Programme for Government 2025 to 2026

Year Five Legislative Programme

The Scottish Government intends to introduce six Bills in its Year 5 programme.

Year 5 Bills for introduction

• Budget (No. 5)
• Children and Young People (Care)
• Contract (Formation and Remedies)
• Digital Assets
• Heat in Buildings
• Non-surgical Cosmetic Procedures

Summary of Scottish Government Bills for introduction

Budget (No. 5)

The annual Budget Bill provides parliamentary approval for the Scottish Government’s spending plans, allocates resources to strategic objectives, and supports progress towards the vision of a more successful country.

Children and Young People (Care)

To further support our commitment to keep The Promise, the Children and Young People (Care) (Scotland) Bill will be brought forward ahead of summer recess. The Bill looks to make changes in several key areas related to the children’s care system. The content of the Bill will be informed by the recommendations of The Promise and consultations undertaken last year including the Future of Foster Care, Developing a Universal Definition of Care Experience, Children’s Hearings Redesign and ‘Moving On’ from care into adulthood.

Contract (Formation and Remedies)

The fifth Scottish Law Commission Bill this session implements recommendations to reform aspects of the law of formation and remedies for breach of contract. Contract law impacts on day-to-day economic life and it is important to ensure that it is fit for a modern Scottish economy.

Digital Assets

The Bill will clarify the status of digital assets as property in Scots private law, to provide greater legal certainty for individuals and for businesses including those investing in digital assets, for technology and financial start-ups, as well as for the legal sector.

Heat in Buildings

This year, we will bring forward a Heat in Buildings Bill that is deliverable and affordable for households and businesses – setting the long-term direction of travel while providing certainty to building owners and the supply chain.

Non-surgical Cosmetic Procedures

This Bill will regulate the delivery of certain non-surgical procedures offered for cosmetic or lifestyle purposes to support the safety of those who undergo the procedures. The Bill will ensure that certain procedures are required to be delivered from suitable premises registered with an appropriate body, and will make provision to support the enforcement of appropriate standards for service providers.

Scottish Government Bills from Year 4 programme which will be introduced before summer recess

• Building Safety Levy
• Crofting and Scottish Land Court

Scottish Government Bills in Parliament

• Care Reform
• Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty)
• Community Wealth Building
• Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews
• Education
• Housing
• Land Reform
• Leases (Automatic Continuation etc.)
• Natural Environment
• Regulation of Legal Services
• Scottish Languages
• Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance)
• UEFA European Championship
• Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform