Political Comparison Made Easy

Helping young Scots find work

Over the next five years we will do more to help young Scots find the right training and employment. We have firm foundations to build on, including a record number of apprenticeship places announced in the Budget earlier this year. The SNP government's Economic Recovery Plan sets out the initiatives we will take in the year ahead. These include providing 46,500 training opportunities in 2011-12, including 7,000 flexible training opportunities within small and medium-sized enterprises and additional funding of £11.5m to help support the record 25,000 Modern Apprenticeship starts.

Taking this forward, we are committed to delivering continued opportunities for young Scots. Youth Employment Scotland will meann:

• 25,000 apprenticeship places a year - for the next five years
• £20 million of extra investment in training for work - ensuring 25,000 places for young people struggling to get into work
• Record support for college bursaries by continuing the £10 million of additional funding this coming year to provide 50,000 bursaries a year for the next five years

We will continue to focus on opportunities for young people making sure that programmes reach those most in need and particularly young women (who form the fastest growing section of the young employed) and those furthest from the labour markets. Rural Scotland also needs to be assured that rural industries and rural employment will be supported by training and apprenticeship activity.

Supporting enterprising young Scots

We also propose a further initiative targeted at Young Scots in training and higher and further education. We will establish a Youth Enterprise Scotland Challenge with a national prize fund of £100,000 to be awarded to the teams with the best ideas for taking forward a new business enterprise. This prize fund will be matched by a further £100,000 to provide mentoring and other support to the 10 finalists as they develop their concepts. We have seen the success of the MIT challenge in the USA, with that competition resulting in the creation of 130 new businesses and 2,500 new jobs.

Making training work better

Under SNP plans, local community partnerships will now have a greater role in commissioning training, putting decision making into the hands of those working directly with young people locally. And we are also examining ways of moving to a more demand-led approach - with employers and trainees being able to work together to choose the type of training opportunity and provider. We will publish proposals by the end of 2011, with the aim of ensuring training best meets the needs of the trainee and the business.

Modernising the modern apprenticeship

We also propose the creation of a new Graduate Apprenticeship. These university-level apprenticeships will enable new links between business, students and our universities, allowing students to work and earn as they study and improving work-focused skills alongside flexible higher level study. And we will adopt a similar approach for a wider range of College courses, with Technical Apprenticeships at HNC and HND level, focused on more of the technical skills our economy will need in the years ahead. This will build on the current Modern Apprenticeship. We will also ensure that science, technology, engineering and mathematics are promoted by means of skills training and that the "internship culture" is developed to ensure better links between enterprise and further and higher education.

Please see page 12 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

The party had no previous policy stated on its website for this topic for comparison.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (12:24pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

Caring for carers

Scotland depends on the work of unpaid carers. Without their support the lives of tens of thousands of Scots would be so much more difficult and there would be significant additional pressures on our public services. We owe it to Scotland's carers not only to get the laws and the guidance right, but also to make sure that words are translated into action on the ground.

Over these next five years we will work to make sure that unpaid carers are treated as partners in the health service and the particular circumstances of young carers is better recognised in our schools. Treatment for those cared for can and will be improved when the knowledge and experience of their carers is fully taken into account, and the SNP government will show leadership on this issue to ensure best practice becomes universal practice.

We want carers themselves to have a more direct voice in the decision making process and will bring forward proposals for an annual "Carers Parliament" which will allow carers themselves to raise the issues that impact most on their lives with MSPs and Scottish Government ministers.

Because we recognise the pressures on unpaid carers, this year's budget includes funding to maintain our commitment to an extra 10,000 weeks' respite provision per year. We will protect this investment over the next five years. We will provide an additional £2 million on top of the £1 million already committed for each of the next four years to provide short breaks for families who have severely disabled children, making our commitment £6 million in total. We will take forward our new Carers and Young Carers Strategy and will continue with our £5 million investment each year in the Carer Information Strategies delivered through the NHS. This provides much-needed support to local carer centres and training for carers. And, because we recognise the pressures on family budgets as a result of higher fuel costs, we will also extend our Energy Assistance Package to people on Carers' Allowance. We will also continue our activity to assist Kinship carers.

We all have a role to play in supporting carers. That's why the SNP will encourage Scotland's business community to play its part too. We will create a new Caring for Carers Employers' Kite-mark. This will recognise those employers who offer the best support to carers, allowing them the flexibility they often need to deliver care at home.

Please see page 16 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

The party had no previous policy stated on its website for this topic for comparison.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (12:50pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

Justice

A visible police presence

The best way to fight crime and make our neighbourhoods safer is to have a visible police presence on our street. That is why over the last four years the SNP has put 1000 more police on the beat in Scotland.

Thanks in no small part to this increased police presence Scotland is now a safer place to live. Crime rates have fallen by a fifth since the SNP came to power and are now at their lowest level for 32 years. That means there are now 80,000 fewer crimes recorded by the police each year. Violent crime is also falling and is now at its lowest level for a quarter of a century.

Every bit as important as these statistics is the fact that studies show that fear of crime is falling in Scotland, proving that the increased police presence is making people feel safer.

We must build on this progress over the next five years. That's why we are committed to maintaining the 1000 extra police on the beat delivered in our first four years in power.

And we will ensure that these police officers are where they are most needed Ð out and about in our communities, not in the back office. We will achieve this through improving the way policing is organised in this country. Scotland currently has eight police forces, each with their own bureaucracy, PR departments and management. This is an unsustainable situation in the face of unprecedented Westminster cuts. In order to maintain the increased visible police presence we will reduce the number of police forces in Scotland. However, we will ensure that Scottish policing remains receptive and accountable to the varied and diverse communities that they serve.

Effective action that is reducing knife crime

We know that knife crime remains one of the gravest threats to public safety in Scotland and have acted to get knives off our streets. Knife crime has fallen by almost one third since the SNP came to power - that means more than 3000 fewer knife crimes a year.

Our plans are based on proven police action that works. We have increased the use of stop and search - there were 250,000 in Strathclyde last year alone. More stop and search has meant fewer people carrying knives through fear of being caught. Those who do carry are more likely to be caught and are going to prison for longer - sentences for knife carrying are the longest in a decade.

We will extend the tried and tested methods that work in reducing knife crime. We have doubled funding for the highly-successful "No Knives, Better Lives" scheme, a project that has seen a 35 per cent drop in knife crime through raising awareness of the dangers of knife crime amongst young people, and will roll it out across the country.

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour

The vast majority of young people in Scotland are good citizens that we can all be proud of, and only a small number are to blame for much of the anti-social behaviour that harms our society. So we will help youngsters stay out of trouble while coming down hard on the persistent offenders.

We will extend and enhance the CashBack for Communities scheme, which has taken £40 million of the ill-gotten gains from organised crime and invested it in sport and cultural projects for young people in exactly those areas that are worst affected by crime and deprivation. To date, more than 500,000 young people have benefitted from this fund. We will reform the Proceeds of Crime Act to take even more money off criminals to re-invest in opportunities for young Scots in our communities.

Crucial to eradicating anti-social behaviour is tackling the underlying causes, in particular cheap booze. Cheap and widely available alcohol fuels a huge amount of anti-social behaviour in this country and we will, therefore, re-introduce our minimum pricing plans.

For those who do offend, we will continue to use on-the-spot fines to make sure that petty offenders cannot escape the consequences of their actions. In government, the SNP has increased the use of fixed penalty notices so that anti-social behaviour does not go unpunished. Last year alone there were 61,000 fixed penalty notices, an increase of 26 per cent, which means swift justice for low-level offenders who may otherwise have been lost in the court system.

We will adopt a zero-tolerance approach to football-related violence and prejudice, including domestic abuse, alcohol misuse, racism and sectarianism, and we will work with the police and the wider community to clamp down on such intolerable behaviour. We will take forward the six-point plan agreed at the recent summit with ScotlandÕs football authorities and Strathclyde police, and progress the work of the task force which is examining how to implement the six-point agreement.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence in Scotland is falling but is still far too high. We are implementing Safer Lives: Changed Lives - a shared approach to tackling violence against women in conjunction with our partners in local government. We will also maintain funding for Scottish Women's Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland.

At the end of last year we acted to close a loophole which made it more difficult to secure prosecutions for domestic violence incidents that happen in a private place. A new offence of "engaging in threatening or abusive behaviour" has been created and we will work with the prosecutors and the police to ensure this welcome new piece of legislation also makes a positive difference for the women and men who suffer domestic violence.

We have also taken action on stalking by tightening up the law to give prosecutors greater scope to convict those who prey on unsuspecting members of the public. Those who engage in stalking or harassment via mobile phones or social networking can also now be brought to justice.

