Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, and Parliamentary Business
Section 104 Orders (Scotland Act 1998)
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding improving the process for bringing forward orders under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998. (S6O-04736)
The Scottish Government and the Scotland Office meet regularly to discuss the Scotland Act 1998 order programme, including ways to improve the process. Once the need for a Scotland Act 1998 order has been identified, the Scottish Government will always seek to ensure that a way forward is agreed between the two Governments as early as possible. However, timetables for all Scotland Act 1998 orders are influenced by a wide range of factors, including subject matter, complexity of drafting and securing UK parliamentary time.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that response, but I have constituents who have been waiting a very long time for a change in the law in Scotland to allow mixed-sex marriages to be converted to civil partnerships. I have engaged with multiple Scottish and UK ministers on the issue—I have even been one of those ministers. Although everyone agrees on the change, and it has already been made in England, the process of getting an order seems to be unreasonably and unnecessarily long. Can the cabinet secretary speak to why that is the case? What can be done to expedite law making for Scotland?
I agree that it has taken a lengthy time to progress with the UK Government a section 104 order on converting marriages to civil partnerships. There is a need for a section 104 order—for example, provisions need to be made so that a marriage that would be converted to a civil partnership in Scotland would be recognised as such in the rest of the United Kingdom.
We will make progress. Scottish Government officials will write to the Scotland Office in the next week or so with full policy details of what needs to be included in the order. Officials will agree a timetable, and Scottish Government officials will keep people who are interested in the order fully informed of developments. I hope that the Scotland Office will work to ensure that all arms of the UK Government are fully engaged.
More generally, the Minister for Parliamentary Business will continue to work with the Scotland Office and the UK Government to ensure that Scotland Act 1998 orders are progressed smoothly and quickly, which is in the interests of the people of Scotland, whatever their views on the current devolution settlement.
Gaza (Humanitarian Assistance)
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had regarding its support for humanitarian assistance, in light of reports of the increasing number of deaths in Gaza. (S6O-04737)
Since the outset of the current conflict, the Scottish Government has contributed £1.3 million in humanitarian funding for Gaza and the wider region. That has included £750,000 through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in December 2023 and £550,000 for the middle east through the Disasters Emergency Committee, Mercy Corps and the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, which includes the further £300,000 that was announced at the end of April.
We receive regular briefings from United Nations agencies, the DEC and our humanitarian emergency fund panel members. They warn of the catastrophic situation that is being caused by the inhumane restrictions on aid imposed by Israel. The World Food Programme has enough food on the border to feed the entire population for two months, all while people in Gaza face starvation. The situation is utterly shameful and avoidable, and the international community, including the United Kingdom, must act now.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. Last August, the cabinet secretary met Israeli Government representatives. Last October, Israel banned the UN aid organisation UNRWA. Last November, an arrest warrant was issued for Benjamin Netanyahu for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare. Netanyahu and Donald Trump have handed over food aid in Gaza to private contractors, whilst blocking humanitarian aid from any other source. In just the last few days, scores of Palestinians have been killed and injured by Israeli forces whilst waiting for food from the US-owned Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
So, will the cabinet secretary today condemn the privatisation and militarisation of humanitarian aid in Gaza, back the reinstatement of UN agencies to provide all aid, support an immediate ceasefire, pledge that his Government will enforce the International Criminal Court arrest warrant and support an immediate ban on arms sales to Israel?
I agree with Richard Leonard on all the points that he has made, and I make the point to him that the First Minister raised those concerns in his recent meeting with the Prime Minister. The international community can do more, but what is happening on the ground in Gaza at present is absolutely horrific and avoidable.
The United Nations and its agencies, including UNRWA, are those that should be taking forward the humanitarian supply of the population in Gaza. The privatisation and militarisation that Richard Leonard has raised in the chamber should not go on, and a ceasefire should be immediately respected by the Israelis.
Perhaps I can swing our attention back to areas that the cabinet secretary is responsible for. We have learned in evidence sessions at the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee that a significant proportion of Scottish Government aid to Gaza is being distributed on the ground in the form of cash or vouchers. In light of the grave concerns about Hamas control in the region, can the cabinet secretary provide us with any assurance and tell us what checks are in place to guarantee that Scottish taxpayers’ money, which is intended to help people who are in great distress, is not being diverted to fund a proscribed terrorist organisation that is responsible for terrible, awful atrocities?
I would have thought that Mr Kerr would be aware that no aid is being distributed on the ground in Gaza at the moment, apart from by the privatised and militarised organisation that Mr Leonard brought up. I would thought that he would be aware of that, as it has been leading the news and is leading it today.
Will you answer the question?
I have answered the question: no aid is being distributed on the ground. If the member has any further specific questions, I would be happy to answer them, but I would have thought that Mr Kerr would be better informed about the situation on the ground at the present time.
Question 3 has not been lodged.
Meetings with UK Government (Constitution Secretary)
To ask the Scottish Government when the constitution secretary last met, and will next meet, with United Kingdom Government ministers. (S6O-04739)
On 30 May, I met the Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Paymaster General and Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations. That meeting followed our previous meeting on 20 May, at which we discussed announcements arising from the European Union-United Kingdom summit. The announcements included a common understanding detailing policy measures that both sides have committed to as we take the new strategic partnership forward; a joint statement that sets out UK-EU co-operation across global issues and commits to annual leader-level summits; and a security and defence partnership that will formalise UK-EU foreign policy co-operation, allowing for greater collaboration on defence industry work. Currently, I have no planned meetings with UK ministers.
Labour said many things before it came to power, but, as we know, its performance in government has been found wanting. It spoke about the reset and better co-operation between the UK Government and the Scottish Government, but it is content to keep the Tories’ United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020; it refused to share draft texts with devolved Governments before its agreement with the EU; and it has sold out our fishing communities. Is it not the case that the reset is just another broken electoral pledge that has been made to the people of Scotland?
The Scottish Government continues to seek a principled and pragmatic approach to engagement with the UK Government. Although the current relationship with the UK Government is more productive and constructive than it was with its predecessor, areas of significant concern remain, most notably in relation to information sharing and substantive discussion around significant developments such as the US trade deal and the EU reset deal, which were both announced without sufficient engagement with the devolved Governments.
There are also a number of areas in which the UK Government is falling short on its commitment to reset intergovernmental relations by failing to take account of Scotland’s needs in its work on areas such as eradicating child poverty, migration and the internal market act review. It is imperative that information sharing and engagement with the Scottish Government are both sustained and meaningful to maximise the potential for positive outcomes for the people of Scotland.
When the cabinet secretary next meets UK ministers, will he raise with them the opportunity to develop another tranche of city deal projects, as recommended in a recent report by the Economy and Fair Work Committee? I do not know whether the cabinet secretary has had the opportunity to visit the Perth museum, to which I paid another visit a couple of weeks ago. It is a tremendous project, with visitor numbers now substantially exceeding projections. It is funded through the Tay cities deal, and there will be opportunity to have many more such cultural projects in future if a new tranche can be provided.
