SNP-Green deal: Key points from power-sharing deal revealed, including holding another Scottish independence vote

A co-operation agreement between the SNP and the Scottish Greens has officially been struck.

The agreement, which has been negotiated over a number of months, will cement the pro-independence majority in Holyrood.

Here are the main points agreed in key areas in a deal labelled as an “historic moment” in Scottish politics by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon:

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (centre) holds a media briefing with Scottish Greens co-leaders Patrick Harvie (left) and Lorna Slater (right) at Bute House. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell - Pool / Getty Images

Constitution and parliamentary process

- A new Scottish independence referendum will be sought in the first half of the parliamentary session – if the Covid-19 pandemic is over – and preferably by the end of 2023;

- Two Green MSPs will be appointed as junior ministers in Nicola Sturgeon's government;

- Establish Scottish Government offices in Copenhagen and Warsaw to promote Scotland’s interests and reputation in the Nordic and Central European regions.

Transport

- Align transport policy with Scotland’s climate targets, with the goal of reducing car kilometres travelled by 20 per cent by 2030;

- Commission a fair fares review across public transport;

- All appropriate roads in built-up areas will have a safer speed limit of 20 mph by 2025;

- Transport Scotland will work with Police Scotland to develop a one-year pilot project to develop an online reporting system allowing anyone to upload camera footage of dangerous driving;

- Review of the dualling of the A96 and the development of an ‘Electric Highway’.

Energy

- A ten-year, £500 million Just Transition Fund for the north east and Moray;

- A preproduction oil and gas licence climate checkpoint review

- Analysis to “better understand our energy requirements as we transition to net zero and how this aligns with our climate change targets”

- Set an ambition to deliver, subject to consultation, between eight and 12GW of installed onshore wind by 2030;

- Set out the process to deliver a draft of the next Climate Change Plan, that “demonstrates a credible pathway to achieving the 2030 target.”

Green homes and buildings

- Phasing out the need to install new or replacement fossil fuel boilers, in off gas from 2025 and in on gas areas from 2030;

- To immediately end public subsidies for oil and LPG boilers;

- All new buildings where a building warrant is applied for from 2024 must use zero emissions heating as the primary heating source;

- For all publicly-owned buildings to meet zero emission heating requirements, with a backstop of 2038.

Child poverty

- Increasing the level of the Scottish Child Payment from £10 to £20 a week within this parliamentary term;

- Provide immediate support to children and young people with bridging Scottish Child Payments of £520 in both 2021 and 2022

Economic recovery

- Introduce a requirement on public sector grants to pay at least the real Living Wage to all employees, subject to limits on devolved competence;

- To collaborate on the development of a national strategy for economic transformation to be published by late autumn 2021;

- Explore the creation of a new green industrial catalyst fund that will support investment and growth in the green industrial sector;

Housing

- Create a new housing regulator for the private rented sector to improve standards and enforce tenants’ rights;

- Enhance tenants’ rights, including through greater restrictions on evictions over winter;

- Put in place additional penalties and compensation for illegal evictions.

Equality and human rights

- A Bill to reform the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament in the first year of the parliamentary session;

- Introduce world-leading human rights legislation within this parliamentary session;

- Improve support for people at risk of destitution due to No Recourse to Public Funds;

- Aim to bring forward legislation to implement a ban on conversion therapy in Scotland.

Education

- Support the recruitment of at least 3,500 additional teachers and 500 classroom assistants over and above the 1,400 teachers recruited during the pandemic;

- reduce costs of school uniforms

- tackle gender-based violence and sexual abuse in schools

- take forward proposed OECD reforms into Curriculum for Excellence

Health

- Increase spending on mental health services to 10 per cent of the total frontline NHS budget by the end of this parliamentary session;

- Work with health boards to ensure at least 1 per cent of all frontline spend goes on Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services by the end of this parliamentary session;

- Develop a long-term mental health workforce plan.

Environment

- Contain targets based on an overarching goal of preventing any further extinctions of wildlife and halting declines by 2030;

- Designate at least one new national park by the end of this session;

- Increase annual woodland creation targets to 18,000 hectares per year by 2024/25;

- Further protect Scotland’s ancient woods through establishing a National Register of Ancient Woodlands;

- The Scottish Land Fund to be doubled from £10 million to £20m per annum by the end of this parliamentary session;

- Designate a world-leading suite of Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) covering at least 10 per cent of Scotland’s seas;

- Apply a cap to fishing activity in inshore waters (up to three nautical miles).