JOHN Swinney is set to deliver his first Programme for Government since becoming First Minister.
After Finance Secretary Shona Robison announced £500 million of Scottish Government spending cuts on Tuesday, Swinney is set to spell out how his legislative plans will create a "wealthier, fairer and greener Scotland despite difficult financial challenges".
What time is the First Minister's statement?
The Scottish Parliament will begin sitting at 2pm on Wednesday, September 4.
However, Swinney will not make his statement until after Portfolio Questions which are first in the parliamentary business schedule. As such, he's expected to speak around 2:50pm.
The First Minister's statement will be followed by a debate where MSPs will be able to question Swinney on his plans.
How can I watch John Swinney's Programme for Government?
John Swinney's first Programme for Government will be available to watch via Scottish Parliament TV – which can be found HERE.
Other major broadcasters such as the BBC and Sky News may also choose to broadcast the statement.
What has Swinney said ahead of the statement?
The Programme for Government occurs amidst the backdrop of "painful" decisions concerning public spending in both Scotland and the UK.
However, Swinney has sought to focus on areas where the Scottish Government can make a difference despite the straitened financial circumstances.
He said: "Against a challenging financial backdrop, this year's Programme for Government will set out clear actions to deliver real change for the people of Scotland.
"The prime minister was clear last week that the UK budget, to be delivered in October, will be painful, and the reality is that the UK's finances will inevitably affect the funding available to us here in Scotland. Their decisions mean tough decisions ahead for Scotland.
"Yet despite this, the Scottish government will continue to prioritise action to eradicate child poverty, to grasp the opportunities of delivering net zero and to grow the economy by investing in public services and infrastructure.
"While we will work with the UK government wherever we can, we will continue to urge them to drop the damaging cuts and set new spending rules that support investment."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here