The programme for government will be Mr Salmond’s last before the 2011 Holyrood election Scottish ministers are setting out their final programme for government before next May’s Holyrood election.
First Minister Alex Salmond will announce a list of nine bills he wants to see passed in the coming months.
The key piece of legislation will be a Budget Bill, setting out the SNP’s latest spending plans.
The move comes amid uncertainty over how the UK government’s forthcoming spending cuts, which are expected to be tough, will affect Scotland.
The precise level of reductions will be set out in the autumn Comprehensive Spending Review, as the Westminster government seeks to tackle the UK spending deficit.
But Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney has warned Scotland faces £3.7bn of cuts over the next four years.
Referendum dropped
As well as setting out a Budget Bill, which MSPs are due to vote on in November, Mr Salmond is also expected to propose a change in the law which would scrap the controversial “double jeopardy” rule, which prevents a person standing trial twice for the same crime.
That could lead to convicted killer Angus Sinclair standing trial for a second time over the World’s End murders.
In a statement to parliament, Mr Salmond will say the programme shows his government to be “full of vigour” and ready for the coming election.
But political opponents say the SNP administration has run out of steam.
The government’s plans will also include improvements to private housing regulation, the handling of elections and protection from forced marriages.
The SNP minority government has already decided to drop its central manifesto pledge for an independence referendum bill, because of a lack of Holyrood support.
The Nationalists will instead seek to make it one of the key issues of the 2011 election campaign.
Separately, there is still legislation in progress from the last session of parliament, including the Alcohol Bill, which would introduce minimum drink pricing.
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