ALLIANCE pre-budget scrutiny 2026-27 responses call for human rights budgeting approach to mental health and social security
- Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
- Type: News Item
- Published: 13th August 2025
Our responses emphasise the need to ensure adequate funding for essential services as part of Scotland's human rights obligations.
As part of the Scottish Parliament’s annual pre-budget scrutiny process, the ALLIANCE have submitted responses to two committees. The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee were seeking views on mental health spending, whilst the Social Justice and Social Security Committee were considering the future of social security spending. The ALLIANCE will also be giving in-person evidence to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee on the subject of participation, transparency and accountability in the budget process on 9 September 2025.
Although each committee has a different remit, some of the key issues raised by the ALLIANCE included:
- Calling on the Scottish Government to prioritise meeting the target of 10% of the frontline NHS budget to be spend on mental health by the end of this parliamentary term.
- Welcoming positive progress towards a human rights based social security system in Scotland whilst raising concerns about the vulnerability of that system to sudden changes in UK Government policy.
- Urging social security expenditure to be understood as an investment rather than a cost.
- Emphasising the importance of taking a human rights budgeting approach to investment in both mental health and social security.
You can find the response to each committee in the resource section below.
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