- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many Disclosure Scotland permanent job vacancies have remained unfilled for more than six months since May 2021.
Answer
I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:
From January 2022 to September 2025, there have been four permanent vacancies at Disclosure Scotland that were unfilled for more than six months (from when advert went live to start date). We cannot access data for the period May 2021 to December 2021 as the iCIMS system that stored this data has been discontinued.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that any delays in the processing of Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) certificates by Disclosure Scotland have had on recruitment in the (a) social care and (b) teaching sector in the last year.
Answer
I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:
Disclosure Scotland have undertaken priority work to ensure future planning for high application volume periods is informed by internal reviews and stakeholder feedback from managing summer 2025's increased volumes. This work did not include assessment of the impact of delays on recruitment in social care, teaching or any specific sectors.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many funded childcare providers have deregistered since 2021, broken down by (a) voluntary sector, (b) private and (c) council-run settings.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not collect this information. However, the Care Inspectorate collects and publishes data on service cancellations and registrations, available on the Care Inspectorate’s website: Statistics and analysis.
Figure 9 of the Care Inspectorate’s Early learning and childcare statistics 2024 shows service cancellations for childminding services and day care of children services for the period 2014 to 2024.
However, the Care Inspectorate do not disaggregate these figures to show differences between funded providers and other childcare providers.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that youth work initiatives are aligned with national economic priorities and strategies, such as the Young Person’s Guarantee.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41194 on 7 November 2025. 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.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of complaints that have been received regarding dampness, mould or ventilation issues in council-run nurseries since 2021.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information. It is the role of the Care Inspectorate to investigate complaints about registered care services, and these can include concerns about the fitness of premises, such as damp, mould, and ventilation issues.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many Disclosure Scotland employees have left their job, including through resignation, within their first year of employment since 2022.
Answer
I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:
Since 2022, seven permanent Disclosure Scotland employees have left their job within their first year of employment.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of capital projects for early years expansion that remain incomplete or delayed beyond their original target date.
Answer
The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) monitors the 1140 expansion infrastructure programme on behalf of the Scottish Government, and collects progress data periodically from local authorities. The 2025 data collection exercise commenced in September and is expected to conclude in November. The most recent completed data collection showed that in October 2024, 877 (98%) of projects in the programme were complete, and 16 projects were either in construction or had not yet commenced construction.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered using youth work to help the development of its post-COVID-19 pandemic economic recovery strategy, and, if so, what action has been taken, and what the outcome has been.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. This work contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority of eradicating child poverty and tackling inequality.
Youth work falls within the scope of Community Learning and Development (CLD). The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013, in effect, requires local authorities to identify need and plan provision of CLD. In line with the Verity House Agreement, local authorities have the autonomy to deliver services that meet the needs of young people in their areas. However, the Scottish Government published strategic Guidance to Local authorities to support them to develop their CLD plans in 2024 which can be accessed at: Supporting documents - Community learning and development: guidance for 2024 to 2027 - gov.scot.
An independent review of CLD was commissioned in December 2023. The Scottish Government welcomed the Learning: For All. For Life. report published in July 2024, which made 20 recommendations varying in complexity and scope. The report can be accessed at: Supporting documents - Learning: For All. For Life. A report from the Independent Review of Community Learning and Development (CLD) - gov.scot.
The Scottish Government and COSLA accepted recommendation 1.1 to set up a joint CLD Strategic Leadership Group. The group has a broad range of members representing multiple sectors with an interest in youth work as part of CLD. A list of members can be found here: Community Learning and Development Strategic Leadership Group - gov.scot. The SLG have convened on four occasions and are considering the remaining recommendations of the report.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on agency social work staff within children and families services in each of the last five years.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This is a matter for local authorities. The member may wish to contact local authorities directly for this information.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what Disclosure Scotland's total spend on external consultants and contractors has been in the last three years.
Answer
I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:
| | Spend on IT contractors £'000 |
2024-25 | 9,303 |
2023-24 | 8,396 |
2022-23 | 8,295 |
Disclosure Scotland had no consulting fees in the last three years.