Shona Robison will not axe Nicola Sturgeon's baby box scheme as she sets out cuts to public spending next week.

Based on a long-established scheme in Finland, the baby box is a universal free offer for families expecting babies in Scotland.

The programme was brought in by the former First Minister in 2017 and was described by Ms Sturgeon as one of her "proudest achievements". 

It symbolises the Scottish Government's ambition to give children of all backgrounds an equal start in life. The Scottish scheme inspired a similar pilot by the Irish government.

Under the scheme all new parents are entitled to "a baby box", which can double up as a cot for new born babies, and includes around £160 worth of items including baby clothes, blankets, books, bibs, nursing pads and a thermometer. 

All expectant mothers, regardless of their income, are eligible and receive one after posting a registration card given out by midwives.  The policy costs the Scottish Government £9m per year with ministers saying it saves new parents around £400, including the saving on a cot or moses basket.

Almost 300,000 baby boxes have been delivered to expecting families in Scotland since the policy was introduced.

"The provision of the baby box is not under review," a Scottish Government spokesperson told The Herald.

“We are committed to supporting new families and since launching our universal baby box programme over 300,000 boxes have been distributed to families across Scotland. This has provided them essential items needed in the first six months of a child’s life, saving families around £400 on the individual cost of the box and contents.

“The finance secretary will provide details after recess of the action being taken to achieve sustainable finances.” 

The introduction of the baby box prompted a debate in Scotland with supporters saying it provided many helpful items to new parents, while opponents have described the policy as a gimmick and a waste of public money amid a wider discussion over the merits of the universalism of benefits.

Scottish Conservative leadership hopeful Meghan Gallacher MSP said last week expectant mothers are being "pressured" into accepting baby boxes when they don't really want them.

Ms Gallacher said she had been repeatedly pressed by midwives to sign up to receive the support package despite telling them she did not need it.

The 32-year-old, who gave birth to her daughter Charlotte two years ago, spoke about her experience as she insisted Scots were ready for a "grown up conversation" about the sustainability of free universal benefits.

She argued that free prescriptions and tuition fees for the better off "do not make sense" at a time when hundreds of thousands of Scots were languishing on NHS waiting lists and funding for colleges has been cut to the bone.

"It just doesn't make sense to me at all that I can get a [free] prescription for paracetamol, but people are left lingering on NHS waiting lists for cancer diagnosis and treatment," Ms Gallacher told The Telegraph.

"When I was going to midwife appointments, it started very early on. 'Oh, you need to apply for a baby box'. I didn't feel it was a choice.

"The next appointment we had the same conversation, then again at the next one after that. I felt actually pressured to get the baby box. I kept on saying I don't need it."