Prison and Sentencing

In government, the SNP has taken action to end the prison revolving door that sees three-quarters of prisoners re-offend within just two years of their release. We have replaced ineffective short-term sentences with tough and effective community punishments that force petty offenders to repay their debt to society through hard work in the community that they have wronged. Last year alone, petty offenders were forced to carry out 1.4 million hours of work in the community - from shifting snow to clearing up litter. The evidence shows that low level criminals who are punished in the community are far less likely to re-offend, so community punishment makes our society safer.

Instead of using prisons to give low-level offenders free bed and board for a few months, we can now use prison for keeping dangerous criminals off our streets. Under the SNP, those who commit serious crimes are going to prison for longer.

This is an approach that works. So we will build on it in the coming years. In the face of huge Tory budget cuts, we will maintain funding for Community Payback Orders so that offenders repay their debt to society through hard labour. We will work to establish the Sentencing Council, already legislated for, which will increase input from communities into sentencing.

We will address the explosion in the female prison population, which has doubled in the last decade despite the number of females committing offences staying the same. We will commission a review of female offending, including the rise in female incarceration.

We will also continue to invest in the prison estate. Despite unprecedented cuts to the Scottish capital budget by the UK Government, we will deliver HMP Low Moss and HMP Grampian as well as the second phase of HMP Shotts.

Organised Crime

Throughout our first term in office we made dealing with organised criminal gangs a priority. We have taken £40 million from organised criminals over the last four years to re-invest in the communities they have damaged. We want to take even more money off criminals, so we will seek to refine proceeds of crime legislation, at both Scottish and UK level, to increase the number of offences that this legislation covers. We will keep the legislation under constant review so that police are able to react quickly to developments in the criminal world. Currently, the UK Government keeps anything above £30 million in one year that is raised through the Act Ð we will open negotiations to remove this limit and allow even more money seized from criminals to be invested in our communities.

Organised gangs prey on hard-working and law-abiding businesses, using taxi firms or tanning salons as a front for their criminal activities. The SNP will not stand by and let legitimate businesses be infiltrated by thugs and criminals. So we will introduce new Serious and Organised Crime Prevention Orders to restrict the activities of those with known criminal connections, including getting involved in running a business.

Despite the big reductions in Scotland's capital budget we will deliver the Scottish Crime Campus at Gartcosh - Scotland's first serious organised crime campus. This will greatly enhance police ability to disrupt and prosecute organised criminals Ð for instance through a state-of-the-art forensic lab.

Supporting the Victims of Crime

The most important people in the criminal justice system are the victims. In government, the SNP has legislated to rebalance the justice system in favour of victims by giving courts more flexibility to award compensation against an offender and update compensation orders so they can reflect changes in the means of the offender. We have also provided more protection for vulnerable witnesses, including making it easier for courts to grant witnesses anonymity.

We are determined to build on this progress and ensure that the rights of victims are always the priority in our justice system. That is why we will introduce a Victims' Rights Bill. This legislation will enshrine in law a victim's right to damages and compensation. It will also give victims input into sentencing policy and parole decisions, so that those who are most affected by crime have a say in how criminals are dealt with.

We know from Victim Support Scotland that too many victims accepting compensation offers or receiving compensation orders are paid late, and for many victims receiving compensation is a drawn out and stressful affair. We will look at that situation and put in place measures to help victims get their compensation more quickly.

Victims of crime will benefit from the continuation of our important legal reforms. Early on in our period of office we reformed the law to allow the Crown the right of appeal and we have legislated to address double jeopardy. If re-elected we will seek to introduce a law of evidence of similar fact - commonly known as a "Bad Character" law. This will mean that, in some of the most serious cases such as murder or rape, relevant previous convictions will be permissible as evidence.

Automatic Early Release

Over the last four years, we have made real progress towards transparency in sentencing. In the courts, the judiciary are clearer in spelling out the period that applies for custody and under licence in serious cases. The length of sentence for those committing the most serious offences has increased, improving public safety. We have also legislated for a sentencing council to help deliver more consistent and transparent sentencing.

We will build on the work already done and involve the sentencing council in further action to address unconditional early automatic release. We remain committed to ending automatic early release once the criteria set by the McLeish Commission are met. Those released on licence must be appropriately supervised for their risk and harm they pose. With Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPAs) now established to coordinate the agencies who manage offenders, we will continue to work to make our communities safer and the courts that protect them more transparent.

Please see pages 18-19 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

Please see this SCREEN GRAB of the previous version of this policy from the party website.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (1:11pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

Culture

We will support Creative Scotland as it takes forward its business plan and strategic vision, in turn, empowering our artists to be powerful advocates for Scotland at home and abroad.

Literature

We will establish a National Book Week from 2012 and further develop and enhance the artists' residency programme through the "Creative Futures" programme. This significant residency programme will support an initial 200 residencies across all artistic practices and genres, including writers.

Libraries

We want to support Scotland's network of libraries and see a future role for many local libraries as "cultural hubs" building on the valuable role played by libraries in communities across Scotland.

Education and Culture

We will take forward the proposals in the Education and Culture Action Plan and continue our support for the Creativity Portal to give teachers access to projects and opportunities offered by cultural organisations across Scotland. We will provide training and professional support to teachers and creative practitioners and take forward a National Arts Education Network.

Outreach

We will continue to support and encourage outreach and education programmes of the National Collections, National Companies and Creative Scotland and in particular will support the Let's Get Scotland Dancing initiative as part of the Commonwealth Games 2014 legacy work. We recognise the benefits of this work in terms of health and well-being as well as cultural experience, and the confidence and skills generated and developed by being involved in experiences such as music, dance, art and theatre.

Museums and Galleries

We will implement a new national strategy for Scotland's museum and gallery sector, including the establishment of a National Development Body. The Scottish Government will directly fund the Scottish Mining Museum, Scottish Maritime Museum, and Scottish Fisheries Museum.

Scotland's languages

We support the introduction of a Scottish Studies element within the curriculum and see this as an important vehicle for protecting and promoting ScotlandÕs languages and also their literature. We will develop a national Scots language policy, with increased support for Scots in education, encouragement of a greater profile for Scots in the media, and the establishment of a network of Scots co-ordinators. We will promote the acquisition, use and status of Gaelic through the implementation of the Gaelic Action Plan with the aim of ensuring that by 2021 the proportion of Gaelic speakers is back up to 2001 levels. We will continue to raise the profile of the Gaelic language across Scotland, and, crucially, ensure that in Scotland's most strongly Gaelic-speaking communities, Gaelic continues to be in use as a community language.

Heritage and Built Environment

We have introduced new legislation to protect and promote our unique heritage and built environment, providing new safeguards that prevent inappropriate development and allow us to pass on a legacy of which future generations of Scots can be proud. The historic environment directly supports around 41,000 jobs and is estimated to contribute more than £2.3 billion to Scotland, making it a significant contributor to sustainable economic growth. We will continue to support Historic Scotland as they take forward their strategy for sustaining and developing traditional building skills including their plans for a National Conservation Centre in Stirling.

Across Scotland we have invested substantially in our nation's heritage including the Stirling Palace Project, the Royal Museum, National Portrait Gallery and the new Burns Museum in Alloway and this will remain a focus for the next five years.

St Andrew's Day

The SNP believes that St Andrew's Day should be marked more widely across Scotland. To take this forward we will ensure that for 2014 - our next year of Homecoming - St Andrew's Day is celebrated as a full national holiday. We will assess the success of this initiative before setting out our proposals for future celebration of St Andrew's Day as a national holiday.

Please see page 33 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

The party had no previous policy stated on its website for this topic for comparison.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (2:10pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

More Jobs and Faster Economic Growth

Over the next five years we will take forward our Scottish Growth Strategy, focusing our efforts on growth companies, growth sectors and growth markets so we can grow jobs and wealth here in Scotland.

Growth Companies: we will direct our efforts and resources to create the right environment for growth companies here in Scotland. By enhancing the underlying strengths and opportunities of our economy we will help Scottish companies to expand and enhance our nation's reputation as an attractive place for international investment.

Growth Sectors: we will continue to support the sectors of our economy which have the potential to drive future growth. We are working hard to make Scotland Europe's green energy powerhouse, so we can make the most of our vast green energy potential and create new jobs. We also have comparative advantages in our creative industries, financial services, food and drink, sustainable tourism and life-sciences, among others.

Growth Markets: over the next five years we will be stepping up efforts to align our investment towards new international growth markets. The global recovery is being led by emerging economies, and improved access to these markets will open up Scottish exports to new consumers - 2.5 billion in India and China alone. This provides important opportunities in what is an increasingly global and competitive marketplace - opportunities we are determined Scottish companies will be well placed to seize.

