Yesterday, the United Kingdom Government presented a budget that it claims will put £1.5 billion back into the Scottish Government’s budget for this year. That money should ensure that some of the most damaging cuts that were announced by the Scottish Government earlier this year do not now need to go ahead.

Spending on the climate and nature emergencies is essential if we are to ensure that our planet has a liveable future. While the Scottish Greens were in government, climate and nature spending reached record levels. Will the First Minister commit to using the additional funding that was announced yesterday for this financial year to restore the funding cuts to the nature restoration fund and active travel budgets? Does that mean that the Scottish Government no longer needs to use up all the ScotWind funding, which was supposed to be invested in our green future?

I understand the importance that Lorna Slater and her colleagues attach to those areas of funding. It was a matter of deep regret to the Government that we had to remove funding from those priorities to enable us to create a path to balance. One of the points that I made in my earlier comments was that the increase in funding for this financial year largely accords with the expectations in our internal planning of what will be necessary to meet the costs of increased pay settlements and the effect of inflation that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government has previously explained to Parliament.

My expectation is not that any new capacity will open up in this financial year. I expect that the resources that have been allocated so far will be required to enable us to balance the budget during this year, because of the pay and inflationary costs that we are facing.

It is very disappointing to hear that about this year.

I will now ask the First Minister about next year. One of the proudest moments for the Scottish Greens during our time in government was the rolling out of free school meals for all children in primary 4 and 5, because we know that that is a simple and effective way to address the impact of child poverty and to ensure that every child has the best chance at school.

We were on course to expand that to every child in primary school by the end of this session of Parliament, until the Scottish Government put an indefinite delay on that roll-out as part of this year’s programme for government. Given the predicted £3.4 billion that is due to be added to next year’s Scottish budget, will the First Minister reinstate the promise to deliver free school meals for primary 6 and 7 pupils by 2026, as endorsed by the Parliament a few weeks ago?

We will certainly give consideration to that proposal as part of the budget process for the next financial year. Lorna Slater puts to me a substantial proposition that can certainly be considered for the next financial year. We will look at whether the resources are available to support that as part of the whole budgeting process, but I give Lorna Slater the assurance that we will look at that question.

I recognise that Parliament resolved on the issue, but that obviously has to have financial support within the budget. I give her the assurance that the issue will be considered. The finance secretary is engaged in detailed discussions with all political parties in Parliament to secure the passage of the Government’s budget for next year and we look forward to discussion on that, and other questions, with Ms Slater and her colleagues and with other parties in Parliament.