Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has delivered the first ever draft budget statement for Scotland.
Mr Mackay said it was “an historic budget, delivered in challenging economic and political circumstances”.
Here is everything you need to know, as it happens, live…
- Mr MacKay announces he will freeze rates and bands for residential and non-residential LBTT.
- He announces he will freeze rates and bands for residential and non-residential LBTT.
- He confirms the basic rate of income tax will be frozen, limiting the increase in the high rate threshold to inflation.
- He has announced he will reduce business rates poundage by 3.7% to 46.6p.
- The Small Business Bonus Scheme will be expanded by raising eligibility threshold for 100% relief to a rateable value of £15,000.
- Mr Mackay has announced a £3 million package of rail fare reductions “to ease costs for passengers and thank them for their patience”.
- He says he cannot cut the rate of the large Business Supplement but he will restrict it to the largest firms by raising the threshold to £51,000.
- The Scottish budget includes £470 million of capital funding for housing in 2017/18.
- He announces £140 million in 2017/18 to support energy efficiency programmes.
- Mr Mackay abandons plan to use council-tax revenues for tackling the attainment gap, stating local authorities will keep extra cash raised as a result of council-tax reforms.
- Instead, £120 million of central government money will be given directly to schools to be spent at the discretion of headteachers.
- Mr Mackay said: “Today’s budget also delivers on our commitment to protect the resource budget for policing in real terms.”
- He also announces an additional £300 million of NHS resource budgets – £120 million more than inflation.
- The Scottish Government will use £47 million to mitigate the bedroom tax and will “abolish” it at the earliest opportunity.
- He announces an additional £300 million of NHS resource budgets – £120 million more than inflation.
- He said, overall, the budget delivers £700 million of additional spending on the economy and public services.
- The total support from the Scottish Government and local taxation gives local government a £240.6 million increase – equal to 2.3%, Mr Mackay says.
- Mr Mackay concludes the statement.