And, to provide the necessary foundations for these three strands of our strategy we will continue to build Scotland's skills, infrastructure and competitive base. We are committed to ensuring Scotland's business rates package remains the most competitive in the UK, including a commitment to continue to match the English business rates poundage.

We will not make use of the Scottish Variable Rate in the term of the next parliament.

Helping Small Businesses Create Jobs

At the heart of our plans to create more jobs and deliver faster economic growth will be our Small Business Jobs Plan. We will make it easier for small businesses to take on an apprentice and also allow small businesses to share an apprentice, enabling many more businesses to offer apprenticeship opportunities to young Scots. As part of our expansion of apprenticeship places, we will put particular effort into opening up opportunities for training in our small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) tell us that if just one in five of the self-employed in Scotland moved to take on a single member of staff, there would be an extra 40,000 jobs in the Scottish economy. We recognise this potential and so will introduce specific support for small businesses looking to take on their first member of staff, in particular assistance with drafting contracts and setting up payroll and PAYE systems. In the year ahead we will provide specific financial support to encourage small businesses to take on new staff with £7.5 million of employment assistance. This alone can help 7,000 Scots back in to a job.

Small businesses across the country have told us the difference our Small Business Bonus has made during the downturn. So, we will keep the Small Business Bonus – an initiative that is now helping 80,000 local companies, with 60,000 paying no rates at all. The Small Business Bonus has protected jobs in the recession and will create jobs as our economy recovers. It will be a direct investment in our local entrepreneurs, providing a welcome boost to local economies.

We will introduce an online One-Stop Finance Information Service - a single point of information for businesses on government financial support that is available and an advice point for small businesses looking for commercial loans or finance. And because we know access to finance is crucial for job creation and business growth, we will look to expand initiatives, such as the East of Scotland Investment Fund, to widen availability of affordable lending and continue with the Scottish Loan Fund. We will look for new ways to increase the size of this fund beyond the current £95 million investment.

The Scottish Loan Fund is just one part of the Scottish Investment Bank and over the next five years we will take forward this important initiative, building on the £250 million already in place to widen support and loan funding for high-growth Scottish companies, big and small.

Community Jobs Scotland

Improving the employment prospects for young people is an important task in the years ahead, as we work to build on the record 86.8% of young Scots leaving school to move into employment, training or Higher and Further Education. Community Jobs Scotland will provide 2000 new work opportunities in Scotland's third sector, a £10 million investment in young people's futures as part of our wider youth employment and training support. Scotland's charitable and voluntary organisations are superbly placed to provide opportunities for young people to develop skills across a wide range of occupations and this initiative will also provide significant benefits for communities across Scotland.

Export Support Package

We will support growing businesses with a new Export Support Package so that Scotland can sell more to the world, creating jobs here at home. In the year ahead we will provide £2.5 million for a new Export Support initiative. This will deliver bespoke advice and support for 100 Scottish companies looking to enter new markets overseas. Alongside this, we will look to the Scottish Investment Bank to prioritise lending to support the internationalisation of SMEs and we will continue our enthusiastic support and funding for the new Smart Exporter initiative. This collaboration between Scottish Development International and Scottish Chambers International will provide assistance to around 8,000 Scottish businesses over the next three years to help them maximize exporting opportunities.

We are ambitious for Scotland's exporters and confident in their ability to contribute to higher levels of sustainable economic growth. We will set a target to increase exports across all sectors of our economy. We believe Scottish business can deliver a 50% increase in exports over the next 6 years. And to assist new and current exporters we will develop a new online export tool - Virtual Trade Centres - providing information and advice for Scottish companies looking to expand overseas. And because local market knowledge is an essential element of any successful export expansion, we will look to work with existing export companies to deliver a business-to-business mentoring service for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Please see page 10 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

Please see this SCREEN GRAB of the previous version of this policy from the party website.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (9:17pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

Schools

Stability in our Schools

We will provide stability in our classrooms. As a nation we have agreed the reforms that are required and it is now about the successful implementation and delivery of those improvements through the Curriculum for Excellence. The SNP will, therefore, focus on building and completing the roll out of CfE, providing the support teachers and schools need to make it real from 0-18 and beyond, including continuing professional development.

Continuous Improvement in Educational Attainment

The most recent figures from the respected survey of international education performance, PISA 2009, show that the decline in Scotland's educational performance has been halted. After a period of drift since devolution, the first assessment under an SNP government shows that the tide has turned, with Scottish pupils performing above the international average in reading and science, at the international average in maths and at the same level as in England and Northern Ireland and better than Wales. We are determined to see an increased performance in the next PISA survey.

Curriculum for Excellence

The Curriculum for Excellence will deliver the connected, balanced and flexible approach which we need and it will free our teachers to teach. It will make teaching more enjoyable for those who do it, and those who benefit from it. And like all positive change, the more it is embraced, the more good it will do. We will enable our teachers and schools to deliver new learning through the Curriculum for Excellence, making it the cornerstone of education, providing the educational route from the earliest years through school to college, university and beyond. This will equip all our young people for life, work, leisure and further learning in the modern world.

The Curriculum for Excellence will have at its core a new emphasis on literacy and numeracy so we get the basics right from the early years. And we will work to improve outcomes and deliver a more flexible and personal learning experience for every child. Scotland's ambition should be to eradicate illiteracy and innumeracy and the actions we take over these next five years will be focused on delivering significant progress towards this goal.

Ultimately, our new curriculum will nurture young people as successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens. And, like the best education systems in the world, it will focus on quality of the teaching, which requires investment in teachers, and on the quality of the resources available, which is why we will continue to support the world-leading schools intranet and the new Online National Assessment Resource.

A New Generation of National Qualifications

New and refreshed qualifications, building on what we have, will be available from 2013-14 onwards to meet the needs of the first group of young people to have benefited from the new curriculum. We will ensure the successful delivery of these new qualifications, on time and on budget.

Smaller Class Sizes in Early Years

Smaller classes help improve the quality of the pupil teacher interaction which in turn leads to improved learning. Over these past four years class sizes in our primary schools have got smaller. They are now at record low levels. Progress has been made and there is more work to do. And, smaller class sizes ¥particularly in Primaries 1-3 and in the areas of greatest deprivation - are worth working for.

With local government we will look first to maintain the recent improvement before continuing with progressive reductions in class sizes and improved pupil-teacher ratios. And, in doing so we will also support initiatives such as nurture groups which are showing good results for many pupils.

From August this year there will be a new legal limit of 25 on class sizes in Primary 1. And over the next five years we will bring together the complex guidance and legislation on class sizes to deliver a coherent system in Scotland's schools to support progressive reductions in the youngest years.

Supporting our Teachers

We have introduced the McCormac Review into the 2001 McCrone agreement to see whether, 10 years on, that deal is delivering all the benefits that were intended for both teachers and pupils, is suited to the delivery of Curriculum for Excellence, attracts the most-talented people into the teaching profession and promotes strong leadership. The review will also examine the cost and size of the teacher workforce in the context of the current financial climate. We will carefully assess the recommendations made in the review and working in partnership will take forward those that we believe will deliver improvements in Scottish education.

We will also work with the profession and other partners to take forward the recommendations of the Donaldson Review, Teaching Scotland's Future. Our aim is to equip teachers with the skills and continuous professional development they need. We believe many of the recommendations, for example, on hub schools, the incorporation of Masters level credits into ongoing professional development and increased quality assurance, will provide a new direction and improved outcomes.

After a difficult period for teacher employment, in part caused by decisions by some local authorities to reduce teacher numbers rather than prioritise smaller classes, we have now reached agreement with local government to deliver sufficient teaching posts for all probationers who successfully complete their probation in summer 2011, and a place for all probationer teachers who require one under the induction scheme in August 2011. We now have the lowest teacher unemployment in the UK and are committed to reducing it further.

Ensuring the Highest Quality in Education

We will ensure the successful creation of the new Scottish Education Quality and Improvement Agency, which will bring the work of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education and Learning and Teaching Scotland together in one place. This new agency will improve the efficiency of the national bodies supporting education. It will be responsible for driving forward innovation in education by promoting best practice and providing support, resources and feedback based on inspections.

This quality and improvement body will be charged with leading the drive to complete the implementation of the new curriculum, improving our school education and encouraging innovation in our classrooms. It will do this with less bureaucracy, less red tape and with more resources freed to go to the frontline.