I think that I am right in saying that the Perth museum has been shortlisted for an award, which I am sure all of us would welcome, and I look forward to taking up the member’s invitation and going.
I also think that I am right in saying that the Deputy First Minister leads on the city deal programme, but I am happy to share Murdo Fraser’s encouragement with her. If city deal projects are on the agenda for the next meetings that I have with relevant UK Government ministers, I will be happy to report back to Murdo Fraser at future portfolio question times.
MalDent Project
To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the impact of the MalDent Project on oral health policy in Malawi. (S6O-04740)
The MalDent Project has transformed oral health in Malawi. The country faces a severe oral health crisis, in that it has only nine public dentists to serve a population of 22 million people. Supported by Scottish Government investment, MalDent has spearheaded the creation of Malawi’s first dental degree programme. We celebrate the recent graduation of the country’s first home-trained dentists, which is a direct outcome of MalDent’s work, and a further 137 students are currently studying dentistry. MalDent has also developed Malawi’s first national oral health policy, establishing a crucial blueprint for effective oral health interventions, with a key focus on preventing oral disease, especially in children.
What plans does the Scottish Government have to build on that groundbreaking international development work? Does the cabinet secretary share my view that Scotland must take every opportunity to show the world that it is a good global citizen and a nation that wants to play its part in the global community, and that the international engagement of these islands does not begin and end at the behest of Westminster?
I assure Elena Whitham that we remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting our partner countries and others through international development and climate justice funding, while responding to global humanitarian crises as a responsible, compassionate and good global citizen.
We are building on the MalDent Project’s success to deepen our institutional ties with Malawi in higher education. That commitment stems from a long-standing partnership between the universities involved that has been in place since 2005, and we are dedicated to fostering long-term institutional collaborations of that sort. That includes strengthening governance and infrastructure at the university in Malawi, supporting the dental surgery programme and investing in faculty development.
On Saturday we received the sad news of the passing of Councillor Betty Cunningham, a former provost of East Renfrewshire, who was known to many members on all sides of the chamber and who was described as a “force of nature”. Among her many achievements, Betty was responsible for setting up an international trust after visiting Kaponda in Malawi in 2007. The trust has supported the provision of education, healthcare, and agricultural skills and opportunities, as well as taking hundreds of young people on cultural exchanges to Malawi.
One of the key areas of interest there is oral health. Can the cabinet secretary say how the Government is partnering with charitable organisations such as the Betty Cunningham International Trust on projects such as MalDent? Does he agree that continuing such partnerships is a fitting legacy for people such as Betty, who had such a love for and connection with Malawi?
I commend Paul O’Kane for asking that question and putting on record his condolences, which I share, to the family, friends and colleagues of Betty Cunningham, the former provost of East Renfrewshire. Her long commitment to supporting projects in Malawi was widely recognised, including through her receipt of an OBE for services to East Renfrewshire and to Malawi. I pay particular tribute to the Betty Cunningham International Trust, which she established and which built a health clinic and nursery schools. There is much to commend in her lifetime of work and commitment to the people of both East Renfrewshire and Malawi.
A96 Union Bridge Works (Debate or Statement)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will propose the scheduling of time for a parliamentary debate or statement on the works at Union bridge on the A96 in Keith, in light of reports that on-going delays have resulted in the trunk road being reduced to one lane with traffic lights for almost a year. (S6O-04741)
At this time there are no plans to propose a Scottish Government debate or statement on the issue. As the member knows, any proposals for Government business in the Parliament are subject to consideration by the Parliamentary Bureau and then approval by the Parliament.
Chamber time is limited in the coming weeks, but there are many other routes to scrutinise the activities of the Government. Those include asking general questions, transport portfolio questions and topical questions.
The minister will be aware that I have tried to ask supplementaries to transport questions, but there have been no opportunities to do so, for understandable reasons. I attempted to ask a question on the matter at First Minister’s question time about a month ago, but it was not selected because of the demands that the Presiding Officer has to deal with.
The issue has now been on-going in Keith for almost a year. I have asked twice for the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to come to Keith and hear from residents and businesses there about the impact that the road works are having. Will the minister, to whom I presented a petition on the issue back in December 2024, make the strongest possible representation to Fiona Hyslop that she should come to Keith to hear about what has been happening in the town as a result of those long on-going works?
I am slightly confused, because I thought that the question was about the workings of parliamentary business. However, if Mr Ross wishes me to convey his message to Fiona Hyslop, I will endeavour to do so.
Creative Scotland
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any further plans to widen its review into Creative Scotland. (S6O-04742)
I agreed the remit of the review of Creative Scotland with the independent chair, Angela Leitch, and it was published on the Scottish Government’s website last month. The review will consider Creative Scotland’s purpose, functions, structure and partnerships—and, as well as its governance and leadership, its performance, finances and distribution of funds. The review is independent of the Scottish Government, and it will deliver its recommendations in November.
Two weeks ago, the Scottish Government announced that the review of Creative Scotland would be widened to include the quango’s leadership, performance and funding schemes. Can the cabinet secretary confirm whether the review will take account of funding decisions made in the current financial year? Does he accept that taking account of the review’s outcomes will be essential if we are to prevent another fiasco such as that involving the project Rein?
In my initial answer to Sharon Dowey I confirmed that the review is independent of the Scottish Government, so it is not for me, beyond the remit that I have agreed with its chair, to point her to issues that should or should not be looked into. I am sure that the chair will look closely at the record of the question that the member has raised, and I have no doubt that the chair will give evidence to the Scottish Parliament at some stage, when such questions can be asked.
I point out to Sharon Dowey that I have taken every opportunity to encourage members, and everyone in the wider cultural and arts communities, to take part in the independent review, and I encourage her to raise her concerns directly through the review.
A vital part of safeguarding cultural wealth and heritage is ensuring that we can effectively promote Scotland’s creative talent and showcase it to the rest of the world. Can the cabinet secretary say more about how the Scottish Government is supporting Creative Scotland and the culture sector through increased funding in the 2025-26 Scottish budget?
We have demonstrated our commitment to the culture sector by making a funding increase of more than £34 million in 2025-26. That takes us to a level of culture funding of more than £50 million more than there was in 2023-24 and includes an additional £4 million for festivals. The funding will support our commitments to double the festivals expo fund and to expand its reach across Scotland, beyond festivals in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
We continue to help artists to access new markets, by building business relationships and promoting Scotland’s culture sector internationally through the Scottish Government’s network of international offices. As part of our international culture strategy, we have committed to carrying out a feasibility study on the establishment of a support service for cultural export and exchange. That will help to inform how we can best support international activity in the sector to overcome challenges to it.
Last month, it was announced that the scope of the review of Creative Scotland would be widened. As the cabinet secretary will be aware, the review was originally announced in September last year. It has taken the Scottish Government more than eight months to widen its remit. When did the cabinet secretary realise that the remit needed to be expanded? By how much is that expansion likely to increase the cost of the review?
