Kate Forbes: Last News

spending plan put forward by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes was passed with support from Green and Lib Dem MSPs after she reached agreements with both parties on Monday.It will deliver a pay rise for public sector workers, an expansion of the free school meals programme for primary pupils, and free bus travel for those aged 21 and under.But Scottish Labour opposed the Budget after its call for social care workers to receive a pay uplift to £12 an hour was rejected as being too costly.The party had backed a call from the GMB union to boost pay for care workers who had served on the frontline throughout the coronavirus pandemic.Labour MSP Jackie Baillie told MSPs: "These are the people who look after some of the most vulnerable people in our

Kate Forbes revealed today she had struck an agreement with Green MSPs - meaning her Budget bill will pass when it goes to a vote on Tuesday.The Budget offers an £800 pay rise for public sector workers earning up to £25,000, and a two per cent increase for those earning over £25,000 up to £40,000.It will also provide pandemic support payments of £130 to households receiving Council Tax Reduction and two payments of £100 to families of children qualifying for free school meals.Free bus travel will be extended to 19, 20 and 21-year olds from this summer - at the same time as a scheme to offer free bus travel for those under-19 begins.All eligible children will get free school meals through the holidays and free school meals will be available

link!He said: “Finance Secretary Kate Forbes MSP is yet again showing that she has a good grasp of what is happening around the country.“This additional money, an increase of 2.7 per cent, will help North Lanarkshire Council to meet its obligations without the need for extra, devastating cuts.“With an extra amount available if it does not raise Council Tax, I hope that the council will look to make things a little easier for the area’s struggling residents and halt the proposed increase for next year.”

Highland Perthshire B&B owner has spoken of his shock after his accommodation was excluded from a new COVID support grant despite having suffered a £30,000 loss of business in 2020.Jason Logan’s Fernbank House in Aberfeldy, along with other local guest houses, has not been included in the top-up fund scheme which helps the hospitality, retail and leisure sector through level four lockdown.Announced by finance secretary Kate Forbes in mid-January, the scheme adds to the existing Strategic Framework Business Fund (SFBF).Scots driver's entire body left 'crushed and broken' after deer lands on top of him in horror crashIt denotes that a £6000 one-off payment is made to “smaller hospitality businesses” on top of the four-weekly (SFBF) fund of

PA his business is losing over £1000 every hour during lockdown. And it is having to borrow money from the bank simply to stay closed.

Perth and Kinross Council could be set to freeze its council tax rate for the financial year 2021/22 as the region attempts to recover from the pandemic.

the budget for 2021 in the Scottish Parliament, Kate Forbes said the pandemic had “shaken our society and economy to their core”.Here's five things from the SNP minister's speech you need to know.Scotland's tax bands stay the same, though will increase with inflation.The majority of taxpayers in Scotland will pay slightly less income tax than the rest of the UK - although this figure only amounted to around £20 last year.Forbes will freeze the top tax rate at £150,000 and claimed taxes will go down for all Scots compared with this year.On the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, which is levied on home purchases, Forbes last year announced a nil rate would be applied on transactions up to £250,000.She said the change was always meant to be

Kate Forbes, the SNP's finance secretary. Governments normally use the budget to outline the state of the country's finances and propose tax changes.

ditch its plans for a second referendum on independence and instead focus on the country's economic recovery.Housing charities have also pleaded with the finance secretary to commit more cash to building 53,000 more affordable homes over the term of the next Scottish Parliament.Speaking ahead of the budget, Forbes said: “This is the most important budget in the history of devolution. It comes as we are tackling a global pandemic and working to mitigate the damaging effects of a Brexit that Scotland did not vote for.“I must ensure that every penny I have at my disposal makes an impact.

wedding sector and its supply chain will open to applications this week. In recognition of the ongoing challenges faced by the industry, a further £10 million has been added to the £15 million announced in December.

Our Politics newsletter is now daily. Join thousands of others and get the latest Scottish politics news sent straight to your inbox.Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has announced she is engaged to be married.The 30 year old SNP MSP took to Twitter to make the public announcement days before she presents her second Scottish budget to Holyrood and having just launched support for the wedding industry.The Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP tweeted: “Having launched the Wedding Fund today, I should declare an interest as a brave man asked me to marry him on a snowy local walk over the last few days and I said yes.

Scottish Government has been accused by a Treasury minister of deliberately ignoring the financial coronavirus support it has received amid demands for more money to be released. Holyrood Finance Secretary Kate Forbes publicly called for the UK Government to release £21.3 billion of its financial reserves, an estimated £1.7 billion of which would come to Scotland.

Kate Forbes, the Scottish government finance secretary, called out the Chancellor for committing no new funds to deal with the latest lockdown as the Treasury trumpeted emergency support for businesses. Sunak laid out plans for an extra £4.6 billion in business support on Tuesday including £375 million for the Scottish government to distribute.

Sign up to the weekly West Lothian Courier newsletter for the latest West Lothian news and sport.West Lothian Council has received an additional £21.18m from the Scottish Government to support local services during the coronavirus pandemic.Local authorities will also receive their fair share of a further £184.8 million which is currently undistributed but will be allocated following parliamentary approval.The extra funding has also been provided to help offset the drop in revenue that West Lothian Council has lost during the pandemic and brings the overall support package to councils over the COVID-19 pandemic to more than £1 billion.The new figures come after Scotland’s Finance Secretary, Kate Forbes, announced that businesses, including

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.A financial cashpot of £185million to help small businesses has been welcomed but Jackie Baillie MSP says the fund needs to be made available now - not next month.And the Labour member said that local firms were struggling to get access to some of the existing support grants.Finance secretary Kate Forbes last week announced the package of £185 million in additional targeted support will be made available to businesses in January and includes targeted funds for the wedding sector and its supply chain, including photographers, hairdressers, taxi drivers, travel agents, coach companies and tour operators as well as visitor attractions.Jackie said: “I am

Cambuslang councillor has written to the Scottish Government to demand it does more to kick-start the local economy.

Kate Forbes, the Scottish Finance Secretary, has accused Rishi Sunak of cutting the Scottish government’s capital spending budget while increasing overall spending across the UK.

£500 package for low-income people in Scotland who have to stop going to work after exposure to coronavirus.Leonard wants the SNP Government to follow Northern Ireland by offering a £1500 grant.He told Scottish finance secretary Kate Forbes: "Taxi and private hire drivers who have picked up Covid-19 positive patients from hospitals have subsequently been contacted by Test and Protect and told to self-isolate."Leonard added: "However, because they are not in receipt of Universal Credit or legacy benefits, they are ineligible for the £500 self-isolation support grant."Given that they have substantial outgoings including costs for their vehicles, licence and other associated costs, as well as living expenses, they cannot afford to self-isolate

Holyrood, Scotland's Finance Secretary claims. Kate Forbes said she only learned the UK Budget had been cancelled on Twitter - which she fears could result in a delay to the Scottish budget.

Homebuyers in Scotland will be able to take advantage of reduced rates of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) from this week. The Scottish Government has announced that the threshold at which LBTT begins to be paid will rise from £145,000 to £250,000 on Wednesday, July 15 and will remain in place until March 31, 2021.

housing market was given a shot in the arm today as Kate Forbes announced a tax break in a bid to get the economy moving. Holyrood's finance secretary announced a package of measures in response to the mini-Budget announcement by UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Wednesday.