Minimising the Barriers to Education

We will keep the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). We will also work to ensure the EMA takes account of the needs of young carers, with more flexibility to recognise the particular pressures that some youngster face balancing school and caring responsibilities.

We are also proud of our action to extend free school meals and in time will look at ways of expanding current provision. We will also look to work with local authorities to identify other steps we can take in the future, when there is less pressure on education budgets, to improve support for low income families to help meet the costs associated with school, for example school uniforms and school trips.

Schools for the Future

We have already delivered 330 new and refurbished schools in the last four years - more than our predecessors. We will now take forward our £1.25 billion investment in new schools, with projects in every local authority area in Scotland. We are determined to replace or refurbish the worst condition schools in Scotland and will develop a new, third phase of school building to ensure an ongoing pipeline of new projects.

We halved the number of children in unsuitable buildings during our first term - we will do the same during our second, getting it down to a level where such buildings can be completely eliminated within a further five years. That will have undone the harm done over several generations by the Tory and Labour governments that neglected school maintenance and failed to replace crumbling buildings.

Working with the Scottish Futures Trust we will also look at ways of delivering greener schools, both in terms of construction and design. And we will work to ensure Scotland maintains its lead position on information and communication technology in our schools.

Please see pages 23-24 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

Please see this SCREEN GRAB of the previous version of this policy from the party website.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (1:30pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

CTP has divided the SNP manifesto between "Low Carbon Ambition and Opportunity" under "Energy", and "Climate Change and Environment" under "Environment". There is considerable cross over between both so you may wish to consult both policy areas.

Low Carbon Ambition and Opportunity

Making the Most of Scotland's Low Carbon Opportunity

We are committed to ensuring there are 130,000 jobs in the low carbon economy by 2020.

We have established the £70 million National Renewables Infrastructure Fund, with the first funding now allocated and more to come in the years ahead. This will strengthen port and manufacturing facilities and supply chain provision across the country and make sure Scotland is well placed to secure investment in the manufacture of offshore wind turbines and related components. This too will leverage significant private sector investment in the next five years and, on its own, help deliver 28,000 jobs and £7.1 billion in value to Scotland's economy over the next ten years. To date, projects have been approved with an estimated spend of £378 million.

We are working hard to ensure that Scottish business is well placed to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the low-carbon economy. That includes reprioritising the £15 million of innovation funding in the Lowlands European Structural Funds Programme towards the Low Carbon Economy, to support the development of those innovative low-carbon technologies where Scotland has the greatest competitive advantage. This match funding can create £60 million of support in the years ahead to help create jobs in new and innovative projects.

We are providing updated online planning advice for renewable energy technologies. This will set out the way SEPA and SNH will interact more proportionately as consultees in development planning and management. We will continue to work over the next five years to ensure Scotland's planning system encourages sustainable development.

We will work with communities and developers to agree ways of ensuring an enhanced role for local people in agreeing sites for wind turbines when these are to be located within close proximity of the communities themselves. We are keen to expand public and community ownership of renewables projects and will work with investors to establish a new Scottish Green Equity Fund to support the development of community projects.

Renewables Targets

When we took office we raised the renewable electricity target for 2020 from 40 per cent to 50 per cent, and have recently raised it further to 80 per cent. However, given the scale of Scotland's offshore renewable potential we believe our nation can achieve even more and so we propose increasing our 2020 target to 100 per cent. Scotland will remain a big exporter of electricity and we will also generate 100 per cent of our electricity needs from renewable power. There is, of course, no upper limit to our ambition. We will also work with industry to explore whether we should also extend our renewable heat target.

We have also set a target of 2 GW renewable energy production by 2020 from the land managed on behalf of Ministers by Forestry Commission Scotland, including delivery of market-leading community benefits. We also wish to see a rapid expansion of renewable energy production by Scottish Water.

Equipping Scots with Green Skills

Given the scale of the opportunity presented to Scotland as a result of our low-carbon ambition, our technological and scientific expertise and the vast renewable energy potential around our shores, we are determined to ensure that Scotland's people have the skills they need to prosper as a result of our nation's green energy revolution. That's why, as part of our announcement of a record number of modern apprenticeships each year for the next five years, we have confirmed 500 dedicated apprenticeships for the energy and low-carbon industry.

We have already supported business in the development of green skills hubs in Scotland to ensure we have the capacity to deliver energy efficiency and renewable generation measures in our communities and our homes and we will work to expand these sorts of initiatives. We also will work with our colleges and other training providers to establish improved connections and build capacity with networks of providers through regional Green Skills Academies. These will not be new bricks and mortar buildings but will instead make full use of existing resources and facilities as a starting point for increased provision.

Supporting Businesses

We have just recently made it easier for owners of public buildings and businesses to generate energy using technologies such as solar panels without requiring planning permission. The initiative will apply for solar thermal panels, solar photo voltaic panels, pipework for ground source heat pumps and water source heat pumps and biomass boilers.

We are also developing a single energy and resource efficiency service to business, enabling all companies to gain access to streamlined support.

Research

We've recently supported the new Scottish Energy Laboratory (SEL) to strengthen collaboration across 50 energy research, test and demonstration facilities and underpin Scotland's leading position in low-carbon energy development. We will continue to support this initiative and look for ways of further enhancing Scotland's energy research base. We will also work to attract new international R&D investment to Scotland. Already, three of the six largest turbine manufacturers in the world, Gamesa, Mitsubishi and Doosan, are committed to research and development for their offshore wind technology here in Scotland. And substantial work is also being undertaken by indigenous Scottish companies including Scottish and Southern Energy, Scottish Power and BiFab. We will work to build on this growing research activity to cement Scotland's place at the forefront of offshore renewable technology.

Saltire Prize

The Saltire Prize, has attracted more than 150 registrations of interest from 31 countries. It will remain a central part of the SNPÕs offshore energy strategy.

Marine Renewables

Scotland has a particular wealth of opportunity and resource for marine renewables, and some of the leading companies in wave technology including Aquamarine and Pelamis. This is seen by the world-leading developments around our shores, including the recent confirmation by Scottish Power Renewables of the world's largest tidal flow scheme off Islay. This is the first of many major initiatives, as Scotland moves into a lead position in technology and deployment of marine renewables. Scotland has been described as the "Saudi Arabia of tidal power", and the potential offered by our marine renewables is of a scale that can match the wealth and opportunity created by oil and gas in the North Sea.

We are acting to support the development of this sector with the publication of Regional Locational Guidance on the areas of ScotlandÕs seas most suited to marine energy development.

This year we will also complete the Strategic Environmental Assessment process for offshore wind energy in Scottish territorial waters. Together these will provide developers with greater confidence to invest and ensure that development is sustainable and takes account of impact on other marine users.

We are developing statutory, integrated marine plans for all Scottish waters out to 200 nautical miles to provide the framework for sustainable economic growth and sound management. We will consult on our proposals later this year.

Our Strategic Vision

When the SNP entered government we said we would make the creation of a North Sea Supergrid a central focus of our international efforts. With the backing of the European Union and nations across the North Sea now signed up, the supergrid is on its way: and that will allow us to get the vast energy from offshore Scotland to markets across Europe. An SNP government will also prioritise North Sea Carbon Capture with Scotland becoming a hub for technology, transportation and storage. We want Scotland not only to rule the waves with marine renewables, but to lead Europe in Carbon Capture.

We are also determined to provide strategic support for the offshore renewables sector and will continue to work with the industry as we press for reform of the transmission charging regime as part of wider electricity market reform.

In government we will also look at ways of driving down costs for the renewables sector, and will work with the industry to explore new initiatives such as joint procurement arrangements for insurance and vessels.

Hydro Power

We have published two hydropower studies which suggest that up to a further 1200 MW of economically-viable, small-scale hydro could be exploited in Scotland. We are streamlining the hydro consent process by recently consulting on raising the threshold for consent, which would release further renewable energy capacity by encouraging schemes of over 1 MW.

Carbon Generation

We have published the Electricity Generation Policy statement for Scotland setting out the Scottish GovernmentÕs position on the role for renewable electricity and fossil fuel thermal generation in Scotland's future energy mix. It sets out new developments and implications in the following areas. Any new coal-fired station would need to demonstrate Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) on at least 300 MW of its capacity from day one and retro-fitting for those stations by no later than 2025, with 100 per cent CCS expected on new builds from 2020. The policy statement also makes clear that increased renewable generation means we now see no energy need for additional thermal generation plants.

Biomass

We support the expansion of local, small-scale biomass and share public concerns over the large-scale schemes now being proposed in some parts of Scotland.

Please see page 34 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

Please see this SCREEN GRAB of the previous version of the Environment policy from the party website which may be relevant.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (4:39pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

CTP has divided the SNP manifesto between "Low Carbon Ambition and Opportunity" under "Energy", and "Climate Change and Environment" under "Environment". There is considerable cross over between both so you may wish to consult both policy areas.

Climate Change and Environment

Over these past four years we have made sure Climate Change is at the heart of our actions in government. Parliament united to pass important Climate Change legislation and we have also set out in our Adaptation Framework the options facing our nation if we are to meet our targets. Scotland is already more than halfway to meeting our 2020 target of a 42% reduction in emissions and it is clear that more work is needed in the years ahead.

We have introduced carbon budgeting in Scotland and put Climate Change considerations at the very heart of decision making making in government. We will continue to press the EU to move to increase its reduction target from 20 per cent to 30 per cent and work with the UK government to remove barriers in areas such as transmission charges to enable Scotland to make the greatest possible carbon reduction contribution. Our approach is not one that will see us moving straight to regulation. We will look first to encouragement and voluntary action and will support individuals and communities across Scotland as they make their own contribution to reducing output of CO2. This approach is illustrated in our Future Transport Fund and Warm Homes Fund set out earlier in this manifesto. These will enable us to take important action within communities to reduce carbon emissions.

Transport

We will begin to develop the infrastructure to support electric cars, beginning in our urban areas and in the central belt, and will continue to increase the proportion of transport spending that goes on low-carbon, active and sustainable travel. We can make big carbon savings from transport. That is why we will also take forward our proposals for the electrification of the central Scotland rail network and continue to support the expansion of Park and Ride facilities across Scotland.

Carbon Sinks

We will make use of our natural carbon sinks, including the development of those in the marine environment. We will take action to protect and restore peatlands and will significantly expand our forest estate with the planting of 100 million trees by 2015.

Renewable Heat

We will establish an Expert Commission on the Delivery of District Heating to advise on the steps we need to take to ensure a major move to district heating in Scotland. We will ask the Scottish Futures Trust to provide advice on the most appropriate financial mechanisms to support the up front cost, paid back from the future savings from such schemes. In the meantime, we will take forward our proposals for a District Heating Loan Fund.

Energy Efficiency

We will take forward plans for "Pay as you Save" energy efficiency schemes for households and businesses and bring together investment from our two existing funds into a single national Universal Home Insulation Scheme. Our target, by introducing new, self-financing funding models would be to increase annual spending on energy efficiency in Scotland, including by the Scottish Government and through the current Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and future Energy Company Obligation. We will work with the UK government and energy companies to ensure Scotland is well placed to maximise funding.

Climate Challenge Fund

We are increasing funding for the community-focused Climate Challenge Fund in the year ahead and will maintain its funding over the next five years. And, on a trial basis, we will allow some schemes to generate an income, potentially helping projects move to a stronger financial footing and allowing funds to be used to support new projects. We will also establish as part of the fund a new Junior Climate Challenge Fund to encourage projects involving young Scots in their communities.

Research

We will continue to support the Centre for Climate Change and Research in Scotland and encourage closer collaboration within Scotland's academic community on climate change adaptation and mitigation projects. Scotland is, for example, at the forefront of research into smart grids and we will continue to support and encourage the development and use of this technology.

Our Marine Environment

We want to develop our National Marine Plan for Scotland and regional marine plans to ensure a balanced use of our seas within a wider ecosystem approach. We will work with partners to explore how we can regenerate Scotland's marine environment. This will include efforts to reduce marine litter.

Biodiversity

We will continue efforts to protect Scotland's natural habitats and native species. And, we will work with communities to explore the creation of new National Parks, and seek views on Scottish participation in the UNESCO Biosphere initiative.

Moving to a Zero Waste Scotland

Last year we published Scotland's first ever Zero Waste strategy and we are now measuring recycling on the basis of carbon contribution. We are determined to build on a record which has seen big improvements in recycling rates and reductions in waste going to landfill.

We have set two new targets that will apply to all waste: a 70 per cent target for recycled waste and maximum 5 per cent to be sent to landfill, both by 2025. We also want to see a total ban on organic waste being sent to landfill by 2017. We will monitor these targets and look to increase them where appropriate. We will introduce Zero Waste legislation during 2011, with the intention that new measures will come into force in 2013, subject to the consultation process.

Viewing waste as a resource opens many doors. Instead of carelessly discarding materials to landfill, we can create new products and generate renewable energy, heat and fertiliser while creating over 2,000 jobs. Our Zero Waste Plan will help deliver progressive landfill bans, with the end goal of there being no waste with reuse or recycling potential being sent to landfill by 2020.

We will also look to pilot a deposit return/reverse vending systems for single use plastic, glass and aluminium containers and will work with partners in the retail sector to explore options. We will also seek to phase out free plastic bags in supermarkets and, if needs be, will consider legislation. We will encourage Scottish companies to sign up to a Zero Waste Pledge and will work to attract a plastics reprocessing plant to Scotland.

Energy from Waste

The 25 per cent cap on municipal waste that can be used for Energy for Waste schemes will be replaced with a package of measures, including landfill bans, mandatory segregation of certain waste types, a limit on the biodegradable content of waste that can be landfilled, and restrictions on the materials that may be input to incinerators. This will form part of our Zero Waste Bill. We will seek, in particular, to expand small-scale biomass from food and farm waste.

The Contribution of the Public Sector

We will continue to take steps to reduce the carbon footprint of the Scottish Government and its agencies and will encourage all parts of the public sector to play their part in meeting our emissions targets. We will look to integrate climate change more closely into policy work across government, for example through public health policy and in our schools.

A Wider Assessment of National Success

We will build on Scotland Performs to ensure a broader assessment of national wellbeing and success.

Green Investment Bank

We will continue to press for the proposed Green Investment Bank to be located in Scotland. We will work to secure maximum investment for Scotland through the Green Investment Bank. Given Scotland's massive renewable energy resource we believe that Scottish projects should attract investment of at least £1 billion.

The Fossil Fuel Levy

Any investment in the Green Investment Bank should not be at the expense of Scotland's £200 million Fossil Fuel Levy. We will demand the release of the Fossil Fuel Levy. The resources currently locked up as a result of UK Treasury rules could provide an additional boost to Scotland's renewables sector. The release of this money would allow for important investment in building our renewables infrastructure across Scotland, such as capacity in Nigg and other Highland ports. This will allow us to do even more to to release our offshore renewable potential and make Scotland Europe's clean, green energy powerhouse. There is an opportunity for 50,000 direct and indirect jobs in offshore wind and 10,000 in other offshore marine technologies, and the UK government must no longer stand in the way.

Please see page 35 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

Please see this SCREEN GRAB of the previous version of this policy from the party website.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (4:33pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

QUESTION: Please state the party policy for the heading "Further and Higher Education". In particular, who should pay for a student's education? How much money would you invest in Scottish a) colleges and b) universities in the next two years?

Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education [candidate for Argyll and Bute]:

Access to university must be based on ability to learn and not ability to pay. In opposition and in government the SNP has stood steadfast against charging students. That's why we abolished the backdoor tuition fees introduced by Labour and the Liberals restoring free education to Scotland. And, it's why we will not now introduce tuition fees – upfront or backdoor – if re-elected.

Scottish universities are amongst the best in the world and we want them to remain competitive. So we will fill any funding gap that opens up north and south of the border. We've agreed with the universities themselves how much is needed – £155m extra by 2014/15 – and we will ensure they receive it. This will guarantee Scotland's universities remain world-class and can continue to be so, without any reduction in the number of people able to take up their life-changing opportunities.

Colleges and universities must be accessible as well as excellent – so we'll pay for 50,000 college bursaries and work towards the NUS target of a £7,000 entitlement for university students. We've already given students the biggest increase in living cost support for two decades. We're open to good ideas and having protected the EMA will look closely at the NUS proposed EMA90 scheme. Scotland's colleges will also be helped to thrive by playing their part in delivering the 100,000 apprenticeships we plan for the next four years.

[SCREEN GRAB OF THIS POLICY]

Retrieved on 18/03/11 (11:46am) from: Email Submission

Health

Scotland can be healthier with healthcare that is better, faster and more convenient.

The SNP has a clear vision for the future of our nation's health service. We want to see a health service that delivers faster treatment, close to home. A health service where health inequalities are reduced and patient care and patient wellbeing are the top priority.

