05 January 2007
The Scottish Executive is on track to achieve 97% of the pledges it made when a partnership agreement was drawn up between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, First Minister Jack McConnell has claimed.
He said this meant that 437 of the 450 policy proposals set out in the agreement after the election in 2003 were on track or had already been met. The current Parliament now has just four months to run before elections on May 3.
McConnell said key achievements included: all health waiting times targets; strong economic growth; the introduction of Scotland-wide free bus travel for older people; a ban on smoking in public places; the largest-ever programme of school building and renewal; and reduced crime in Scotland.
'We are making good progress. Our ambitious programme is delivering real improvements to people's lives,' McConnell said.
The Executive was described by the Scottish Conservatives as a 'busybody government', for passing more than 3,000 items of legislation since devolution in 1999.
The Parliament has approved 106 separate Acts, approved 71 motions that allow Scotland to adopt Westminster legislation and passed 3,100 statutory instruments, which are used to make detailed provisions in legislation.
The Scottish Tories' deputy leader, Murdo Fraser, said: 'Devolution should have been the opportunity to reform, deregulate and liberate. Unfortunately the ruling Labour-Lib Dem government has used its political muscle to over-regulate, over-burden and over-rule.'
Scottish National Party finance spokesman Alasdair Morgan said: 'There seem to be a lot of rules that go through that do not make life for the average citizen any better and, more importantly, do not get the Scottish economy working.'
PFjan2007
