• We will continue to take forward proposals on a cross-party basis to strengthen controls on sex offenders, including greater protection for communities, through implementation of the National Accommodation Strategy for Sex Offenders; and
• We will introduce legislation to reform the current flood prevention law to allow for a more modern and sustainable approach.

Building a Greener Scotland

• We will consult on legislative proposals to introduce a mandatory emissions reduction target of 80% by 2050;
• We will, as a medium term objective, work with our partners in Norway and the European Commission to develop proposals for a North Sea super-grid to allow us to export electricity from renewable and low-carbon sources; and in the meantime we will seek to remove discrimination in access to the domestic grid;
• We will publish a strategy for low-carbon buildings and increasing energy efficiency through building regulations;
• We will consult on the proposed Scottish marine legislation, involving all relevant users including the fishing industry;
• We will continue to preserve our habitats and our rich biodiversity - and promote the active enjoyment of them for health, recreation and education;
• We will help local authorities plan for more sustainable places, and encourage good design in buildings that take forward the best of Scotland's culture and design heritage; and
• We will consult on, and develop, our strategy for increasing recycling and other measures to move towards a zero-waste society.

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