I do not expect any increase in costs for the review. I thought that it was important that the independent reviewer should be able to look at all relevant areas; if Mr Choudhury believes that there are particular issues that need to be raised with her as part of that review process, I encourage him—and colleagues, as I have already said to Sharon Dowey—to do that. It is in all our interests, and those of everyone in the cultural sector, that the review is as best informed as it can be, so if he has any needs, interests, concerns or expectations that he wants to raise directly, I encourage him to do so.
Festivals (Economic Importance)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic importance of festivals to local communities. (S6O-04743)
The Scottish Government recognises that festivals and events are vital to local economies, especially when they are community-led ones with strong social and cultural value. The economic importance of festivals in every part of Scotland is best described by the festivals themselves: Orkney’s St Magnus international festival adds £1.3 million to the local economy each year, and Wigtown book festival generates an estimated £4.3 million annually.
The importance that the Government places on festivals is underlined by the number of festivals that receive support from Creative Scotland’s multiyear funding programme and by our commitment to work with festivals across the country through a strategic partnership.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that response and for the acknowledgement of the St Magnus festival’s significance.
I turn his attention to another local festival in Orkney: the internationally renowned Orkney folk festival, which, earlier this month, proved to be another huge success, with record-breaking ticket sales and an economic impact that is now estimated to be around £1 million. I congratulate the organisers, volunteers and performers for their part in that success, and I should probably declare an interest, because my brother has played a part in all three of those categories over the years.
Concerns have been raised about the lack of support that is available through EventScotland; there appears to be a limit of three years of funding and a focus on growing or new events. The cabinet secretary will recognise that island festivals perhaps have a more limited capacity to grow and that sustainability is far more important.
I ask the cabinet secretary to speak to EventScotland and see whether there is a way to ensure that the way in which funding is allocated is island-proofed in accordance with the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018.
Let us keep our questions and responses concise.
I will try my best to do so.
I understand the point that Liam McArthur is making about continuity. That is why multiyear funding has been brought in through Creative Scotland. He raises an issue that is specific to the Orkney folk festival, and I will look at that closely.
I join him in congratulating the organisers, volunteers, performers, and, indeed, his brother. He asks me to raise with EventScotland the matter that he has highlighted—I am content to do so and I will get back to him on the points that he has raised.
Three members wish to ask supplementary questions. If we can keep them concise, we will fit them in.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that local events, such as the Leith festival, the north Edinburgh community festival, the Newhaven gala and other, similar gatherings around the country play an important role in promoting small businesses, supporting artists and community groups, and helping to foster a sense of community cohesion and pride?
Ben Macpherson is absolutely right to mention events in Edinburgh Northern and Leith. I add to that list the Meadows festival in Edinburgh Central—of course, other festivals are available throughout the rest of the country.
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting a thriving music industry in Scotland, including grass-roots music venues, which are key for emerging Scottish talent. The fact that 77 per cent of the recipients of multiyear funding represent organisations that focus on exhibitions, events and performances underlines our emphasis on supporting local platforms across Scotland.
The future of the Knockengorroch festival, which is billed as Scotland’s oldest greenfield festival, hangs in the balance due to financial pressures that have arisen as a result of the festival having running costs of more than £320,000 in recent years. What action is the cabinet secretary taking to ensure that such vital regional festivals are allowed to thrive and survive?
I have given pretty detailed background information on the Scottish Government’s commitment to funding for events. Liam McArthur raised the issue of continuity of funding, which we have been aware is a challenge for a number of festivals in Scotland.
I am content to take away the case that Alexander Stewart has raised with me and have conversations about it with officials, and I undertake to write back to him. I want to support the footprint of festivals and events across Scotland, including the one that he has raised with me.
Edinburgh’s festivals are vital to Edinburgh’s economy and Scotland’s status as a cultural hub, but venues have recently reported that the high costs of accommodation are resulting in performers restricting their time at the Edinburgh fringe. Will the cabinet secretary discuss with ministerial colleagues, such as Mr Fairlie and the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, further extending the running hours of ScotRail services to Glasgow and the west during the festivals, to ensure that more people can attend and more performers can access cheaper accommodation, and to spread the economic benefits of Edinburgh’s festivals across Scotland?
Neil Bibby makes a really good point. That is why I initiated and set up the strategic partnership for Scotland’s festivals. Such issues are so important that it is necessary to have more than just one meeting. Such meetings should take place regularly, and I have begun that process. The issue of transport is one of the first issues to have been raised, and I have sought to explore solutions such as the one that he outlined. I can tell him that I have already had a bilateral meeting with the transport secretary to discuss the matter.
Neil Bibby is absolutely right. We want to make sure that the benefit of festivals in one part of the country can be shared throughout the rest of the country and that those festivals can be accessed by people from elsewhere. We are working in partnership with festivals across Scotland to make sure that that is the case.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. After four years in this place as a member of the Scottish Parliament, I come to you, after that question session, to ask specifically what I have to do, as a back-bench member of this Parliament, to get ministers to answer questions under scrutiny.
I ask that question because, yesterday, we had a long debate in this chamber about the breakdown of trust between the Scottish people and this institution, which should concern all of us. Today, I asked the cabinet secretary a very straightforward question. Over the past 18 months, the Scottish Government has sent £1.5 million to Gaza by one route or another. I asked the cabinet secretary a very simple question—I asked him whether he could give an undertaking to the Parliament that that money had not fallen into the wrong hands. Instead of an answer, what we got, frankly, was sanctimony.
If I may be so bold, Presiding Officer, I think that it is about time—and I ask you, on behalf of all members of the Parliament, to ensure that this is the case—that ministers are expected to give some semblance of an answer to a question that is asked of them in this Parliament.
Thank you, Mr Kerr. The content of members’ contributions is not generally a matter for the chair. It is, of course, the case that the ministerial code requires that full and frank responses are given to members of this Parliament.
There will be a brief pause before we move on to the next item.
Justice and Home Affairs
The next portfolio is justice and home affairs. Question 1 has not been lodged.
Family Law and Civil Justice
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to modernise family law and ensure the efficient functioning of the civil court system. (S6O-04745)
The Scottish Government is taking a variety of steps to modernise family law and ensure the efficient functioning of the civil court system. For example, we recently laid commencement regulations to commence some further provisions of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020.
We plan to make further commencement regulations later this year and intend to lay Scottish statutory instruments on the regulation of child contact services. We have also convened a working group on child welfare reporters to consider how the current system is working in practice and what is needed for the new register of child welfare reporters.
As things stand in our court service, there are no meaningful penalties that can be dispensed by sheriffs in cases where one party to a case is purposely engaged in delaying tactics for their own gain. Can the minister advise whether work is in hand to amend the rules and guidance around civil cases to allow parties to a case engaged in such behaviour—in particular in cases of family dispute involving children—to potentially be subject to sanction where needed for the proper functioning of the courts?
