Scottish Budget: 2023 to 2024

The Scottish Budget sets out the Scottish Government’s proposed spending and tax plans for 2023 to 2024, as presented to the Scottish Parliament.


Chapter 12 Deputy First Minister & Covid Recovery

Portfolio Responsibilities

The portfolio supports the government's commitment to renewing public services, through public service reform, the delivery of the Covid Recovery Strategy and its contributions to strategic oversight and co-ordination of recovery activity across the Scottish Government. It also includes work to support the operation of the Scottish public inquiry into the handling of Covid-19, and to respond to both the UK and Scottish Inquiries.

The portfolio co-ordinates the development and implementation of the Scottish Government's policies on Freedom of Information, relations with the other three UK Governments, Scottish Parliament and Local Government elections, Cabinet business and the government's legislative programme. It also includes a Strategy function which supports effective policy across the organisation. The Government Business and Constitutional Relations line supports work in both this portfolio and the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture portfolio, including policies on constitutional change and devolution.

The Organisational Readiness line supports work on winter preparedness, assessment and co-ordination of concurrent risk across the Scottish Government and integrated monitoring, reporting and analysis arrangements for delivery of key government priorities. The portfolio also supports more resilient communities and works to build Scotland's resilience by improving Scotland's understanding and preparedness against a range of hazards and threats, through multi-agency planning, strengthening national work on risk and prevention and working with partners to build and deliver capacity.

The portfolio promotes reform and leadership development reflecting the priority to create financially sustainable, excellent, person-centred public services in Scotland, with particular emphasis on the empowerment and participation of people in all communities in Scotland.

Through the Resource Spending Review (RSR), published in May 2022, we established a platform for reform to ensure sustainable public services and improved outcomes for Scotland. This Budget builds on this, refocusing where required and progressing our commitment to public service reform. The portfolio leads efforts across Scottish Government for efficient public services and a public bodies landscape which ensures these best meet the needs of people across Scotland in sustainable ways. Building on the platform of the RSR, we will engage with public bodies to set up an approach to reviewing them which identifies opportunities for modifying and transforming ways of working in order to achieve further efficiencies and improve outcomes.

Table 12.01: Spending Plans (Level 2)
Level 2 2021-22 Budget 2022-23 Budget 2023-24 Budget
£m £m £m
Governance and Reform 4.0 4.6 5.1
Government Business 55.6 13.9 13.2
Organisational Readiness 5.1 24.4 26.8
Total Deputy First Minister and Covid Recovery 64.7 42.9 45.0
of which:
Total Fiscal Resource 64.7 42.9 45.0
of which 24.7 26.8 29.0
Non-cash
Capital
Financial Transactions (FTs)
UK Funded AME
Total Limit on Income (accruing resources)
Table 12.02: Governance and Reform Spending Plans (Level 3)
Level 3 2021-22 Budget 2022-23 Budget 2023-24 Budget
£m £m £m
Public Service Reform & Community Empowerment 4.0 3.3 3.6
Covid Recovery - 1.3 1.5
Total Governance and Reform 4.0 4.6 5.1
of which:
Total Fiscal Resource 4.0 4.6 5.1
Non-cash
Capital
FTs
UK Funded AME
Table 12.03: Government Business Spending Plans (Level 3)
Level 3 2021-22 Budget 2022-23 Budget 2023-24 Budget
£m £m £m
Local Government Elections 2.1 3.2 0.8
Boundaries Scotland 0.4 0.4 0.4
Scottish Parliament Elections 34.9 0.1 0.1
Extension of Freedom of Information 0.1 0.1
Government Business and Constitutional Relations Policy and Co-ordination 18.1 10.1 11.8
Total Government Business 55.6 13.9 13.2
of which:
Total Fiscal Resource 55.6 13.9 13.2
Non-cash
Capital
FTs
UK Funded AME
Table 12.04: Organisational Readiness Spending Plans (Level 3)
Level 3 2021-22 Budget 2022-23 Budget 2023-24 Budget
£m £m £m
Office of the Chief Researcher 0.5 0.9 0.9
Organisational Readiness - 4.2 3.2
Resilience 4.6 4.4 5.4
Response and Readiness - 14.9 17.4
Total Organisational Readiness 5.1 24.4 26.8
of which:
Total Fiscal Resource 5.1 24.4 26.8
Non-cash
Capital
FTs
UK Funded AME

Deputy First Minister and Covid Recovery intended contributions to the National Outcomes

Primary National Outcomes

  • Communities
  • Human Rights

Secondary National Outcomes

  • Economy
  • Poverty
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Children and Young People

For further information on the purpose of the portfolio budget, and contributions to national outcomes (including impacts of spend on equality of outcome) please refer to the relevant portfolio annex in the published Equality and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement.

Contact

Email: ScottishBudget@gov.scot

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