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The finance secretary says, in terms of childcare: "Now, for 2018/19, we are allocating £93m in resource funding and £150m of capital funding. That’s a total investment of £243m next year."

He says: "Ours is the best publicly-funded childcare package in the UK and an investment that will pay dividends throughout the lives of our young people."

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The minister says:

• further £59m will provide targeted support for children and young people in greatest need
• £10m for support to children and young people with complex additional support needs

Mr Mackay goes on to say over 20,000 Baby boxes have been delivered, and this budget funds this important part of the social contract.

Mr Mackay says: "Since my last budget, over 2,300 schools have benefited from targeted investment and 506 extra teachers are teaching in Scotland’s schools because of our Attainment Scotland Fund.

"I am therefore delighted to announce today that I am increasing the Attainment Scotland Fund to £179m.

"This means £120m will again be allocated direct to head teachers through the Pupil Equity Fund."

Mr Mackay announces inflationary uplift for the poundage next year will be capped at CPI not RPI.

Mr Mackay confirms what the first minister said earlier saying: "The budget also protects our Small Business Bonus Scheme, which lifts 100,000 properties out of business rates altogether."

He says this scheme is part of the most competitive package of rates relief anywhere in the UK.

The finance secretary says in the coming year this package will be worth around £720m - a record high.

Mr Mackay says: "We will also support our culture sector with a £10m investment in a new Screen unit and funding to protect arts and culture."

Mr Mackay says; "I can confirm today that the budget also includes the first steps toward one of the most significant infrastructure projects of this Parliament – superfast broadband for the whole of Scotland."

He goes on to say: "Our new Reaching 100 programme is an ambitious plan to make superfast broadband available to every home and to every business premise in every part of Scotland by 2021."

"This commitment will position Scotland at the forefront of the digital revolution and is unmatched anywhere in the UK.

"I am therefore delighted to confirm to Parliament that the initial procurement for the Reaching 100 Programme begins today.

"And that over the next four financial years it will be supported investment of £600 million."

Mr Mackay says: "Through the Scottish Funding Council, the budget also invests around £1.8bn in our colleges and universities - providing a real terms increase in their funding."

He goes on to say: "In total, this budget invests over £4bn in infrastructure - part of our £20bn infrastructure investment plan over this parliament."

The minister says: "This budget therefore delivers an increase of £270 million - a 64% increase - in the economy, jobs and fair work portfolio."

Mr Mackay says: "Over the 10 years to 2019-20, Tory austerity will see the Scottish government’s fiscal block grant allocation reduced in real terms by £2.6 billion.

"Despite the claims of the chancellor, as the independent Fraser of Allander Institute recently stated – and I quote - "…by 2019-20 the resource block grant will be around £500 million lower than in 17-18”

Mr Mackay welcomes the additional capital funding that will transfer to Scotland but says the reality is you cannot spend financial transactions on teachers, nurses, or police.

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Forecasts on the outlook for the economy from the Scottish Fiscal Commission will also be published alongside the budget for the first time.

In its latest economic commentary, the independent Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) said weak demand and uncertainty caused by Brexit would continue to dampen growth going forward, making the budget an "important opportunity" for ministers to set out their plans to support the economy.

The document paints a mixed picture of Scotland's economy, which is "continuing to grow, albeit at a relatively slow pace". Growth in Scotland has been around one-third of that of the UK as a whole across the year, but employment is "close to a record high".