NICOLA Sturgeon's first Programme for Government included a dozen bills and a wide-ranging package of policy announcements.

Here are the key points:

COUNCIL TAX

An independent commission will be set up to consider alternatives to the council tax. It will include councils' body COSLA and other political parties, and will report next autumn.

Council tax has been frozen for seven years, putting local authority budgets under increasing pressure. The SNP promised before the last election to consult on reforms to local government finance and offer voters a new-look tax system in the run-up to the 2016 election.

The commission comes sooner than expected but means changes will not take place until well after 2016.

Scottish Labour's Jackie Baillie said: "The decision to kick long overdue council tax reform into the long grass again will hurt vulnerable people across Scotland."

The SNP continues to favour a local income tax, a proposal John Swinney was forced to drop in 2009 amid widespread opposition.

EDUCATION

Nicola Sturgeon unveiled an ambitious long-term target to end inequality of access to university.

At present about 14 per cent of students come from the most deprived 20 per cent of communities; the First Minister wants the figure to rise to 20 per cent within a generation. A Commission on Widening Access will be set up to drive improvements and funding for improving access doubled to £2million next year.

A Higher Education Governance Bill, already being consulted on, will aim to make university governing bodies more democratic and accountable.

In schools, a new numeracy and literacy campaign will focus on schools in deprived areas. "Attainment advisers" will also be sent into every local authority.

A new Education Bill will create rights for children with additional support needs.

BUSINESS

An extra £30million was added to the Help to Buy scheme, which helps people buy new-build homes. The funding will be targeted at smaller developers.

A Scottish Business Development Bank will be created to work with "high growth" small and medium sized enterprises.

Firms will also be entitled to support with training and exports if they agree to pay the living wage, a higher rate of pay than the minimum wage, as part of a Scottish Business Pledge.

Ms Sturgeon confirmed an earlier promise to extend the Small Business Bonus rates relief scheme for a further five years if the SNP wins the 2016 Holyrood election.

Colin Borland, the Federation of Small Businesses' head of external affairs in Scotland said: "Most welcome is the Scottish Government's sustained commitment to the small business bonus scheme which continues to give Scottish small firms a competitive advantage over their counterparts elsewhere in the UK."

LAND REFORM

Radical land reforms are to be introduced which will benefit "the many, not the few", the First Minister said.

A new Bill is likely to give ministers the power to step in if the amount of land owned by an individual, or the conduct of a landlord, acts against the wider public interest.

A Scottish Land Reform Commission is expected to be established while business rate exemptions for shooting and deer stalking estates will be axed.

Earlier this year, an expert group set up by the Government suggested setting an upper limit on the amount of land that could be held by private owners in Scotland, while non-EU legal entities would be banned from registering land in the country. The group's findings provoked strong opposition in some quarters.

David Johnstone, chairman of Scottish Land & Estates, last night accused the First Minister of adopting "negative rhetoric" on the issue.

Conservative rural affairs spokesman Alex Fergusson said: "The proposals are damaging and divisive."

NHS

Tackling the rising problem of delayed discharges in hospitals will be a top priority for new health secretary, Shona Robison.

An additional £15m from the Government, NHS and councils was pledged to help stem rising number of bed blockers, who become stuck in hospital as local authorities are unable to provide care home places or carers.

Ms Sturgeon said that hospitals' performance would be monitored on a weekly basis by the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate will be given the power to order the closure of hospital wards on the grounds of patient safety. The move is in line with a recommendation set out following the public enquiry into the 2007 Clostridium difficile outbreak at Vale of Leven Hospital, published this week.

Following a meeting between the First Minister and Gordon Aikman, who is dying from motor neurone disease, the First Minister said that no-one should have to pay for care in the last six months of their lives. A new Public Heath Bill will outlaw the sale of electronic cigarettes to under-18s.

POVERTY

An independent adviser on poverty and inequality will be appointed and handed new powers to make recommendations to ministers.

The First Minister said the advisor would also publicly criticise the Government in cases in which its actions risked increasing deprivation, rather than reducing it.

Pressure will be put on businesses and public sector bodies to pay the living wage of £7.85 per hour. A living wage summit is to be convened, while new statutory guidance will be issued to public sector bodies on how payment of the living wage should be taken into account when handing out contracts.

The Poverty Alliance will see its funding increased from £80,000 to £280,000, with the cash to be pumped into its living wage accreditation scheme.

Peter Kelly, Director of the charity, said: "We are delighted by today's announcement of additional funding."

GENDER EQUALITY

Bosses will be challenged to ensure all boardrooms are filled with equal numbers of men and women within six years.

Early next year, the First Minister will launch a "50:50 by 2020" scheme, in which public, private and third sector bodies will be asked to commit to achieving gender balance on their boards. The Government will also start planning how it can deliver on its promise of offering 30 hours of free childcare a week by the end of the next parliament.

A crackdown will be launched on domestic abuse.A law currently being trialled which allows women to request information on the previous abusive behaviour of a partner may be rolled out nationwide.

Firms that sign up to the Scottish business pledge must also make a commitment to advance gender equality, while consultations on legislation to create a new offence of committing domestic abuse and to combat revenge porn will be launched.

OTHERS

A Human Trafficking and Exploitation Bill, already promised by the Scottish Government following a campaign led by Labour MSP Jenny Marra, will be introduced shortly. It will provide prosecutors with new powers and give victims the right to support.

A Carers' Bill will ensure carers' have a say in planning services for those they look after.

As promised by Alex Salmond, a Community Charge Debt Bill will ban councils from attempting to collect poll tax debts.

Plans to devolve powers to Scotland's islands, taking into account proposals from tomorrow's Smith Commission, will be drawn up.

Ms Sturgeon said if as expected, Holyrood becomes responsible for its own elections as part of a new packaged of devolved powers, she will give 16- and 17-year-olds the vote.