Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37115 on 6 May 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.

Since 2018 732 bursaries have been awarded to individuals who may not otherwise have applied for teacher training in STEM and modern language subjects.

The bursary scheme has been effective in increasing the number of teachers teaching in these hard-to-fill subjects.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6O-04558 on 23 April 2025. All answers to Oral Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Official Report: search what was said in Parliament | Scottish Parliament Website

The safety and wellbeing of everyone in the prison estate is a priority for this government and the Scottish Prison Service and we continue to aspire to comply with all relevant standards and international obligations.

The further refurbishment, including the cells, within HMP Barlinnie has been fully assessed but continued refurbishment is not a long-term solution.

The Scottish Government agrees with the Inspectorate that the need for a replacement prison through the planned new HMP Glasgow is “overwhelming and urgent”. That is why it is welcome that the construction contract for HMP Glasgow was signed in January this year.

HMP Glasgow, with a design capacity of 1,344, will add 357 places to the prison estate, featuring larger cells than previous builds and meeting international standards set by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture.

A sustainable reduction in the prison population, also highlighted in the report, remains a focus for this Government as we work with justice partners to develop measures which prioritises prison for high-risk offenders whilst working on solutions to reduce reoffending and aid reintegration into the community.

We recognise the need for ongoing action to address skills needs and we continue to provide additional targeted support across a range of sectors for example, we will invest an additional £3.5 million in our colleges to create an Offshore Wind Skills Programme and College Care Skill Programme, supporting a pipeline of skilled workers.

The Scottish Government also significantly invests in apprenticeships, which play a crucial role in giving young people pathways into rewarding careers. They provide employers with a vital route in which to invest in their future workforce, helping develop the skills we need for our economy and essential public services.

We also recognise the need to take action to ensure our post school learning and education system is fit for the future through our extensive programme of reform. This programme is about driving agility and efficiency through the system, making it simpler for learners to engage with, and making the best use of the substantial investment that we make for the benefit of Scotland’s people and economy.

The relevant legislation in this context is the Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016, which outlines the areas where the retention of salmon is prohibited, meaning catch and release is mandatory when fishing for salmon in these areas.

There were no prosecutions, where it was the main offence, under the Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016 between 2013-14 and 2022-23.

Please note: The latest available information on proceedings and convictions is for the financial year 2022-23.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.

The Scottish Government is providing £23.4 million of funding in 2025-26, to the Regional Transport Partnerships and their local authority partners through the Active Travel People and Place programme. One of the key areas of investment in this programme is “Schools and Young People”, which targets investment in behaviour change initiatives to encourage more children and young people to use active travel as a way of travelling to school. The aim of this programme is to make sustainable travel choices the most desirable way to travel for young people and families by providing the necessary interventions and adaptations that make active travel more attractive.

This year, we will also increase our funding (to £2.5m) for Bikeability Scotland, the national cycle training programme for school aged children. Bikeability Scotland provides the next generation of cyclists with the skills and confidence they need to ride safely on our roads. In 2023-24, the last period for which data is available, more than 54,039 children received cycle training. We expect that figure to rise to 70,000 this year.

We allocated over £100 million across a number of infrastructure programmes to develop and deliver walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure in 2024-25. This includes funding through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF), our primary vehicle for supporting infrastructure projects.

Through the ATIF, Transport Scotland directly funded 16 local authorities and one Regional Transport Partnership for projects that are: improving routes and junctions at various locations to ensure children can cross safely; addressing missing links; supporting safer routes to school; and enhancing safety by improving lighting.

The funding support provided through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund will continue in 2025-26, giving local authorities the autonomy to support the design, development, and delivery of active travel infrastructure measures according to their individual local priorities.

Under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 every young carer has a right to a personalised support plan, called a young carer statement. The process of producing the statement must include identifying the young person’s needs, such as support to pursue further or higher education and secure employment.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of young carers being identified in schools so that they can be supported in achieving their educational and wider goals. This is why we fund an Education Officer post at Carers Trust Scotland to work with Education Scotland, the General Teaching Council for Scotland, and the Scottish Qualification Authority on improving young carer awareness, identification, and support in education. This has led to an accredited e-training module to help education staff understand, identify, and support young carers. This e-training module has recently been refreshed to add information about supporting young carers in their transition into further or higher education or employment.

Additionally, we have funded Young Scot to provide information for young carers facing transition periods in their life, including moving into further or higher education and employment Young Carers Transitions – Young Scot. Skills Development Scotland also highlight to career advisers the additional support young carers may need at this pivotal time.

The Scottish Government recognises the significant barriers faced by unpaid carers, including young carers, in accessing employment and fair work in the labour market. This is why unpaid carers have been identified as one of our key cohorts for support and why we have made a Programme for Government commitment to provide employability support to meet the needs of all parents or carers on a demand-led basis.

Our National carers strategy sets out the importance of all employers being flexible and supportive of carers in the workforce and outlines our commitment to fund and promote the Carer Positive employer accreditation scheme. There are now more than half a million employees working in 290 Carer Positive organisations across Scotland.

We are working to ensure holistic wrap-around support is available throughout our support services. No One Left Behind is our approach to delivering an all-age, place-based, person-centred model of employability support in Scotland. Services are voluntary, aiming to support individuals (including paid and unpaid carers) towards the right job at the right time. The No One Left Behind: employability strategic plan 2024 to 2027, published September 2024, outlines our priorities for devolved employability services moving forward, and reaffirms our commitment to continuous improvement and expanding reach of our services, including young carers.

International students have a positive economic impact. We want to attract and retain international students in Scotland. While immigration is a reserved matter, the Scottish Government is committed to working closely with the UK Government to make a positive difference. Student sponsor licences are arranged between colleges and the Home Office directly. We have had multiple engagements with the UK Government regarding the Immigration System following the change of UK Government last July.