Delay in child contact proceedings is not in the child’s best interests. We plan to make further commencement regulations later this year in relation to the Children (Scotland) Act 2020, including section 32, which requires the court to consider how delays in contact cases can have a negative impact on the child’s welfare.
Case management rules for family actions in the sheriff court came into effect in September 2023 and are intended to help prevent undue delay in proceedings relating to the welfare of children. If a party to a case considers that another party is causing unnecessary delay, they can raise that with the sheriff.
I recognise the negative effect that non-compliance with contact orders can have on a child. Where somebody believes that another person has not obeyed a court order, they can ask the court to vary the order to hold the person in contempt of court. There is a provision on penalties for contempt of court in section 15 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, including a fine or imprisonment.
Conducting proceedings in such a manner amounts to an abuse of process and may also involve contempt of court and result in penalty. In addition, it is open to the court to use its power to regulate the expenses arising from the court action to penalise a party for their conduct in the course of proceedings.
One of the biggest hindrances to the efficient functioning of the civil court system is the lack of availability of legal aid solicitors. One woman seeking divorce using legal aid unsuccessfully approached 116 different law firms, while Women’s Aid Orkney reports that difficulty in securing legal aid has forced some women to stay in harmful relationships.
The minister’s earlier script had a list of inputs, but what are the outputs that she commits to that will alleviate legal aid problems? Will they be achieved before the end of 2025?
As Mr Kerr might know, the Scottish Government recognises that reform is needed in the legal aid system. I published a paper in February that goes into the exact details of what we are trying to achieve before the Holyrood elections next year, which I can send to Mr Kerr if he has not read it.
In the short term, we have identified priority changes that we believe will impact positively on users and providers, and bridge the gap between the current system and the future one in line with our reform objectives and expected benefits. This is the first stage in a long journey towards a more strategic, focused and managed legal aid system, including a framework for decision making. We are keen to hear views from all those across the justice system, including Mr Kerr, on areas of reform and matters of prioritisation.
Caledonian System
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of the Caledonian system. (S6O-04746)
The Caledonian system is currently delivered in 21 of 32 local authority areas, covering over 70 per cent of the population. The Scottish Government is committed to rolling it out further; by the end of this year, two more areas—Shetland and Angus—will begin training to deliver the Caledonian system, which will take the figure up to 23 areas. The Scottish Government has just written to all local authorities, detailing a change to the funding distribution and providing details of a £1.4 million increase in the Caledonian system funding line. We will also be engaging with all local areas to provide central support and training for those areas that wish to move to delivering the Caledonian system.
Rehabilitation is key to preventing reoffending. That is why my Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill would increase the uptake of rehabilitation courses for domestic abusers.
The Scottish National Party’s 2021 manifesto said that it would
“also increase ... work ... to change attitudes of offenders ... by ensuring that the Caledonian Project is available nationwide.”
However, the Government now says that the programme has been rolled out to only 21 of the 32 local authorities, with just two more expected by the end of the year. Does the cabinet secretary agree that access to rehabilitation programmes such as the Caledonian system should be guaranteed and available everywhere in Scotland?
I certainly agree on the value and importance of the Caledonian programme. It is important to recognise that some local authorities use other programmes. The importance that I place on the Caledonian system is demonstrated by the increase in funding for this budgetary year—which means £10 million over two years. We are also supporting local authorities in improving information technology. Other risk assessment tools, such as the spousal assault risk assessment tool, are attached to the programme. We will continue to support the roll-out of the Caledonian system, notwithstanding the fact that local authorities in some areas have chosen to use other programmes.
I ask Pauline McNeill to be brief.
It is time to focus on the attitudes of boys to women and girls, as we need to recognise that early intervention is the key to a long-term reduction in violence and domestic abuse. I am sure that the cabinet secretary has at least heard of Gareth Southgate’s intervention lecture, which I thought was very good. In it, Gareth Southgate talked about the “manipulative and toxic influences” that are causing harm to young men. Does the cabinet secretary agree that it is imperative to revise existing school programmes to focus on boys and their attitude to women and girls—complex though that is—to ensure that we have a real chance of reducing violence against women and girls in our society?
Cabinet secretary, please be as brief as possible.
In short, I agree with that. I will give two examples. Work on online harms is being led by the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise and the Minister for Victims and Community Safety. The endeavours that are led by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on attendance, behaviour and the curriculum are crucially important, and equally safe and relationships education are an important part of that.
Assaults (Teenagers)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of serious assaults committed by teenagers has increased in the past five years. (S6O-04747)
I am, of course, concerned about any reports of increases in violence. Although Police Scotland has advised that the total number of serious assaults by 11 to 18-year-olds fell by 27 per cent between 2019-20 and 2024-25, there has been an increase in serious cases in schools—from six to 40.
Our approach to tackling violence among young people is focused on education programmes on the unacceptability of violence, effective punishment for offences, appropriate police powers and sustained school and community engagement with young people. To show our continued commitment to tackling violence, I am also pleased to say that I have increased funding to the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit by 7 per cent. Its total funding will be in excess of £1.2 million.
Serious assaults by teenagers continue to rise. The number of children possessing knives is up 15 per cent among 11 to 15-year-olds and 14 per cent among 16 to 18-year-olds. In recent weeks, police have been called to a primary school to deal with a child carrying a knife, and, tragically, a 16-year-old lost their life on Irvine beach after a fatal stabbing by another teenager. Clearly, the Scottish National Party’s soft-touch approach to justice is not working. Is it not therefore time to back the Scottish Conservatives’ calls for more stop and search powers to tackle the epidemic of youth violence?
Although there has been demonstrable progress in the reduction of crime and violence, including in offending behaviour by young people, I appreciate that that will be of no comfort to victims and families and it is important to recognise that that progress is not always felt in communities. It is therefore important that we acknowledge recent concerns and changes in the behaviour of some young people. It is important to recognise that most young people are law-abiding citizens.
With respect, I say that the member can keep his “soft touch” rhetoric. I am interested in the evidence about what works for now and in the future, and I am not interested in revisiting debates of the past on interventions that have not worked.
I am strongly of the view that police have adequate stop and search powers. They use those powers and have successfully extracted 900 weapons from citizens, 200 of which have been from young people.
I will need a bit more brevity in the questions and responses.
It is widely understood that good youth work and innovative initiatives can have a positive impact on young people who may be engaged in violence or drawn into it. Therefore, can the Scottish Government advise when the next youth violence summit will take place and say more about what urgent action will be taken to expand prevention measures and early intervention?
The next youth violence summit will take place in the next week or so, and it will have a particular focus on the value of youth work interventions.
The Scottish Government will continue to invest in interventions that are successful in engaging and educating our young people. I hope that we have demonstrated that through our on-going commitment and the recent announcement that the minister made about the cashback for communities scheme. There are also other interventions, such as the quit fighting for likes campaign.
