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The Strategic Board for Teacher Education is developing a Teacher Education and Development Framework to support teacher development throughout their careers. This includes a specific focus on improving support and mentoring for early career teachers.

Local authorities are responsible for meeting the statutory guidance requirements in relation to cross-boundary and are further encouraged to work together to ensure families’ choice of provider is not limited by local authority boundaries through joint Funding Follows the Child guidance developed by COSLA and the Scottish Government. The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (Section 50) also requires local authorities to consult with families in their area about how they should make ELC available.

The Scottish Government has an outcomes-based evaluation strategy for the national ELC expansion, which will look at accessibility. We published an interim report in August 2024, with the full report due to be published next by the end of 2025.

A further national Parent and Carer Survey took place in May 2025, building on the surveys previously undertaken in 2017 and 2022. Findings from the survey will be published later in the year and will provide a useful insight into parents' and carers' current experiences of 1140.

Local authorities hold the statutory duty to make 1,140 hours of funded ELC available to eligible children residing within their own area, and are also responsible for meeting the statutory guidance requirements in relation to cross-boundary placements.

Statutory guidance is clear that, wherever possible, education authorities should make arrangements that ensure families accessing cross-boundary placements are treated on the same basis as families accessing provision in their own local authority area.

To ensure families’ choice of provider is not limited by local authority boundaries, we encourage local authorities to work with neighbouring areas through Funding Follows the Child guidance, developed jointly by COSLA and the Scottish Government.

The Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise continues to engage with local government representatives on this issue to encourage Councils to work together to find cross-border solutions that support children, families and providers.

SCTS is independent of Scottish Government and therefore entrusted to make determinations of what an efficient system for them looks like and what a normal volume of scheduled criminal trials would be.

The number of babies who have been recorded in the Scottish Birth Record (SBR) as admitted to Wishaw Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in (a) 2024 was 504 and (b) for the period 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2025 was 131.

Of these babies the number who were recorded as having an NHS board other than NHS Lanarkshire was (a) in 2024, 31 and (b) for 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2025, 21.

The NHS boards of residence for these babies included; NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Highland, NHS Lothian, NHS Shetland and NHS Tayside.

At this time, no other proposal for any additional facilities has been brought to the Scottish Government for consideration. Any future proposals will be subject to careful assessment, must align with public health priorities and reflect local collaboration. They would also need to satisfy the Lord Advocate in relation to the various requirements previously set out by her in order to receive a similar statement of prosecution policy as that which is in place for The Thistle.

The Glasgow safer drug consumption facility, The Thistle, will undergo a comprehensive, independent evaluation led by a collaboration of academic institutions, including the University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University, and other expert research partners. The findings from that evaluation will be an essential reference point in informing the development, scale, and scope of any future facilities.

A range of new vessel options for the Gourock to Dunoon and Kilcreggan ferry services are being considered within the wider Outline Business Case for investment in the routes, which also includes port infrastructure upgrades. When complete, the Outline Business Case will be reviewed by Transport Scotland Investment Decision Making Board in the first instance, currently expected to be around the end of 2025, and then presented to Ministers for decisions.

The Scottish Government is working with Skills Development Scotland and other partners on post school education reform. This includes apprenticeship reform, improvements to careers information and advice and ensuring there are clear pathways for young people into apprenticeships, work and further learning.

We are investing £185 million this year to support apprenticeships - and looking at how we secure maximum benefit from this investment, including how public funding is utilised.

Colleges operate independently of government and therefore retain a degree of autonomy in how they support learners into apprenticeships. Access to Modern Apprenticeships, like all employment opportunities remains competitive, and can be influenced by a range of factors, including employer demand, sectoral priorities, and the suitability of individual candidates for specific roles.

The Scottish Government has not identified any funds returned from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) for penalties. The member may wish to contact the SFC for further details.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of securing local consent in the establishment of any new Safer Drug Consumption Facilities (SDCFs). Evaluation of such consent would need to be undertaken by any Health Board area wishing to propose establishing an SDCF and will be guided by inclusive engagement with local partners, including health and social care bodies, local authorities, community representatives and local resident.

Findings from the Thistle evaluation will serve as a reference point, generating key learning on implementation processes, health and social impacts, community-level effects, and cost-effectiveness.

Any future proposals will be subject to careful assessment, must align with public health priorities and reflect local collaboration. They would also need to meet the various requirements set out by the Lord Advocate, including the need for public consultation.