Progress Has Been Made

• We have abolished hidden waiting lists and waiting times are at a record low. In March 2007 there were 32,000 outpatients waiting more than 12 weeks -by March 2010 only 150 outpatients waited more than 12 weeks. In March 2007, 10,000 inpatients waited more than 9 weeks -by 2010 this figure had fallen to 300.
• We have met the 62-day cancer waiting time target - a target Labour failed to meet - and have set a new 31 day target which we have met a year ahead of schedule.
• We have introduced the Patients' Rights Act which establishes in law a 12 week treatment time guarantee and a new right to complain.
• We kept open the A&E units at Monklands and Ayr Hospitals.
• We have cut MRSA infection rates by almost two-thirds, and cut C.Diff rates by almost three-quarters, since we came to office.
• We have increased the number of consultants, doctors, nurses, dentists, emergency workers and cleaners in the NHS since 2007.
• We have increased the number of people registered with a dentist by over one million and have opened a new dental school in Aberdeen.
• We have tripled the investment to tackle alcohol abuse and supported the NHS to deliver more than 150,000 alcohol brief interventions.
• We abolished prescription charges, ending the unfair tax on ill health.

In the next Parliament, an SNP Government will ensure that we continue the progress that has been made.

An SNP Government will Protect the Health Budget

We recognise that if we want to have a first-class health service in Scotland the resources need to be there. That is why we have guaranteed that the revenue budget of the Scottish NHS will be protected in real terms. That means that in four years' time the budget of the NHS will be more than £1 billion higher than it is today.

We will also support the NHS to make a further £300 million in efficiency savings in the next year, every penny of which will be retained by NHS Boards for reinvestment.

We will also reduce the number of senior managers working in the NHS by 25 per cent over the next parliament and take forward the recommendations of the Doctors and Dentists Review Body on consultant distinction awards.

It is only by protecting the budget - and ensuring that money is focused as much as possible on point-of-care services - that we can continue to deliver improvements in services, invest in staff and ensure that we keep up with developments in technology and drugs.

An SNP Government will Guarantee No Compulsory Redundancies in the NHS

The Scottish NHS depends on its workforce to deliver the excellent treatment that we all expect. We owe it to that workforce to provide stability and security as a strong foundation for the NHS. So we will guarantee that there will be no compulsory redundancies in the NHS.

Improving the Quality of NHS Care

The SNP will keep waiting times low and we will focus just as hard on improving other aspects of the quality of care. We will drive forward the implementation of the NHS Quality Strategy over the next Parliament.

A New Front in the Battle against Cancer

Over the last four years the SNP government has made real progress in cutting cancer waiting times. We will maintain that progress. However, too often in Scotland cancers are not detected early enough and late detection means poorer survival rates. We will therefore embark on a Detect Cancer Early Initiative with a target of increasing the number of cancers detected at the first stage of the disease by 25%. In the first instance, the Initiative will be directed at lung cancer, breast

No Privatisation of the Scottish NHS

We will continue to reject the Tories and Liberals' privatisation agenda south of the border. We have ended Labour's privatisation experiment by bringing Stracathro Hospital back into the NHS.

The SNP remains 100 per cent committed to the Scottish NHS as a publicly funded and publicly-delivered service.

Investing in NHS Infrastructure

We have invested a record amount in bricks and mortar and new equipment over the past four years. We have laid the groundwork for the new £840 million Southern General Hospital in Glasgow - fully paid for by the public purse. And despite cuts of more than one-third in our capital budget - imposed by the Westminster Government - we will improve services with new hospitals in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and new facilities across the country including in Aberdeen, Highlands, Lanarkshire, Dumfries, Grampian and Dundee.

In communities across Scotland we plan a continued investment in new health centres, and other health and social care facilities. This will mean that more Scots than ever before will have access to the best quality care close to home.

Please see pages 14-15 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

Please see this SCREEN GRAB of the previous version of this policy from the party website.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (12:42pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

Housing

Housing is crucial to the economic, health and social wellbeing of Scotland's people.

That's why we have been working hard to ensure more Scots have a home that is secure, warm and affordable. Despite the difficult economic conditions, we have launched a revival in council house building since taking office, with more than 3,300 funded by the Scottish Government since 2007, compared to just six built in the four years before that. Construction by housing associations is also at its highest level in almost two decades, with over 17,000 completed since we took office.

We have also taken steps to help first-time buyers. Our various schemes to support first-time buyers, including the open-market shared equity programme, have helped 6,400 households buy a home, and we recently announced an additional £16 million to further expand schemes like this.

But we want to go even further and we will continue to work to meet the various ambitious housing-related targets. We will maintain the momentum generated in council house building by funding construction of 5,000 new council homes in the next parliamentary term, creating an estimated 8,000 jobs. Overall, our aim is to build over 6,000 new socially-rented houses each year.

This will be aided by the National Housing Trust, which gives councils an additional tool to help make new affordable homes available for below market rent. By levering in this additional funding, we are already helping to kickstart "mothballed" projects and creating jobs in the construction industry, and we will expand and develop this mode.

We have also published a comprehensive strategy, Fresh Thinking, New Ideas which details a radically different and innovative approach to financing new house building. We are taking forward this work, for instance on developing a Scottish Housing Bond and accessing pension funds to secure additional investment. We will further develop and implement ideas such as these over the next five years.

We want Housing Associations to have greater freedom to develop renewable heat schemes within new and current developments, and will work with them to explore funding mechanisms, whereby future savings can be used to generate up-front capital, to allow an expansion of district and local heating schemes.

We will also make better use of existing housing stock which is currently lying empty. We will extend support for the Shelter Scotland Empty Homes scheme, to identify empty homes and bring them back into use. And, we will introduce a levy on long term empty houses, which will bring in £30 million of extra resources to fund further council house building.

The SNP will adopt a tenure-neutral approach - we believe a stable housing policy requires all types of tenure to thrive to reflect differing priorities that people have. In stark contrast to the decision to scrap tenancy rights in England, we will guarantee to retain secured tenancies at affordable rents. And we will implement our proposed Tenant Deposit Scheme, to help the estimated 8,000 to 11,000 Scots who have their deposit wrongly withheld.

We will make the case for Scotland to have the ability to determine its own rules on Housing Benefit, with devolution of the legislative responsibility and current budgets.

We will also offer housing health checks to ensure those in social rented accommodation are able to work out the best housing option for them. We will toughen up tenancy rules for tenants who commit anti-social behavior, as we know this is a serious issue for people all over Scotland. And we will work with the Private Rented Sector Strategy Group to create a development strategy aimed at growing and improving the private rented sector.

We must also ensure that we produce enough specialist or adapted housing for older Scots and disabled people. To this end, we will publish a national strategy on housing for older people.

Please see page 17 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

Please see this SCREEN GRAB of the previous version of this policy from the party website.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (12:56pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

CTP has extracted policy from two separate sections of the party manifesto to compare more easily with other parties. Page references below.

Empowering Scotland's People and Communities

In our first four years we have transformed the relationship between central and local government. Local councils have been given unprecedented flexibility and financial freedom to pursue local objectives. We now want to go further and empower Scotland's people and communities.

We propose a Community Empowerment and Renewal Bill, which will make it easier for communities to take over underused or unused public sector assets, and include measures to enable communities to deal more effectively with derelict or unused property in their area. This will act as a catalyst for a wide range of community activities and enterprises.

We want to give Scotland's Community Councils greater relevance and more opportunities to make a difference for the areas they represent. And, we will also encourage the expansion of community radio in Scotland.

******

Planning

We will take forward a series of new improvements to the planning system. This has been a key priority of the SNP since 2007 and we know that a more efficient and effective planning system will be good for investment and growth. The improvements, set out in detail in the Scottish Government's Economic Recovery Plan, will speed up planning decisions, avoid unnecessary delays in new development and act as a boost for the construction industry. We will continue to press all public authorities to improve planning performances.

In particular we will take forward an approach which involves communities at an earlier stage and engages them more effectively in the design of developments. The current pilot projects suggest that this brings benefits for the developments and the communities involved. We also want to see a wider understanding of the planning system, and a recognition of the important role planners have in the creation of more sustainable communities and in the delivery of higher levels of sustainable economic growth. Other priorities include helping unlock developments currently stalled due to infrastructure needs, improving the compulsory purchase process, and ensuring cost and efficiency benefits through reform of planning consents.

Please see page 26 and page 11 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

The party had no previous policy stated on its website for this topic for comparison.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (5:23pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

Download this image HERE

Extracted from Scottish National Party manifesto

Retrieved on 19/04/11 (4:22pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

Rural Agenda

Growing the Rural Economy and Creating Jobs

We've been speaking to people in communities across rural Scotland and heard the issues that are most important to them. We will continue to invest in rural jobs and growing the rural economy. That means taking forward our rural development programme, helping rural businesses expand, diversify and create jobs, with priorities to be agreed with stakeholders such as food production, renewable energy, climate change and a value-added approach. And because we know the importance to businesses and families of digital connection we will invest in the rural roll out of high-speed broadband across Scotland.

