ALLIANCE statement on the 2024-25 Programme for Government

We welcome pledges on social care charges and rights mainstreaming, but are extremely disappointed at the absence of the Human Rights Bill.

The Scottish Government have published their 2024-25 Programme for Government, ‘Serving Scotland’, which sets out the actions they intend to take over the coming year, including what legislation they will bring forward.

First Minister John Swinney emphasised the centrality of tackling child poverty, outlining continued investment in the Scottish Child Payment, as well as plans to fund better access to childcare and employability support for parents.

The Programme for Government also offers commitments to further embed human rights and equalities throughout the work of the public sector in Scotland and to working with COSLA to identify options for the removal of non-residential care charges.

Although the government state their intention to “strengthen implementation of human rights and advancing proposals around rights protections”, they have not included the Human Rights Bill in their legislative programme for the coming year. As there are only 18 months remaining until the Scottish Parliament dissolves for the next election, in practice if the Bill is not brought forward in the immediate future, it is unlikely to be passed within the remaining time.

In response to the Programme for Government, the ALLIANCE’s Chief Officer of Development Sara Redmond has issued the following statement:

“This Programme for Government includes some welcome components. The ALLIANCE are certainly pleased to see a commitment to accelerate action to mainstream human rights and equality in all government and public sector work, and to a prevention based approach to public service reform. Similarly, work with COSLA to identify options for the removal of non-residential care charges is long overdue, and we look forward to this significant step towards a human rights based approach to social care. We hope to see clarity around the timescales for these commitments as soon as possible.

“We are however incredibly disappointed by the failure to include the Human Rights Bill in the legislative programme. The Scottish Government is at risk of breaking the promise it has made to the people of Scotland to put more of their rights firmly in law, including greater protections for women, people from minority ethnic communities, and disabled people. We call on the Scottish Government to bring forward the Human Rights Bill as a matter of urgency.”

“Similarly, we are concerned by the complete absence of any reference to secure, sustainable funding for the Third Sector. The Scottish Government has previously committed to Fair Funding, and we had hoped to see further progress in this area, the delivery of which is crucial for achieving Scotland’s population health, fair work and wellbeing economy ambitions. The First Minister and the government must act to secure the future of a sector which contributes enormously to Scotland’s economy whilst providing invaluable services to communities across the country.”

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