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Last Updated: Thursday, 12 April 2007, 13:29 GMT 14:29 UK
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At-a-glance: SNP manifesto
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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.
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Ensure 70% of released resources go to improving frontline services and 30% to lower local tax.
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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.
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Cut red tape and widen access to public sector contracts for small businesses.
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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
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"Substantial" investment in rail infrastructure and additional steps to tackle congestion.
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"Early delivery" of a new Forth crossing.
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Commission a study into Road Equivalent Tariff, with a pilot in the Western Isles.
Environment
- New targets for carbon reduction.
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Higher building standards and efforts to increase energy efficiency.
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Support community and household energy generation and develop local heat and power grids.
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Proposed legislation to reduce Scotland's "carbon footprint".
Health
- Give patients legally binding waiting times.
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"Presumption against" centralising core hospital services and protect access to local healthcare.
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Direct elections to health boards.
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Phase out prescription charges.
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Annual health checks and individual health plans for school pupils with a doubling in the number of school nurses.
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School-based dental service.
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Free school meals, starting with youngest children.
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Two hours of physical education per week for every pupil and free access to council swimming pools.
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Individual health plans for men and women from the age of 40.
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Additional funding for young carers.
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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.
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Devolve power to local levels wherever possible and consider increased powers for community councils.
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Extend the role of the voluntary sector.
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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.
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Smaller class sizes, starting with a cut in P1 to P3 class sizes to 18 or less.
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Expanding school-college partnerships for S3 and S4, boosting access to vocational learning.
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Introducing Baccalaureates for science and language.
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Scrap the student graduate endowment and replace the student loans system.
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Additional £10m for "cutting edge research".
Justice
- More police on local streets.
- More information for communities on dangerous paedophiles in their area.
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Tougher controls on the sale of alcohol to those under the legal age to drink.
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Taskforce to tackle organised crime.
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Emphasis on tough community punishments to end short-term prison sentences.
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