A big part of creating more prosperous and sustainable communities across Scotland is ensuring a greater benefit for communities from our nation's substantial natural assets. We want to see more community benefit from renewable energy and so will take forward our proposal for a new £2.4 million fund to enable community investment in renewables projects, securing a long-term return and income for those communities who become involved.

We will also create a new Rural Innovation Fund to support new community enterprise initiatives in rural Scotland, helping communities establish successful local businesses. And we will further expand tourism opportunities around outdoor activity, food and drink and Scotland's culture.

We also want to see an expansion of the mutual model in rural Scotland and will support the creation of rural co-operatives, including local energy co-operatives to enable communities to take forward their own local renewables projects. We will make the case for further devolution in this area to enable a more rapid expansion of co-operatives in rural Scotland.

And to ensure the voice of rural Scotland is heard, we will take forward proposals for a rural parliament to enable rural communities to engage more effectively with government.

Increasing the Value of our Fishing Industry

Fishing remains a vital industry for Scotland. It is worth more than £1 billion to the Scottish economy. Over the past four years we have worked closely with our fishing industry and other partners to secure a stronger future for the industry in the face of a Common Fisheries Policy that hampers rather than helps our efforts to conserve stocks.

Our priority over the next five years will be to achieve discard-free fisheries in Scottish waters and increase the value of landings for our fishermen. We want to see more fish landed alongside an overall reduction in mortality rates. This will require a change of approach at a European level, and we will continue to make the case for radical reform of the EU's fisheries policy to give a greater say and control to the fishing nations and to the fishing communities. The CFP is well past its sell-by date.

We will develop a national strategy for Fisheries Dependent Areas to support economic development and encourage local authorities, along with our fishing communities, to develop regional action plans to strengthen local fishing-related economies around our shores. In partnership with the industry we will look to restore the identity and status of fishing as an occupation of choice and continue to support research in fishing to help map out the most profitable future for the industry.

We will work to support the expansion of exports of quality Scottish fish and shellfish and encourage more Scots to eat fish and shellfish as part of our healthier eating strategy. And we will continue our efforts to secure MCS sustainability status for more Scottish stocks, knowing that this is good not only for the future of stocks but also for the positioning of Scottish fish as a premium product in international markets.

We will continue to support Inshore Fisheries Groups and work for an ongoing increase in the value of inshore sales. We will investigate the potential for more low-impact fisheries and we will introduce industry-led measures for the static gear sector such as creels. We want to see wider marine regeneration with the benefits this will bring for stocks and will explore with the industry the development of inshore sustainable fisheries pilots. And we will also take forward a Small Harbours Initiative to help promote and diversify our small coastal communities.

We will work with our Higher Education Institutions and industry to explore the establishment of a centre of excellence for fisheries management.

A Commitment to Food Production and Growing Farm Businesses

The primary purpose of agriculture in Scotland is and has to be the production of food. We will develop a value-added strategy for Scottish farm produce, linked to our successful food and drink policy. We want to see a greater return for Scottish farmers for the food they produce and new opportunities to develop new products for market.

We are determined to maintain food production at the heart of our agriculture policy. And we will build on the principles of the Pack Inquiry in partnership with the industry.

Over the next few years we will see reform of the CAP. Scotland has distinctive needs and we will continue to make the case for our farming sector with UK ministers and in discussions at EU level. Scotland's interest must be recognised and in particular we will argue for the continuation of direct support and for a move away from historic payment towards a regime that rewards active agriculture and caters for new entrants.

We will publish an agri-renewables strategy and will continue to support renewable energy solutions to increase sustainability and profitability of farm businesses, as part of our wider efforts to deliver higher levels of sustainable growth in our rural economy. We will also take forward our action plan for organic food and farming.

We recognise the important place of crofting in our society and the contribution it makes to health and strength of many rural communities. We will encourage the creation of new crofts especially on public land.

We will amend the Agricultural Holdings Act to support tenant farmers and will work to encourage new entrants. We also believe that when a farm business is being passed from one generation to the next it should be easier for the successor to build a home on the farm where required.

Reducing Burdens on Rural Businesses

Since 2007 progress has been made in reducing the number of inspection visits to Scottish farms through the SEARS initiative, but this only a start. We have as our ambition the delivery, where possible, of a one-visit approach.

To reduce the bureaucracy facing farm businesses we will take forward proposals for a Funds Gateway Ð an online portal and single point of access for fund applications. We will investigate the creation of a single IT platform for ScotlandÕs rural agencies to enable information to be shared more easily and will pilot a SEARS kitemark that will be recognised across agencies as indicating that a premises has reached an agreed standard. We will also encourage agencies to move to a more risk-based assessment, and begin a process of review of existing regulation to streamline requirements within the legal limits that exist.

Please see pages 38-39 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

The party had no previous policy stated on its website for this topic for comparison.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (4:56pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

Sport and Commonwealth Games

Scots are passionate about sport and our country has a long and proud sporting tradition. But sports participation and achievement are only part of the picture. Tens of thousands of Scots already realise the benefits to be gained from participating in some form of physical activity. We want more people to get active. We believe that only by looking at physical activity and sport together will we harness that passion and tradition to make them an engine of positive change in our country - improving health, reducing anti-social behaviour and making our society fairer.

Commonwealth Games and its Legacy

Helping Scots become more active is at the heart of our vision for a sporting nation. The 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow provide a fantastic opportunity for Scotland to realise that vision and embed physical activity in our culture. The Scottish Government is committed to funding 80 per cent of the total cost of the Games and a re-elected SNP will ensure the Games continue to be delivered on time and on budget.

The Scottish Government's games legacy for Scotland outlines an ambitious long-term approach that aims to capitalise on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to host a major international sporting event in the heart of Scotland. The SNP's manifesto for sport aims to use the Games in 2014 to put Scotland on the path to a healthier and more successful future.

A re-elected SNP government will continue to demand the return of lottery monies diverted from Scottish good causes to help fund the London Olympics. The UK government has confirmed that a sum of £114 million has been diverted. The return of this funding, and the delivery of specific lottery support for the Commonwealth Games as for the 2012 Olympics, would help turn what we consider to be a good legacy from the 2014 games into a great legacy.

Elite Athletes

Our sportsmen and women can be proud of their achievements on the international stage. For example, we exceeded our expectations when it came to securing medals at the Delhi Games. We want to maintain that success and will provide £8 million in funding for our elite athlete programme up to 2014.

Community Sports Hubs

Community Sports Hubs are a key legacy component of the SNP's ambition for a healthier and more active Scotland. Based in local facilities such as sports centres, community centres and schools, hubs bring local people together and provide a home for local clubs and sports organisations. Hubs also provide information, support and advice on a wide range of sports and physical activities to make it easier for local people to engage in a more active and healthier lifestyle. Only by making participation in physical activity and sports more accessible and attractive will we succeed in our overall ambition to create a more active population.

The SNP in government has thus far delivered 35 community sports hubs in eight local authorities. We will build on this success by committing to deliver at least 100 community sports hubs across all 32 councils by 2014.

Community Ownership

We will also support community ownership of local sports facilities. The SNP government has invested heavily in funding to support the creation of social enterprises and we will encourage local communities to engage with these funding streams to take forward their plans.

Active Schools

If we are to make Scotland an active nation, getting children involved in sport at an early age is vital. Alongside the community sports hubs, the Active Schools programme is designed to increase the number of opportunities for children to get engaged in physical activity and sport. The programme develops links with sports clubs and other community organisations to give pupils a "pathway" to facilitate their participation in sport beyond school. The Active Schools has proved a remarkable success. From the £13 million invested to fund the programme in 2009-10 we saw:

• the deployment of 450 Active Schools staff
• participation by 2,500 schools in all 32 local authority areas
• the delivery of almost 5 million sessions in 69 different sports

The SNP in government will build on this success by continuing to fund the Active Schools programme in line with existing levels.

To this end, we will continue to work with COSLA to open up the school estate over and above regular hours and, in doing so, deliver more sporting opportunities for children as well as the wider community.

Delivery of PE

Under the SNP, huge strides have been made in the delivery of Physical Education in our schools. 55 per cent of school pupils now receive two hours of PE per week, compared to just 5 per cent in 2005. In addition, 60 per cent of secondary schools inspected in 2009-10 were delivering at least two 50 or 55-minute periods.

We will build on this progress and by 2014 our aim is to deliver at least two hours of PE in primary schools and at least two periods of PE in secondary schools for pupils in S1-S4.