Fatal Accident Inquiries (Statutory Grounds)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further detail regarding the reasons why it is not planning a broader review of the statutory grounds for fatal accident inquiries, in light of the previous review of statutory grounds being undertaken nearly a decade ago and reports of growing public concern over preventable deaths outside of custody settings. (S6O-04748)
A focused review in relation to deaths in custody was commissioned in January this year in order to allow a swift response to the recommendations for improvements to be made to the fatal accident inquiry system as it relates to death in custody.
The question concerned deaths outside of custody settings. In 2019, Aberdeen father and good Samaritan Alan Geddes was murdered by a man who had been released from prison just hours earlier. In 2023, the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland released its damning report, which highlighted a list of failures in the run-up to the release of Stuart Quinn. If Government agencies had acted differently, the outcome could have been different. Alan’s sister, Sandra, continues to fight for answers, and the case is crying out for a fatal accident inquiry.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that, when someone commits murder just hours after release from prison, there have obviously been failures and that the criteria for a statutory FAI must be widened to cover such situations?
Mr Lumsden has been a keen advocate on behalf of his constituent Sandra Geddes, whom I had the pleasure of meeting as a result of an intervention from Mr Lumsden when the bill that became the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 was going through Parliament. There were a number of changes at that time in and around throughcare standards in legislation and the imperative nature of good release planning.
Although the current review that I have commissioned is focused on deaths in custody, I say to Mr Lumsden that any wider learning points from the review will be given due consideration in a broader context.
Can the cabinet secretary assure me that the Sheriff Abercrombie-led independent review of the system of FAIs into deaths in prison custody will meet and engage with families to hear directly from them about their experiences?
It will be for the independent chair, Sheriff Abercrombie, to decide how to conduct the review, but I know from meeting him prior to his taking up the appointment that engaging with families and learning from their experience will be central to the review. The terms of reference that I set mean that the review will have to include the effectiveness, efficiency and the trauma-informed nature of investigations into deaths in custody.
International Criminal Court (Scotland) Act 2001 (Prosecution of War Crimes)
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on using the powers outlined in the International Criminal Court (Scotland) Act 2001 to prosecute nationals and residents of the United Kingdom residing in Scotland who have committed war crimes. (S6O-04749)
Although it is crucial that Scotland has the ability to prosecute international crimes within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, any decision to initiate proceedings against any individual is a matter for independent operational partners and is not for the Scottish Government to comment on.
What we are now seeing on a daily and hourly basis coming from Gaza is evidence of war crimes being committed by members of the Israel Defense Forces. Given that the Metropolitan Police’s war crimes unit has received a dossier of evidence that accuses 10 British citizens of committing war crimes, including the targeted killing of civilians and aid workers, what action can the Scottish Government take to ensure that the provisions of the 2001 act are followed through and ensure the safety of our communities when we potentially face war criminals living among us?
I hope that the member appreciates that the Scottish Government is a firm believer in the rule of law both domestically and internationally. The International Criminal Court has four international obligations in relation to war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression. As a Government, we support any investigation into crimes against humanity and genocide. The International Court of Justice has insisted that Israel takes all steps to prevent the crime of genocide and it has ordered Israel to ensure access for relevant United Nations bodies so that the crime can be investigated.
As the member will appreciate, decisions on prosecution in Scotland are for the Lord Advocate and the Crown Office, which would require reports to be received by a reporting agency to make any further considerations.
“Sentencing Young People” Guideline
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its commitment that no young person under the age of 18 should be imprisoned, what discussions it has had with the Scottish Sentencing Council regarding reviewing the “Sentencing young people” guideline, which states that all sentencing options, including imprisonment, remain open to the court. (S6O-04750)
Decisions on sentencing are for the independent courts. Custody is available as a disposal when the person who is sentenced is under 25 years of age. The Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 also permits the use of custodial sentences for under-18s. While the sentenced person is under 18, their sentence cannot be served in a young offenders institution and is instead served in an age-appropriate setting such as secure accommodation. If an individual’s sentence extends beyond their turning 18, the remainder of the sentence will be served in a young offenders institution and prison, as appropriate.
The public expect absolute clarity on what steps can be taken in the criminal justice system to bring the most serious offenders to justice, regardless of their age. That was confirmed by the First Minister’s answer to my colleague Russell Findlay on 22 May, when he reiterated that
“It remains open to prosecutors to prosecute a young person if they have committed a serious offence.”—[Official Report, 22 May 2025; c 11.]
Given the on-going capacity crisis in our secure accommodation system, to which the judicial system could be forced to send young offenders because there is simply nowhere else to put them, will the cabinet secretary give more clarity to both the Scottish Sentencing Council and this Parliament on the precise criteria for sending a young person to prison? How do they interact with the Scottish Government’s cast-iron commitment not to imprison anyone under the age of 18, as enshrined by law?
The legal route to placing under-18s in prisons or young offenders institutions was closed by this Parliament, so there is no legal route to send young people to prison. I hope that I can reassure Roz McCall by saying that the budget that this Parliament has passed includes additional resource of up to £8.5 million to support the placement of children who are sentenced or remanded. Investment in preventing children from coming into contact with the criminal justice system remains a priority, whether that is through the allocation of resources from cashback for communities or the whole family wellbeing fund.
I agree that no young person aged under 18 should be in prison. However, we need to ensure that there are adequate numbers of places in secure units for justice referrals. In recent decades, we have seen a change in the profile of young people in secure units. For example, there are now larger numbers of young women in such units for non-judicial disposals, such as concern about self-harming. What work is the cabinet secretary doing across Government to ensure that an adequate number of the 78 places are available for justice referrals?
That is an important area of work that involves justice ministers along with education ministers. As I said, we have increased the budget to pay for the placements of not only children who are sentenced, who are the responsibility of ministers, but also those children who are on remand, who would normally be funded by local authorities. We have taken that on board.
With regard to increasing capacity, there are also four fully-funded new secure beds in Rossie. We are committed to increasing resourcing when beds become available so that they are part of a contract to ensure that we have the facilities available for our children.
Cashback for Communities Programme
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on funding for the cashback for communities programme. (S6O-04751)
The commitment to a further three-year phase of the cashback for communities programme was included in the programme for government for 2025-26. To support programme delivery, up to £26 million will be made available, which is an increase of £6 million from the current phase. The programme is funded by money that is recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and it supports young people who are at risk of becoming involved in antisocial behaviour, offending or reoffending.
Information relating to the programme is available on the cashback for communities website, and the programme is open to applications from Thursday 12 June.
It is crucial that young people who are at risk of being drawn into criminal activity have access to support and to projects such as cashback for communities. Can the minister say some more about the impact of the investment in violence prevention in my communities in Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley and in communities across Scotland?
Since 2023, we have invested more than £6 million for the delivery of a range of activities through the violence prevention framework. That includes the work of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, Medics Against Violence and YouthLink Scotland’s No Knives, Better Lives programme, and the delivery of the mentors in violence prevention in schools throughout Scotland.
