LOCHHEAD WELCOMES “BOLD AGENDA” FOR SCOTLAND.

Richard Lochhead has today welcomed a series of policy announcements made by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the SNP Spring Conference in Glasgow.

The First Minister confirmed that a re-elected SNP government will:

Increase Maternity Grants for the birth of a first child; reintroduce payments for subsequent children; and introduce payments for children beginning nursery and starting school.

Extend free school meals to all 2, 3 and 4 year olds in our nurseries.

Invest an extra £750 million over the next Parliament, partly paid for by making the Council Tax fairer, to tackle raise the attainment of the most disadvantaged young people.

Protect NHS funding in every year of the next Parliament and invest an additional £50 million in cancer treatment.

Extend superfast broadband to every community in Scotland.

Commenting, Richard Lochhead said:

“At the SNP Conference this weekend the First Minister set out a number of policies that I will be proud to take to people in Moray in the Scottish Parliament election in May.

“The SNP already has a record to be proud of: crime is at a 41 year low; Council Tax bills have been frozen for nine years; more school leavers are in work, education or training than ever before; the health budget has reached a record £13 billion; and we have fully mitigated the Bedroom Tax.

“The bold agenda set out by the First Minister will build on this record of achievement – to deliver a fairer, more prosperous and confident country.

“It is clear that the only way to secure this progressive vision for Scotland is to vote both votes SNP and re-elect a strong SNP government led by Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister.”