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A Tripartite Alignment Group has been established to foster close, partnership working between the Scottish Government, the Scottish Funding Council and Colleges Scotland.

The purpose of this group is to focus on urgent pressures facing colleges and put in place the building blocks to tackle more complex, systemic issues which will be the subject of the wider programme of reform expressed through the Withers Review and underpinned by the Purpose and Principles.

Following on from recommendations made in recent reviews, the Scottish Government has also set out in the Programme for Government its intention to lead the development of a new funding model for post-school education provision. We will work closely with colleges, and others, in determining how we can use funding allocations to deliver improved outcomes.

We welcome Audit Scotland’s report on Scotland’s colleges. It recognises the opportunities coming from reform of post-school education, as signalled in the Purpose and Principles for Post-School Education, Research and Skills published on 28 June 2023, which can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/post-school-education-research-skills-purpose-principles/ .

Health Boards are responsible for managing the NHS estate and the issues with RAAC were communicated to them by Health Facilities Scotland at least as early as November 2019. A national survey programme was established to provide additional assurance that all instances of RAAC in the NHS estate are known, that the condition of the RAAC has been properly assessed and that appropriate management plans are in place. The Scottish Government will support Health Boards through this process.

On 28 June 2023, the Scottish Government published the Purpose and Principles for post-school education, research and skills setting out our long-term vision for the system and the outcomes that we want to achieve. This includes our focus on delivering a system that is financially and environmentally resilient, trusted to deliver, and subject to effective governance. In the Initial Priorities Paper that accompanied the Purpose and Principles we acknowledged that reform of current funding arrangements is needed to realise this ambition.

Drawing on the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape, the Scottish Government has committed in the 2023 -24 Programme for Government to lead development of a new funding model for post-school education and skills provision alongside setting out plans for implementing reform of our education and skills bodies. The Scottish Government are committed to continuing to work closely with colleges throughout the development and implementation of our programme of reforms to ensure that the changes that we put in place will deliver enhanced outcomes for people and places across Scotland.

On 13 September 2023, at the initiation of the Scottish Government, Ministers and senior officials from across the UK met to discuss single use vapes. They discussed the available evidence, recognised shared challenges, and committed to work together on a range of options to tackle the impacts, up to and including a ban.

The Scottish Government has engaged on the issue of single use vapes from an early stage with governments across the UK, and indicated the potential future requirement to raise relevant issues for consideration within the Resources and Waste Common Framework.

The consultation has closed, the responses will be considered carefully along with the analysis and no decisions have been taken. The local government needs-based formula used to distribute the quantum of funding available for Local Government is kept under constant review and is agreed with COSLA on behalf of all thirty-two local authorities each year.

The Scottish Government has directly engaged with justice stakeholders to seek updates on the current position across the justice estate. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) undertakes a regular rolling inspection regime of the buildings in its estate. There is an on-going programme of condition surveys underway to inform the programme of works needed over the short (1yr) medium (2-5yrs) and long (6-10yrs) term to undertake maintenance or remedial work identified on a managed risk basis.

In order to ensure a rigorous assessment in relation to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) the SCTS conducted desk-based and visual surveys of its estate over the summer and is conducting detailed structural surveys of the 10 buildings on its estate that were either constructed or had major works carried out during the time period in which RAAC was in use. These surveys will confirm whether or not RAAC is present in any facility and, if so, its condition and whether any remediation is required. At this point RAAC has been identified in one building – Airdrie Sheriff Court. No immediate signs of risk or deterioration of structural integrity have been identified. SCTS are conducting further work to identify any medium or longer term arrangements that may be required to ensure continued safety. The building is safe and the detailed survey will make recommendations to ensure that remains the case.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) based on their knowledge of the SPS estate, do not believe that RAAC is present within the prison estate. SPS is however conducting a further evidence based scoping exercise to identify any buildings that cannot be categorically ruled out as containing RAAC. Any buildings identified will require further investigation and may need more intrusive testing/inspection by specialist consultants. The initial scoping exercise is due to be concluded by 30 September 2023.

In April 2023, Police Scotland undertook visual inspections of 65 sites across its estate, resulting in 36 sites being confirmed as not containing RAAC. The remaining 29 sites were inspected by structural engineers, and RAAC was confirmed as present at 3 of these sites in Edinburgh, Perth and Baluniefield.

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) are not aware definitively of any RAAC buildings in their estate, however, COPFS have engaged surveyors to carry out a desktop study of their owned and leased estate. At this stage, of the owned 8 assets, only one; Dumbarton, may fall within the RAAC age band, suggesting it may require further investigation.

The Scottish Government’s response to PQ S6W-21348 on 27 September 2023 provides the member with a response to the question “To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of any fire station buildings that contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC)”.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

On 13 September 2023, at the initiation of the Scottish Government, Ministers and senior officials from across the UK met to discuss single use vapes. They discussed the available evidence, recognised shared challenges, and committed to work together on a range of options to tackle the impacts, up to and including a ban.

The Scottish Government has engaged on the issue of single use vapes from an early stage with governments across the UK, acknowledging the potential impact of the Internal Market Act, and indicated the potential future requirement to raise relevant issues related to the Internal Market Act for consideration within the Resources and Waste Common Framework.

The Scottish Government regularly meets with the Scottish Funding Council to discuss a range of matters.

The Scottish Government’s 2023-24 Programme for Government, published on 5 September 2023, outlined our commitment to take action to reduce vaping among non-smokers and young people and to tackle the environmental impact of single use vapes, including consulting on a proposal to ban their sale and other appropriate measures.

On 13 September 2023, at the initiation of the Scottish Government, Ministers and senior officials from across the UK met to discuss single use vapes. They discussed the available evidence, recognised shared challenges, and committed to work together on a range of options to tackle the impacts, up to and including a ban.

Our approach will be subject to further engagement, policy development and consultation and developed in the spirit of the new deals recently agreed with local government and with business. The Scottish Government will work constructively with the UK nations, as well as retailers, local government, young people and other stakeholders to develop and deliver solutions.