Some of that work is being delivered in Ayrshire, including the delivery of the hospital navigators service at Crosshouse hospital emergency department and the extension of that approach into the police custody suite as well. That investment seeks to help to prevent violence, reduce its harm and, ultimately, improve outcomes for young people and communities throughout Scotland.
The cashback for communities programme is also having an impact on young people in the area. The latest report, which covers 2023-24, shows that 197 young people in East Ayrshire were supported through seven local cashback projects.
At the Criminal Justice Committee, we heard from Police Scotland that it would like some of the money that is recovered from the proceeds of crime to return to the police service, as is the case in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It said that it sees
“real benefit in being able to do that, because you can turn that money back to deal with the type of crime that you are facing.”—[Official Report, Criminal Justice Committee, 14 May 2025; c 28.]
Police Scotland also said that that would send a strong message to criminals that their money was now going to fund the officers who would chase them and their fellow offenders down.
Although the Scottish Conservatives support money going back to communities, has the minister considered using some of the proceeds in that way?
The Police Scotland budget has been increased this year by £90 million, and we have committed £26 million to the cashback for communities scheme to be reinvested into our youth programmes across all 32 local authorities in Scotland.
That concludes portfolio questions on justice and home affairs.
Education and Skills
UHI Perth (Funding)
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with UHI Perth in relation to its funding position. (S6O-04752)
The Scottish Funding Council has statutory responsibility for oversight of higher and further education institutions in Scotland. Perth college is assigned to the University of the Highlands and Islands as the regional strategic body. Therefore, the SFC has been working with UHI and Perth college to address some of the issues, such as the interim appointments of senior staff.
UHI Perth plays a vital role in the economy and community of Perthshire, yet it faces serious financial challenges, with a £2 million deficit and a principal who has just stepped down following the collapse of air service training—a long-established aviation training arm—leading to staff redundancies and a loss of student places. The college is now having to consider scrapping degree courses. That is a crisis and it has been made worse by the top slicing of the college budget to fund the executive office functions of UHI in Inverness. What is the Scottish Government doing to help the college before it sees more redundancies and course closures?
On top slicing, as Murdo Fraser refers to it, he might or might not be aware of an extensive piece of work that has been conducted by UHI in conjunction with its constituent parts to look at a future long-term and sustainable model. I would like to think that Murdo Fraser is as committed as I am to UHI as a concept and to its long-term future.
I recognise the issues that he describes, including the financial challenges at Perth college. The SFC and UHI have been working extensively and closely with the institution over a sustained period of time. I am happy to ask both institutions to engage with Murdo Fraser, if they have not done so already, to give him a fuller understanding of what that work has covered. I recognise that there have been difficult and challenging times for staff and students at the institution, but I point to the fact that UHI now has in place an interim acting principal who is highly respected and experienced, as well as a highly-regarded interim finance director. I am optimistic that things will progress from here.
Universities and colleges such as UHI Perth are facing increasing external pressure as a result of hostile United Kingdom Government policies, namely on immigration and the rise in employer national insurance contributions. The sector has been vocal about its concerns, so can the minister speak to the potential impact that Labour’s immigration crackdown could have on our higher education sector?
There is no doubt that the proposals that have been made in the past couple of weeks are causing considerable consternation in our higher and further education sectors. That comes on top of the employer national insurance contribution bombshell that was dropped on them. That is why the Scottish Government is seeking changes to graduate visa routes so that we can have a bespoke arrangement for Scotland that meets our needs.
Question 2 was not lodged.
Behaviour in Classrooms
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what support it is providing to teachers to help deal with behaviour in classrooms. (S6O-04754)
In August, the Scottish Government published a joint action plan with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on relationships and behaviour in schools. The first progress report, which set out action that was taken between November 2023 and March 2025, was published at the end of March, and showed that progress has been made against all 20 actions within the plan. In the coming weeks, we will be publishing new guidance, including on the use of consequences, to support schools to foster a positive, inclusive and safe school environment. We will also be publishing new guidance on developing risk assessments for violent, aggressive or dangerous behaviour.
The headline message this week from an Educational Institute of Scotland survey is that teacher workload is unfair and unhealthy. It is clear that contact time for teachers must be reduced, and that we need more additional support needs teachers and more teachers in general in our classrooms, as was promised, and smaller class sizes. Does the cabinet secretary not realise that those are the key actions that need to be taken if we are going to address the issues in our classrooms?
I thank Mr Rowley for raising that important issue in relation to the EIS survey and I look forward to addressing the EIS annual general meeting at its conference in Aviemore tomorrow.
The member will know that a key condition of the budget was that substantive progress was made on reducing class contact time. That is absolutely pivotal to creating the headspace that is needed in driving reform. He will also know that the budget provided extra funding to councils such as Fife in relation to teacher numbers and additional support needs. I have to observe that the Labour Party decided to abstain on that budget.
We have a number of supplementary questions. I will try to get them all in.
The cabinet secretary mentioned the Scottish Government’s action plan. That was published in August last year but, since then, more than 3,000 violent behaviour incidents have been reported in schools in Fife alone. We know that teachers are having to dedicate an increased amount of time to dealing with challenging incidents and that they are dealing with a lack of support for mainstreaming pupils and the upcoming changes in the Education (Scotland) Bill. That is simply too much for our dedicated teaching professionals, many of whom are contemplating leaving the profession.
In the update, will the Scottish Government give an idea of the effectiveness of the plan from last summer, particularly in light of the increasing expectations on our teachers?
Roz McCall has consistently raised issues relating to Fife. We have discussed those, and I am more than happy to engage with her further on that matter. I spoke about the advice on developing risk assessments for violent behaviour and on consequences that we will publish before the end of term. That was a key ask that came ahead of the publication of the behaviour action plan. There was a feeling from members of the profession that there were no longer consequences that they could deploy and be supported with. I want to be clear that teachers should be supported. We have exclusion in Scotland’s schools, and I have been clear that it is in the gift of teachers to use that as and when appropriate.
On the member’s point about effectiveness, the action plan runs over three years, and we will evaluate its effectiveness annually. I am more than happy to engage with the member ahead of that evaluation.
Ahead of the publication of the plan, I engaged with the Opposition on the issue—Mr Kerr was the Conservative party spokesperson at that point. That cross-party engagement was helpful. Perhaps it would be wise if we reconvened that group in August to look at the action plan on a cross-party basis and to talk about some of the issues that Ms McCall has rightly raised this afternoon.
I need a bit more brevity.
Alex Rowley raised the important issue of support for teachers. Freedom of information releases show that South Lanarkshire Council, which is run by Labour, has received more than £12 million of Scottish Government funding to reverse cuts to teacher numbers, but it refuses to do so and will end up cutting 65 more teachers. Will the cabinet secretary speak about the impact that that reckless decision by Labour will have? Does she agree that councils, including in Glasgow and other areas, should use that funding to support teachers?
