Current status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 9 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of its reported decision to reduce funding for the Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award from £75,000 to £30,000 in 2026-27, and whether it will reconsider this decision, in light of the award’s role in supporting young people’s confidence, leadership skills, community cohesion and progression into further education and employment.
While we recognise the positive impact that the Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award continues to have, we need to prioritise budget decisions to respond to an increasingly challenging financial environment. However, it is important to recognise that we will continue to support the Award in 2026-27 with £30,000 which will, on the basis of previous years’ experience, enable the Outward Bound Trust to leverage in support from other funders so that it can continue to support young people through the programme. The Scottish Government has funded the Outward Bound Trust to deliver the programme since 2012. Our commitment to the programme has been substantive and has amounted to £1.4 million over that time.