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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 11 June 2025
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Displaying 2800 contributions

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Education, Children and Young People Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Sue Webber

So you are confirming that the money will not be taken out of the college budget and sent off to support mental health services in the NHS, for example.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Sue Webber

Of course.

I call Liam Kerr.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Sue Webber

I draw your attention, minister, to the Official Report from 5 June, which might be the evidence session of interest to you. At that meeting, Dr Conlon of London Economics said that, compared with England and Wales, there is a funding shortfall of about £1,500 per student in Scotland, and that the current system of fees benefits those with middle-to-higher incomes.

Could I bring in—

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Sue Webber

Good morning, and welcome to the 22nd meeting in 2024 of the Education, Children and Young People Committee.

We have apologies from Stephanie Callaghan, and I welcome Stuart McMillan as a committee substitute.

The first item on our agenda is our final pre-budget scrutiny evidence session. I welcome our witnesses, who are Graeme Dey, the Minister for Higher and Further Education and Minister for Veterans; and Stuart Greig, the head of the governance and assurance division in the Scottish Government’s lifelong learning and skills directorate.

We have no opening statement to hear and will move straight to members’ questions. John Mason will kick us off.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Sue Webber

We had a bit of a head-to-head last year, if you remember, regarding your £56 million of savings from demand-led programmes in last year’s budget. In January this year, you did not rule out the prospect of in-year pressures on the budget. I have your wording here. You said that “external factors” meant that you could not rule out more in-year cuts. What update can you provide the committee with today regarding in-year cuts to education spending?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Sue Webber

I would like to bring in Stuart McMillan with a supplementary question first and see how that goes.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Sue Webber

We had a very interesting, broad-ranging discussion. A lot of evidence and data had been collected.

I have a list of members wishing to contribute. John Mason is next, followed by Willie Rennie.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Sue Webber

I will now move to questions from my deputy convener, Evelyn Tweed.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Sue Webber

People forget that you are also responsible for setting the budgets for our youth programmes. Earlier this week, I had a meeting with YouthLink Scotland, which was concerned that its grant for 2024-25 has not been agreed. What are your thoughts in the light of the current spending cuts? As minister, are you looking to protect the provision of universal youth work services across Scotland? We know how key that is to community cohesion, which we heard so much about yesterday in the chamber.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Sue Webber

Perhaps I should declare that I am a former girl guide and my father was a Boys Brigade captain, as the First Minister was. I have a bit of a penchant for the uniformed organisations across Scotland. I am sure that many MSPs are ex-guides, ex-brownies or ex-scouts. A few hands are going up.