As colleagues will know, and as I iterated in my response to Mr Rowley, the Government has made available £186.5 million to increase teacher numbers. We made that deal with councils in good faith through the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, and I expect our councils to uphold their end of the deal. For example, I note that in excess of £12 million is being made available to help South Lanarkshire Council to do that. I hope that, when they are speaking with their local government colleagues, colleagues across the chamber will encourage them to uphold their end of the deal, which was made in good faith.
In relation to Fife Council in particular, I encourage Fife colleagues to engage with the Labour-run council in that part of the country to ensure that it is not planning to cut any teacher numbers.
The cabinet secretary will be aware of the case of Carol Shaw, who was violently attacked by a pupil in her school. He lifted her up and threw her head first on to a concrete floor, endangering her life. Following the attack, he went to another teacher’s desk, put his foot up on the desk and said:
“The stupid cow deserved it.”
What does the cabinet secretary say about that horrifying attack? When she speaks about consequences, will she have a discussion with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs about how that individual escaped custody, despite the sheriff in the case saying that he could have received 18 months in custody?
I thank Mr Ross for raising that issue. I am of course aware of the case, which has received extensive coverage in the press. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on that specific case, but I am already engaging with the justice secretary on some of the substantive issues, particularly in relation to the recent press reports that we have seen regarding knife crime. There is a real need for us to take a joined-up approach to education and justice.
Two weeks ago, the First Minister spoke about our work on the mentors in violence prevention. That work is happening in our schools today, and it is good work, but there is more that we can do on a cross-portfolio basis on the point that the member makes, which I support.
Violence in Schools
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to address violence in schools. (S6O-04755)
As I outlined in my previous answer, we are currently implementing our relationships and behaviour national action plan in conjunction with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. The plan contains a number of different actions around reducing violence and harm in schools.
In addition, since the publication of the violence prevention framework in 2023, we have provided more than £6 million to organisations, including the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit and YouthLink Scotland for its No Knives, Better Lives programme, to deliver a range of prevention and early intervention activity, which includes specific work in our schools.
In the coming weeks, we will publish new guidance for schools on consequences and on risk assessments for violent, aggressive or dangerous behaviour.
In a survey conducted among teachers by the NASUWT trade union, eight in 10 respondents said that they had been threatened with a weapon by a pupil in the previous 12 months, and 37 per cent said that they had been assaulted with a weapon. The cabinet secretary has said that the Government is working on guidance. Does she think that the action plan is working? What role does she believe that the police should have in addressing the issue? We are often told that schools are discouraged from contacting the police, even in serious cases.
I thank Katy Clark for raising an important issue. Her question covers a similar theme to that of Roz McCall’s question on the impact of the national action plan, which was launched in August. What I said in response to Ms McCall will also apply to Katy Clark’s question. It is important that we engage on a cross-party basis on that point.
Katy Clark also highlighted the point that Mr Ross made about the connection between justice and education. A number of our schools in Scotland have campus police officers. There is, quite rightly, a connection between justice and education—I often invited the police into my classroom to speak to my pupils about the role of law and order in society. I am more than happy to take away Katy Clark’s points.
On the action plan, as I said in response to the previous question, further advice will be published in relation to consequences and on violent and aggressive behaviour.
There are a couple of supplementary questions, which will need to be brief.
Violence has no place in Scotland’s schools. I welcome the £2 million additional investment from the Scottish Government to address youth violence and the carrying of weapons in and around schools. It is clear that we continue to see challenges in relation to misogynistic behaviour and gender-based violence in wider society.
Will the cabinet secretary comment further on the Government’s work on the issue and on how the Scottish budget delivers on the priorities of the equally safe strategy?
We are fully committed to eradicating violence against women and girls. This year, we are investing £21.6 million in the delivering equally safe fund, supporting 115 projects from 107 organisations that focus on early intervention and prevention, as well as support services.
As part of that investment, we are funding and supporting programmes to address gender-based violence and sexual harassment in our schools. That includes £1.89 million over four years to Rape Crisis Scotland to support the implementation of equally safe at school and the continued delivery of the national sexual violence prevention programme. In the past 10 years, the national sexual violence prevention programme has reached more than 135,000 young people.
A freedom of information request by the Scottish Conservatives has revealed that teachers in Edinburgh and Aberdeenshire have requested self-defence classes. It is totally unacceptable that we are living in a country where our teachers are asking for self-defence classes.
What is being done by the Government? What will be done by management to ensure that, if a teacher requests that a pupil is not in the classroom, they will not be brought back into the classroom?
I am sympathetic to the member’s points. He is alluding to management in schools. We need to be mindful of the position of local government as the employer and the position of the Scottish Government. I am happy to take the issue that he has raised to the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland.
I know that having support from the management team in school is fundamental to supporting a classroom teacher in responding to challenging behaviour. The member raises an important issue, and I will address it accordingly with ADES.
Nursery Closures (Aberdeenshire Council)
To ask the Scottish Government when the children’s minister last met with Aberdeenshire Council to discuss nursery closures. (S6O-04756)
As I have explained previously, it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage their early learning and childcare estate in consultation with local communities to which they are democratically accountable. Although it would not be appropriate for me to comment on an individual council’s processes, I can confirm that senior officials have written to Aberdeenshire Council to highlight the requirements of statutory guidance in relation to the mothballing of local authority services.
I understand that Mr Burnett is keen to take up my previous offer of a meeting, which I believe is now in the process of being arranged, and I look forward to it.
I am glad that the minister is aware of the proposal to mothball four nurseries in Aberdeenshire. A full council meeting is taking place next Monday to make a final decision, but, despite numerous questions, we still appear to be going round in circles, with ministers saying that consultation is required under the guidance and council officers saying that it is not. I asked the minister to write to the council—which was done on 30 May—but it is disappointing that the contents of that letter were not shared with my office. Can the minister simply confirm that her letter to the council confirmed what she and the First Minister have said in the chamber, which is that a consultation should have taken place?
I can confirm, as I said in my previous answer, that senior Scottish Government officials wrote to the council’s director of education on 29 May to draw the council’s attention to the existing mothballing guidance, including the provisions relating to consultation with affected families and communities.
The minister will be aware that the Tories run Aberdeenshire Council, so Mr Burnett should raise the issue with his Tory colleagues. The Scottish Government is funding local authorities to deliver 1,140 hours of ELC to all eligible children, including those in Aberdeenshire. That policy is crucial to providing the best start in life for our children. Will the minister provide information on how the addressing depopulation action plan contributes to that objective?
Ms Mackay raises an extremely important point. In relation to the challenges, the addressing depopulation action plan sets out the Scottish Government’s strategic approach to supporting local communities that face population decline, of which lack of childcare is an important driver. We have made grants available to local authorities via the fund, and two of those grants focus on addressing childcare issues in areas that are affected by acute population decline. For example, Highland Council is examining the workability of subsidised childminding, and Western Isles Council was granted funding to pilot new models of training in childcare in order to bolster employability.
