Lib Dems 2016 election manifesto summary

Education

• Expand early education to give every child a good start, and flexibility for parents
• A Pupil Premium for extra support and better attainment in every classroom
• A wider curriculum, with inspiring new online courses and engagement with business
• Build back up our colleges, with new courses to train for the skills we need
• Support for universities and science, including more women in science, technology, engineering and maths
• Business engaged with schools and colleges, and shaping apprentice programmes on a sector skills basis

Health

• Transform mental health support so people can get the treatment they need
• Double the mental health budget for children and young people so they can access better services
• Train more mental health professionals and co-locate them with GPs, the police, at A&E and in prisons
• Recruit, retain and train more GPs, increasing the share of health spending on primary care, and trebling the Primary Care Fund
• Give more professional freedoms to health and social care workers to deliver excellent care
• Provide robust real-terms funding of the NHS
• Promote good health and tackle inequalities

Welfare

• A fair welfare system, especially for those with mental health problems

Housing

• More homes for affordable rent
• Tackle fuel poverty and create warmer homes, with catch-up zones in areas worst hit
• Create a Fit For The Future Investment Fund for warm homes, rented homes and broadband

Justice

• More support for the victims of crime and an effective restorative and rehabilitative approach to stop re-offending
• Radical drug reform to focus on supply and not possession, and increase treatment and education for offenders
• Stop the creation of an intrusive ID database
• Bring democracy back into Scottish policing

Equality and social justice

• Act to tackle bullying and discrimination
• Enshrine the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Scottish law
• Get a balance of women and men on every public board

Democracy

• Give local authorities the powers to respond to demands from local communities
• Promote regional deals to bring together councils, business and colleges
• Refuse another referendum on independence

Business

• Extend freedom of information to private companies delivering public services
• Support fair business practice

Transport and Infrastructure

• Speed up rail journey times to the North East and Highlands
• Develop contactless payment for all public transport
• Extend super-fast broadband and mobile phone coverage to all of Scotland

Environment and Energy

• Prioritise renewable heat for industry and district heating
• Support a diverse range of renewable energy – including geothermal and solar to protect security of supply
• Increase the number of natural conservation areas in Scotland and take tougher action on wildlife crime
• Expand recycling and re-use in a circular economy