Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the Member to the answer detail for question S6W-40762, which sets out the key objectives for participation and engagements undertaken during Scotland’s programme in Osaka and Tokyo across the 6 months and also confirms the intention to publish an evaluation of Scotland’s Expo Osaka programme. We are currently working on the evaluation, which we aim to publish in early 2026.

With regard to indicators used to evidence a deeper level of engagement, I once again refer the Member to the answer to S6W-40762, particularly the stated objectives identified for the Scottish Government’s attendance at Climate Week NYC. As an example of impact, opportunities at NYCW lead directly to Ms. Martin receiving invitations to a wider range of opportunities to engage, especially at UN-sponsored events at COP30. Detail on the Scottish Government programme at COP30 will be published in due course.

The Cabinet Secretary and I met the Principal of Forth Valley College and the Scottish Funding Council on 29 October to discuss progress, next steps and how the Scottish Government can help. I have subsequently visited Alloa Campus on 18th November.

The SFC continues to support the College and has provided additional funding to support an urgent feasibility study to identify all possible options for the campus in Alloa.

Operational decisions on matters such as course provision and campus footprint are the responsibility of individual colleges, and I remain assured that the Principal is committed to finding a solution, taking into account the needs of the community, local employers and wider region.

As decisions around the Scottish Government’s Budget are being considered in the months ahead, I will continue to work closely and collaboratively with Colleges Scotland, leaners, and the wider sector, to support skills development and ensure a successful and sustainable future for our colleges.

Education provision for children and young people with autism was not discussed at these meetings. However, the Scottish Government continues to work closely with local government partners, including the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) to improve the education provision and outcomes for children and young people with additional support needs, including those with autism.

This includes partnership working, to deliver the Additional Support for Learning Action (ASL) Plan in response to the recommendations of the 2020 Morgan Review and ADES participation in our ASL Data Summit on 12 November, which marked the beginning of a phased approach to improving data at both national and local levels.

ADES is represented on the ASL Action Plan Project Board which has oversight of delivery of the ASL Action Plan, to ensure transparency in the delivery of our work and to ensure our accountability and that of our partners. We have committed to delivering the recommendations of the review by March 2026 and we are working with our local government partners to meet this commitment.

The procurement of ScotRail’s new suburban fleet will comply with the Scottish Government’s Sustainable Procurement Duty, requiring bidders to demonstrate social, environmental and economic benefits, including community benefits and reducing inequality.

While legislation does not permit mandating Scottish-based manufacturing, bidders must engage with the Scottish Rail Cluster Builder and are encouraged to maximise local supply chain opportunities.

The inclusion of a Technical Support and Spares Supply Agreement will create high-quality engineering jobs in Scotland for at least 10 years.

The Scottish Government plan to publish a new infrastructure delivery pipeline alongside the Scottish Spending Review in January which will set out our future investment plans underpinned by a 30-year needs assessment and a draft infrastructure strategy for consultation. The draft strategy will set out a ten-year framework to guide infrastructure planning, investment, and delivery across the country and seek views on how we can better embed local priorities into investment decisions in line with our National Planning Framework 4.

We are committed to delivering key infrastructure projects and we have a proven track record of successfully doing so across Scotland. In the north east this has included the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty scheme, the Aberdeen to Inverness Rail Improvement Project, and the A92/A96 Haudagain Junction Improvement project.

The Scottish Government is also investing significant amounts of funding in City and Regional Growth Deals across Scotland including the Tay Cities Region Deal, the Moray Growth Deal, and the Aberdeen City Region Deal. In addition, we are also investing further funding in the north east of Scotland’s infrastructure over the same time span as the Aberdeen City Region Deal.

The content previously included in the “Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland” statistical release will now be released as three separate publications:

• Pupil and teacher characteristics - covering information from the current academic year’s pupil census and the school staff census
• Funded early learning and childcare statistics - covering information from the current academic year’s Early Learning and Childcare census
• School attendance, absence and exclusions statistics - covering information from the previous academic year’s attendance absence and exclusions data collections

This change will make it easier for users to find and access the statistics they are interested in. All three new publications are scheduled for release on 9 December 2025, in line with the usual publication date for Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland which has now been discontinued.

A consultation paper proposing publication of 11 Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) for demersal fish stocks has today been published at: https://consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/fisheries-management-plans-demersal-fish-stocks/

The four UK fisheries policy authorities (Defra, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and DAERA) have been working together and in partnership with stakeholders to develop the FMPs according to the parameters set within the Fisheries Act 2020 and the Joint Fisheries Statement. The consultation will be led by the Scottish Government and will run for 16 weeks from 20 November 2025 to 11 March 2026.

The consultation is an opportunity for stakeholders to help shape and influence the future of demersal fisheries management policy in the UK and builds upon previous engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across the UK.

I am pleased to announce that today, World Children’s Day, I have laid before Parliament, Scotland’s first ever Children’s Rights Scheme. The proposal for the Scheme is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/proposal-first-childrens-rights-scheme/

Section 14 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 (the Act) requires Scottish Ministers to make such a Scheme setting out the arrangements they have made, or propose to make, to ensure they comply with the compatibility duty under section 6 of the Act and to secure better or further effect of the rights of children. Section 15 provides for the proposed Scheme to be laid before the Scottish Parliament, which I have duly done.

Engagement on a draft Scheme was undertaken with children and young people; the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland; the Scottish Human Rights Commission; and Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights).

World Children’s Day is UNICEF’s global day of action for children, marking the adoption, by United Nations General Assembly, of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. The Scottish Government is proud to mark this by setting out to Parliament and to the people of Scotland what we are already doing, and planning to do, to help to ensure that children’s rights are at the heart of everything we do. The Scheme builds on last year’s incorporation of the UNCRC into Scots law within the limits of our devolved competence.

I am pleased to confirm that the Life Sciences Strategy for Scotland 2035 Vision: Accelerating Growth, Driving Innovation has been published today. Link: https://www.lifesciencesscotland.com/life-sciences-strategy-for-scotland

The Strategy was developed in partnership with the Life Sciences Scotland Industry Leadership Group and sets out the shared commitment and confidence of the triple helix model between industry, Government and the university base in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the Life Sciences sector as one of Scotland’s most productive, high-growth sectors, that provides high quality jobs and supports better healthcare across the country.

Together with industry and academia, we are determined to see the industry grow and thrive over the next ten years.

The local government finance funding formula provides a complex but objective assessment of need and uses the most up to date information for the full range of indicators, including factors such as population, rurality, road data and deprivation.

The needs-based formula used to distribute the quantum of funding available for local government is kept under constant review and is agreed each year with COSLA on behalf of all 32 local authorities.

While the Scottish Government is always open to suggestions to improve the funding formula, any proposals for change must properly come through COSLA in the first instance.