Additional Support Needs (Support for Pupils)
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that pupils with additional support needs receive consistent and adequate support. (S6O-04757)
Delivery of ASN continues to be a joint endeavour with local authorities, which retain the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education and the responsibility to identify, provide for and review the needs of their pupils. We have provided record investment in additional support for learning, with local authorities spending more than £1 billion in 2023-24. We have continued to invest £15 million each year since 2020 to help schools to respond to the individual needs of children and young people, and the 2025-26 budget sets out a further £29 million of additional investment for ASN. I have also committed to a cross-party round-table meeting on, and a review of, ASL.
The funding that has been set out does not match the need. Today is another day with teachers reportedly being in tears and at breaking point. A new survey by the NASUWT shows that 70 per cent of teachers say that support for ASN pupils has declined over the past five years, with more than a third saying that they rarely receive the financial support that they need to teach ASN pupils properly. That does not come as a surprise to me. Something is going wrong. What is the cabinet secretary going to do to change that?
When I met the NASUWT yesterday, we discussed at length additional support needs, among a number of other matters. Mr Mundell stated that the funding does not match the need, but more than £1 billion of investment was provided in the previous financial year and additional funding was provided in this year’s budget. I must observe that Mr Mundell and his party colleagues did not vote for that budget and the extra funding. I am happy to engage with him on alternatives and what he thinks should be done, but it is not the case that less money is going to our schools—the budget provides extra funding.
I welcome the £29 million that the Scottish National Party Government has invested in additional support for learning, and I gently remind colleagues that Scottish Labour and the Tories refused to back the budget, which delivered that funding for education in Scotland. How will that funding support the role of local authorities in recruiting for our workforce?
As I have set out, in 2025-26, local government will receive £29 million of funding to improve outcomes for all children and young people with additional support needs. It is worth recounting that outcomes for children and young people with additional support needs are improving and that the attainment gap in relation to ASN is narrowing.
We are working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on that investment, and we are building on existing spend in relation to inclusion. Further funding is being provided through the budget to support local and national programmes that will directly support the recruitment and retention of our ASN workforce. That is pivotal to supporting ASN pupils in our schools.
The cabinet secretary has again listed the Government’s inputs, but that does not take away from the fact that thousands of teachers are working the equivalent of an extra day per week and only 1 per cent of them have sufficient time to support pupils with additional support needs, according to an Educational Institute of Scotland survey of more than 11,000 teachers that was published this week.
Does the cabinet secretary accept that the Government’s failure to address the crisis in teaching or address teachers’ workloads is driving the growing ASN crisis in schools?
Pam Duncan-Glancy claims that I did not address output, but in my previous response I talked about output in relation to the narrowing attainment gap for pupils with additional support needs. That news is to be welcomed.
As I spoke about, the budget provided extra funding for ASN and teacher numbers. The budget agreement was contingent on our local authorities agreeing to reduce class contact time. The Labour Party abstained on that budget, so Ms Duncan-Glancy’s rhetoric this afternoon does not meet the reality.
Your party voted against the money at Westminster.
Please continue, cabinet secretary.
I am done.
Online Bullying (Schools)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the scale of online bullying in schools. (S6O-04758)
Any bullying is unacceptable and must be addressed promptly and effectively. Online bullying can take place at any time of day, during school time or after hours, and we recognise the impact that it can have on a young person.
In November, we published updated anti-bullying guidance, which has an increased emphasis on how schools can support young people who are experiencing online bullying. Together with the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, I am leading a joint ministerial task force that is focused on tackling online harms, which will seek to identify what more can be done to protect young people online.
Dumfries and Galloway youth council is an organisation that is run for and by young people. Last year, it highlighted bullying as one of its top five major local concerns. As the minister said, online bullying does not end at the school gates; it is often hidden and can cause untold misery for its victims every hour of the day.
In response, Dumfries and Galloway Council has announced a review of bullying, which is taking the views of schools, children, young people, parents and carers into account. However, councils cannot tackle that massive problem alone. Will the minister commit to ensuring that schools have the resources—both guidance and funding—to tackle concerns about online bullying? Will she update the Parliament on what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the United Kingdom Government to ensure that social media giants do everything that they can to protect Scotland’s children from online harm?
Mr Hoy has raised a crucial point. As he said, online bullying can take place outside the school gates, which adds an extra level of complexity. A lot of what we have been talking about in the chamber this afternoon is to do with tackling violence. Supporting our teachers has a part to play in that, as well as ensuring that incidents are recorded and children and young people have the confidence to come forward and report such incidents.
On the work that I am leading alongside Ms Brown, I can confirm that the online safety task force’s priority will be to engage with the UK Government and social media and tech companies on those exact matters in order to seek a better way forward to protect our children and young people from online harm.
If he ensures that his party colleagues will behave, I will take a supplementary question from Martin Whitfield.
I am very grateful, Deputy Presiding Officer. The bullying that occurs online frequently travels over the wi-fi that is provided by schools. On 16 December 2021, I posed a question on that to the then First Minister, who confirmed that the Scottish Government’s responses
“must keep pace ... with the ways in which young people can be subjected to bullying.”—[Official Report, 16 December 2021; c 29.]
The First Minister said that the Government would look at the technical difficulties that lead to wi-fi at school being the vehicle for such bullying. Has the Scottish Government concluded that review? What is the answer?
Wi-fi in local schools would be a matter for local schools and local authorities. However, I am more than happy to write back to Mr Whitfield with more detail on the matter that he has brought to me.
Student Teachers (Mental Health and Wellbeing)
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with universities and placement schools to support the mental health and wellbeing of student teachers. (S6O-04759)
We recognise the vital role that mental health and wellbeing support play in ensuring that student teachers can thrive in their professional development.
Universities have a responsibility to provide wellbeing services for all their students, including those who are undertaking teacher training. While they are on placement, student teachers are supervised and supported by a registered teacher, which ensures that they receive guidance and mentorship, and that supports their growth and wellbeing. Student teachers can also engage directly with the General Teaching Council for Scotland, which provides a range of wellbeing resources and advice to support early career teachers.
Some constituents have raised concerns with me about the treatment and experiences of trainee and newly qualified teachers, and they report a lack of support. I have been told that the GTCS does not conduct exit interviews or gather data on the reasons why teachers leave the profession. Considering all that, will the minister advise what actions universities and placement schools should be taking to support student teacher mental health and wellbeing? Can any further relevant consideration be given to supporting trainee and newly qualified teachers to help to ensure that committed, capable and passionate people remain in the profession?
I set out in my original answer the support that is currently available for the wellbeing of students, teachers and early-career teachers. I can confirm that we are considering what further support might be provided. I note Ben Macpherson’s comments about the role of the GTCS in exit interviews, but the employers in this context are councils, so it is perhaps most appropriate that such work sits with them. I will ask education officials to ascertain to what extent that is happening and whether the data is being collated. I will undertake to apprise Mr Macpherson of the progress and consideration of possible further support.
That concludes portfolio questions on education and skills. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business to allow for a changeover of front-bench teams.
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