Finance Department - budget plans

The finance department, which is headed by Finance Secretary John Swinney, is responsible for the economy, the Scottish budget, local government and public service delivery.

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Look at the main SNP manifesto finance pledges

BUDGET STATEMENT 2007/08

Transport makes up the biggest element of this portfolio, which also includes funds for Scotland's enterprise network and plans to make the public sector work more efficiently, and a requirement for each portfolio to deliver 2% efficiency savings per year.

There are also plans to encourage innovation, but the manifesto-proposed level of the so-called "Saltire prize" has reduced.

Here are the main announcements:

Rail infrastructure - £0.7bn per year.

Motorway and trunk road network - £932.6m, £1,063.7m and £1,181.4m over the three years of the spending plan.

Replacement Forth crossing - £20m, £25m and £30m.

Ferry services - £92.4m, £105.1m and £111m.

Free bus travel for more than one million people - £181.4m, £187.4m and £189.4m.

Improve water quality and infrastructure - £182m a year.

Refocusing the enterprise network to take on tourism - £448.6m, £433.8m and £431.4m.

Investment through Regional Selective Assistance and other direct government innovation support - £60m per year.

Increase spending on energy and climate change to £33m a year by 2010/11.

Saltire Prize to recognise innovation - £2m annual fund and a £10m "horizon prize", initially focussing on renewable energy.

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MAIN SNP MANIFESTO PLEDGES

Scrap the Council Tax and introduce a Local Income Tax set at 3p.

Businesses with a rateable value of £8,000 or less to pay no business rates. Businesses with a rateable value of between £8,001 and £10,000 will be entitled to a 50% business rate relief. Businesses with a rateable value of between £10,001 and £15,000 will be entitled to a relief of 25%.

Review of agency structure, with a clear aim of reducing bureaucracy, and overlap. (Announced by Alex Salmond during his conference speech)

Refocus the enterprise network.

Publication of a White Paper, encompassing a Bill, detailing the concept of Scottish Independence. (Bill published).

Proposed £1m kick-start fund to develop world-wide projects similar to Scotland House opened in Estonia.

Not-for-profit Scottish Futures Trust as a PPP/PFI alternative in the first term of an SNP government.

An additional £10m to support cutting edge research in Scotland.

£5m Saltire prize to promote future innovation and harness Scotland's creative energy.