Investment in Sport

CashBack for Communities - The lack of sports facilities and sporting opportunities in local neighbourhoods can lead to frustration and disillusionment amongst youngsters. That is why we have used £40 million seized from organised criminals and invested it in a wide range of activities including in sport - from football to basketball to hockey - for children in deprived areas. We will expand the use of this "CashBack" money for community sports.

Football - Football is a force for good in Scotland. Investment from the Scottish Government in the development of football reached a record level of £6.5 million in 2009-10. But we must do more to develop Scotland's national game.

The SNP will continue to work with the SFA to ensure recommendations of the McLeish Review into Scottish Football are delivered. As part of this we will fulfil the Scottish Government's commitment to invest £4 million from sportscotland in the Youth Action Plan over the next four years. We will review the Youth Action Plan to ensure that our continued support for the youth game is developing grassroots football in Scotland. We will also work with Supporters' Trusts to ensure an enhanced role for these important organisations in our national game.

We will use funding from our Young Scots Fund to provide a new National Indoor Football Centre with attached National Football Academy, one of the key recommendations of the McLeish Review. We will invite Local Authorities to bid to have the new centre in their area.

Rugby - Through the cashback programme since May 2007, over £4.5 million has been committed to assist in the development of rugby facilities and implementation of Scottish Rugby's strategic plan.

The SNP will fulfil the commitment of the Scottish Government in 2008 to provide Scottish Rugby with £3.8 million over six years to deliver activities in communities across Scotland. We will also continue to work with Scottish Rugby and other partners to try and secure a leg of the IRB Sevens World Series in Scotland.

Clubgolf - This is Scotland's junior golf initiative and was established as a direct result of Scotland's bid to host the Ryder Cup in 2014. It is delivered in 31 of the 32 local authorities and provides children with an opportunity to experience golf in primary school. Over 180,000 Scottish schoolchildren have progressed through this initiative. Since its inception, the Scottish Government has provided annual investment of £500,000 directly to support this programme. We commit to maintaining this level of funding for the duration of the next parliamentary term.

Swimming - Over and above the £1.4m provided to Scottish Swimming, the Scottish Government has announced an additional £0.8 million to be used as part of a top-up programme which helps Local Authorities work towards an aspiration of helping Primary 7 aged school children learn to swim.

The range of sports which receive government funding through sportscotland is considerable. Over 40 sports, from Angling through to Wrestling, receive direct support. These reflect the rich diversity of activity which thousands of Scots enjoy. We will continue to ensure that this diversity is maintained and promoted.

Facilities

In government the SNP reversed decades of under investment in Scotland's sporting facilities. Since May 2007, the Scottish Government in partnership with sportscotland, has invested almost £35 million in sporting facilities. This has helped to deliver or is delivering:

• Four new multi-sports world-class facilities in Aberdeen, Ravenscraig, Stirling and Scotstoun in Glasgow.
• Four large-scale Commonwealth Games projects currently underway - National Indoor Sports Arena, Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and Tollcross pool in Glasgow along with the improvements to the Commonwealth pool in Edinburgh.
• 22 football projects valued at over £4 million which has seen new and improved pitches in 13 sites, including eight 3G synthetic pitches and also improvements to changing facilities at 10 locations across Scotland.
• 11 swimming pools with £15.2 million investment including the Olympia pool in Dundee.
• A further 31 projects offering new and improved facilities including support for Pickaquoy on Orkney, Dumfries Ice Bowl and a new Fife Institute in Glenrothes.

The SNP will also ensure that a further £5 million of CashBack monies announced by the Scottish Government in March of this year delivers 21 new multi-sport 3G pitches allowing communities across Scotland to benefit.

Please see page 31 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

The party had no previous policy stated on its website for this topic for comparison.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (1:56pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

Our Vision for Stronger Communities

Strong and vibrant communities are at the very heart of a more successful Scotland. The SNP's vision is of city neighbourhoods, towns and villages where people are empowered to make their life better. And where government is doing its bit to make life easier, safer and our communities more pleasant places to live, work and bring up a family.

We want to see a fairer deal for people across Scotland. That's why, working with local government, we will freeze the Council Tax throughout the next Parliament. Over the period of the next Parliament we will consult with others to produce a fairer system based on ability to pay to replace the Council Tax. We will put this to the people at the next election, by which time Scotland will have more powers over income tax.

Scotland faces many challenges; nevertheless, over these past four years progress has been made. There is of course much more to do. The SNP in government will bring together activity on the economy, the third sector, transport, community safety, housing, the environment and regeneration. This will deliver a step change in support for you and your local area.

Please see page 26 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

The party had no previous policy stated on its website for this topic for comparison.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (5:24pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

Tourism

We are determined to maximize tourist growth and draw new visitors to Scotland. Tourism promotion will feature heavily in our "All Scotland" approach to overseas engagement, bringing together important strands including culture, outdoor activities and food and drink. We want to build on the success of Homecoming 2009 and as we approach the second year of Homecoming in 2014 we will deliver a series of themed years specifically drawing visitors to Scotland to participate in our culture, experience our outdoors and enjoy the celebrations in 2014, the year in which the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup will put Scotland centre stage in world sporting terms.

We will further develop ancestral tourism, with a particular focus on family history. Scotland already leads the world in the services we offer to family historians and we will look to build on these foundations to draw even more ancestral Scots to our shores. And we will also put renewed effort into promoting cultural tourism. We will work with some of Scotland's leading artists as part of a wider initiative to promote Scottish culture abroad; we want these cultural ambassadors to be part of our Big Invitation to the world to visit Scotland. And when tourists come, we will make sure they are aware of the wealth of cultural activity at both a national and local level. Scotland also has huge potential in the growing eco and activity tourism markets and we will continue our support for the expansion of these important sectors.

Please see page 37 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

The party had no previous policy stated on its website for this topic for comparison.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (4:46pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto

Connectivity - Transport

Despite the reduction in our capital budgets, we will still take forward a major programme of investment in Scotland's transport infrastructure. Our new non-profit distributing (NPD) programme, developed by the Scottish Futures Trust, includes investment in important transport projects with a capital value of £1 billion. These are:

• the Borders Railway project
• M8 Baillieston to Newhouse, M74 Raith Junction and M8, M73 and M74 network improvements
• the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and A90 Balmedie.

And through Network Rail's Regulated Asset Base (RAB) we will also take forward the important Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement programme which will see the electrification of much of the central Scotland rail network and more-frequent and faster journeys between Edinburgh and Glasgow, including services of just over half an hour.

Other rail investment is seeing an increase in train services on the Airdrie to Bathgate railway to four trains per hour; the deployment of the new fleet of longer electric trains between Glasgow, Ayrshire and Inverclyde, and Edinburgh and East Lothian; and an increase in long distance services to Inverness on the Highland Mainline from nine to eleven trains per day. Our proposals will also mean faster and more-frequent connections between Inverness and Aberdeen, and between these cities and the central belt. We will work with train operating companies to roll out the availability of wi-fi on trains in Scotland.

Network Rail's decision to devolve its Scottish operations opens up the possibility of a re-integration of rail services in Scotland. We will make the case to the UK government for this integration to take place so that we can make delivery of rail services more efficient for the benefit of rail users in Scotland.

We will continue work to deliver the Forth Replacement Crossing, on time and on budget. And, among other projects, we will continue development of a route strategy and improvements for the A96 and dualling the A9. The A9 is a key artery in Scotland's transport network and we will continue to invest in improvements to the road on a continuing and progressive basis. We are fully committed to dualling the A9 from Perth to Inverness and have fast-tracked work to extend the dualled section at Crubenmore. Other priorities include significant investment for both the proposed Glasgow Fastlink and for the modernisation of the Glasgow Subway.

In recent months the SNP government has provided an extra £19 million to deal with the damage caused to our roads by the severe winter weather. That includes additional resources for our trunk road network. This means maintenance teams are working across Scotland at the moment with the target of repairing the damage to our trunk roads by June of this year. We will continue to prioritise road maintenance in the face of the significant reductions in ScotlandÕs capital budget by the Westminster government.

Our plans will also include progress on a new integrated ticketing system for Scotland and increased investment in our ferries. We will continue with Road Equivalent Tariff on the current routes, and look to roll out to the Argyll and the Clyde islands in light of the Western Isles pilot. We will also keep our bridges toll free.

Please see page 13 of the Scottish National Party manifesto for this policy.

The party had no previous policy stated on its website for this topic for comparison.

Retrieved on 16/04/11 (12:22pm) from: 2011 Party Manifesto