----------------- -----------------   |  | Last Updated: Thursday, 12 April 2007, 13:29 GMT 14:29 UK |
At-a-glance: SNP manifesto | | The Scottish National Party has launched its manifesto for the Holyrood elections. Here are the main points of the plan. Scottish government - A referendum on independence for Scotland.
- Deliver annual efficiency savings of 1.5% per year and free up �1.1bn for reallocation to new national infrastructure projects.
- Ensure 70% of released resources go to improving frontline services and 30% to lower local tax.
- Cut Scottish Executive departments from nine to six.
Economy - Remove business rates from 120,000 Scottish small businesses and cuts for a further 30,000.
- Replace council tax with a local income tax, with a rate set at 3p.
- Cut red tape and widen access to public sector contracts for small businesses.
- A �2m fund to promote Scottish work at the Edinburgh festivals.
- �10m scheme for new entrants to farming.
- Move to secure quota allocation from decommissioned fishing vessels for active ones.
Transport - "Substantial" investment in rail infrastructure and additional steps to tackle congestion.
- "Early delivery" of a new Forth crossing.
- Commission a study into Road Equivalent Tariff, with a pilot in the Western Isles.
Environment - New targets for carbon reduction.
- Higher building standards and efforts to increase energy efficiency.
- Support community and household energy generation and develop local heat and power grids.
- Proposed legislation to reduce Scotland's "carbon footprint".
Health - Give patients legally binding waiting times.
- "Presumption against" centralising core hospital services and protect access to local healthcare.
- Direct elections to health boards.
- Phase out prescription charges.
- Annual health checks and individual health plans for school pupils with a doubling in the number of school nurses.
- School-based dental service.
- Free school meals, starting with youngest children.
- Two hours of physical education per week for every pupil and free access to council swimming pools.
- Individual health plans for men and women from the age of 40.
- Additional funding for young carers.
- Increased payments for free personal and nursing care in line with inflation.
Communities - First time buyers' grant of �2,000 and a fund to provide shared equity loans to first time buyers.
- Devolve power to local levels wherever possible and consider increased powers for community councils.
- Extend the role of the voluntary sector.
- Expect that a minimum of 25% of new housing developments will be reserved for affordable housing.
Education - Delivery of a 50% increase in free nursery education for three and four-year-olds, with a nursery teacher for every centre.
- Smaller class sizes, starting with a cut in P1 to P3 class sizes to 18 or less.
- Expanding school-college partnerships for S3 and S4, boosting access to vocational learning.
- Introducing Baccalaureates for science and language.
- Scrap the student graduate endowment and replace the student loans system.
- Additional �10m for "cutting edge research".
Justice - More police on local streets.
- More information for communities on dangerous paedophiles in their area.
- Tougher controls on the sale of alcohol to those under the legal age to drink.
- Taskforce to tackle organised crime.
- Emphasis on tough community punishments to end short-term prison sentences.
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