The recent college lecturers pay agreement is a strong package for college staff and despite the pressures on public finances, the Scottish Government has committed to making £4.5 million available from next year’s (2025-26) budget to support this deal. In the challenging fiscal environment we face, we will be taking tough decisions around Budget 2025-26, including decisive steps to ensure our public finances remain on a sustainable trajectory, targeting our funding and prioritising our spending. 4 Work is ongoing on the draft budget for 2025-26 and future budgets will continue to be set through the annual parliamentary budget Bill process and based on the latest available fiscal information.