Chamber and committees

Dr Munro, what we are hearing is a wee bit delayed, and I am trying to find an opportunity to intervene. You have spoken about many different things that are happening. How are the impacts of some of those programmes being evaluated in those communities?

I will bring in Inge Birnie—sorry; I mean Sylvia Warnecke. It is very confusing when I have an earphone in.

I am sorry, Lydia, but I am going to have to move on to Dr Birnie, in the interests of time.

No, no, that was very helpful. You gave useful examples, which we always like to get.

Joan, do you want to come in?

One of my constituents is only eight years old and has been on the neurodevelopmental waiting list for an assessment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for 96 weeks already. The frustration and the distress that the family is experiencing because of that wait are unacceptable. Despite the school being supportive and offering my constituent one-to-one adult support, he continues to have outbursts that the family is finding difficult to manage.

I have already raised that case with you, minister, and you advised me to contact NHS Lothian. I had already done so prior to contacting you, as had the family—

That is hardly a tailored response. The family has been waiting almost two years for only an assessment and contacted me as a last resort. What action should the family take next in the face of those unacceptable waiting times?

I have a list of £55.5 million of opportunities if the minister wishes to hear it. We would not spend money on mobile phones for prisoners. We would not spend £46 million in the next year alone on the botched national care service. We would not spend £9 million on foreign embassies, and we would not spend £14,000 on trips for Air Miles Angus.

I gather from my sources that the previous First Minister instructed his Cabinet to get out and visit the colleges in their regions and constituencies, meet the students and staff and see at first hand the impact that colleges have on communities across the country. I would go further and ask every member of this Parliament to do so and to get behind and support the work of our colleges, which are the unsung heroes of our education sector.

Will the member take an intervention?

I have always been impressed by the work that is being done in our colleges. Those institutions are critical to the economic and social wellbeing of our country—for the development of a skilled workforce that is able to respond to new requirements and new opportunities in industries; for opportunities for people of all abilities to develop skills for life; and for successfully widening access to opportunities, including higher education.

As James Withers said,

“Scotland has all the ingredients of a world class education and skills system. And no ingredient is more important than our colleges ... It has never been more important to unlock the full potential of all our people.”

One third of our college students come from Scotland’s most deprived communities, which, put simply, means that colleges deliver education and skills development to parts of Scotland that other institutions just do not reach—that sounds like an advert. Their role as a catalyst for economic development is underplayed, too.

The SNP’s chronic underfunding of Scotland’s colleges has forced them into a precarious financial position, which impacts their ability to support learners and grow the economy.

Earlier this year, colleges, businesses and trade unions joined together to call on the Scottish Government to reinstate a vital training fund before it was deleted from the 2024-25 budget. The flexible workforce development fund has previously provided businesses with access to training and upskilling for staff, delivered through colleges and other partners. We heard in February that, if the £10 million fund is not reinstated, potentially more than 2,000 employers and 45,450 learners will miss out on training opportunities—what a tragedy.

I want to raise an issue about modern apprenticeships as a whole. Based on the SSVQ’s calculations, those people who are studying for a modern apprenticeship qualification in Scotland receive considerably less funding per head than those who do so in England. A barbering apprentice receives only £2,700, compared to £9,000 south of the border; a hospitality apprentice receives only half of what their counterpart in England receives. I understand that budgets are tight, but I hope that the minister can reiterate in his closing remarks why such a disparity in funding exists. Where on earth is Scotland’s apprenticeship levy money going?

The Education, Children and Young People Committee’s report on college regionalisation noted concern over a lack of overarching strategic direction from the Scottish Government. The report states:

“The Committee is concerned that colleges are currently making decisions to respond to the challenging financial climate without clear overarching strategic direction from the Scottish Government as to their purpose and what they must prioritise ... As such, colleges are being asked to take decisions for the future, uncertain as to whether those decisions will be compatible with the Scottish Government’s vision.”

There were many other recommendations in the report, and I am very aware that the minister is aware of those recommendations, given that he was a member of the committee and helped to draft them, and given that the report was agreed unanimously.

Although I recognise the financial constraints that the Scottish Government is working within, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council must acknowledge the significant needs of the college sector and urgently take action to ensure that more capital investment can be levered into the sector.