The Scottish Budget 'wins' claimed by Greens and Lib Dems for their vote - £2 bus fare cap, school meals

The Scottish Greens say they are now set to support the Budget after the SNP agreed to changes, including rolling out more free school meals, increasing funding for nature restoration to £26 million, and helping first-time home buyers by increasing taxes on the purchase of second homes.

The SNP have also agreed to include a year-long trial on £2 bus fare caps in one regional transport area, as well as free bus travel for asylum seekers and free ferry travel for young islanders.

The decision comes only a week after Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop shelved plans to trial a flat bus fare across the country due to a lack of funds and opposition from bus operators.

The Lib Dems have separately agreed to vote in favour of the Budget in exchange for commitments including on drug and alcohol services, and hospice funding.

This will not change the outcome of the Budget vote. It is widely anticipated the SNP’s Budget will pass next month after Scottish Labour said they would abstain from the vote.

In an announcement issued by the Scottish Government, Finance Secretary Shona Robison said she would table Budget amendments to allocate £16.7m for the additional commitments.

Those commitments include:

- Bolster drug and alcohol services, including £1m for specialist support for babies born addicted to drugs;

- Begin a £2 bus fare cap pilot in one regional transport area;

- Further strengthen support for hospices from £4m to £5m;

- Increase Nature Restoration by £3m to its highest ever level;

- Invest in targeted support for the college sector and protect Corseford College;

- Extend free school meal eligibility in S1-S3 in eight local authority areas for pupils in receipt of Scottish Child Payment;

Offer flexibility for Orkney Island Council in terms of capital and resource funding.

Ross Greer, the Scottish Greens’ finance spokesman, said: “The Scottish Greens put climate action, tackling child poverty, cheaper buses and ferries and funding for schools at the heart of our budget negotiations.

“We have delivered progress on all of these fronts, so our MSPs will be voting for the Budget. No young person should be sitting in school hungry - as a result of our work, thousands more pupils in S1-S3 will now receive a free school meal.

“This will build on the success of expanding free school meals in primary schools, a policy delivered by the Scottish Greens a few years ago.

“Our Green MSPs have also secured a year-long regional trial where bus fares will be capped at £2, because we know the cost of public transport needs to come down. This also builds on the success of free bus travel for young people, another Scottish Green policy we made a reality.”