Chamber and committees

Okay. I wanted to clarify that because some of your colleagues have in the past suggested doing so. That is not a position that my party would support.

We will look to work with the UK Government on the issue. I hope that Ms Duncan-Glancy will work with her UK Government colleagues to give us that certainty. I do not know why we have not yet had that certainty, but it is creating real problems for our university and college sectors in Scotland. Mr Dey and I discussed some of those concerns with UK ministers when we met them just before Christmas. We have looked to address that with the broader funding allocation for HE, which has increased by 3.5 per cent. We will perhaps go on to talk about university funding, but that increase was an ask from the sector.

You have made a number of suggestions, Ms Duncan-Glancy; I do not agree with all of them.

I am sure that you are au fait with the data on achievement of curriculum for excellence levels—ACEL—which we published in December. It showed a record narrowing of the attainment gap, particularly among our primary 7 pupils, which is to be welcomed. We are starting to see real progress.

Of course, if you look at some of the—

I can give you an answer on that. The reason why that is happening is an ask from COSLA. Our previous approach targeted funding at those local authorities with the greatest areas of deprivation. COSLA asked us to treat all local authorities equally, which is why we have had to taper the funding over a number of years. That is why the reductions that you are speaking about are occurring. We are tapering the funding as we spread it across Scotland’s councils, as opposed to targeting those areas that are most in need. That was an ask from local authorities. The decision pre-dates my time, but it has been happening over a number of years, so it is not a new thing. I think that this will be the last year in which that tapering happens.

I will just go back briefly to the member’s point about the 2 per cent real-terms cut, because that requires to be challenged. I am more than happy to write to the committee on it, but my understanding is that that is not what is happening in relation to that budget line.

Indeed it is, which is why a record amount is being spent on ASN across the country. In the most recent financial year—

I am engaged with Ms Somerville and her portfolio on our work in that regard. I have to say, though, that this is a cross-Government mission and—

We are working together on a cross-portfolio basis, and we are working to establish, through this budget, the targets that are needed to drive that progress.

I engaged with the member on that before Christmas. I do not have the detail in front of me on the current number of pupils; that would be a matter for the individual institutions. I will ask officials whether we can share that data with Mr Briggs.

More broadly, we have engaged with the UK Government throughout the process, and we agree with it on a point of principle around the policy. However, as Mr Briggs knows, and as I think I reflected in my correspondence to him, the private sector in Scotland is very different from that which exists in other parts of the UK. It is hugely important that the way in which the legislation is enacted in Scotland meets the needs of the Scottish system. I met representatives of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools over the summer last year to hear about those needs, and it is hugely important that they are reflected.

As I think was documented in the press over the Christmas recess, we asked for a number of changes to the way in which the policy would be enacted in Scotland. Some of our concerns and issues were listened to, particularly on how we measure the number of SEND pupils—those with special educational needs and disabilities. There is a measurement that is used in England, but those pupils are not classed in that way in Scotland, of course. It is important that the policy intent of the legislation is met in Scotland.

Mr Briggs asked specifically about the City of Edinburgh Council. I recognise that a higher proportion of pupils attend private schools in Edinburgh and there are therefore potentially more challenges in the city in that respect. Following our analysis and our engagement with the City of Edinburgh Council, I am advised that there is capacity within the system to absorb the additional pupils who may come into the system. We have carried out that forecasting across local authorities. I recognise Mr Briggs’s constituency interests because of the implications for the City of Edinburgh Council in particular, but we have had close engagement at official level to ensure that the city council has the right support in that regard. We will continue to work with the UK Government on how the policy is enacted on the ground in Scotland.

Neil, do you want to say more about our engagement with SCIS and about the numbers and whether we can share the data with Mr Briggs?

I believe that it is our commitment to work to close that gap, so yes.

Well, I look forward to it. I am more than happy to engage with him and the local authority directly on the issue.

For context, it is worth while reflecting that the LEIP has transformed the quality of Scotland’s school estate. I am sure that members have all heard the statistics but, when our party came into office, about 62 per cent of schools were in good or satisfactory condition and today the figure is 91.7 per cent. That additionality from the Scottish Government has transformed the quality of Scotland’s school estate. However, I do not want to detract from the local challenges that Mr Greer cites, and I am more than happy to engage with him and the local authority, which, of course, owns those schools.

The LEIP funding is a partnership approach between the Scottish Government and local authorities, and it relies on local authorities telling us where they want the investment to go. I am more than happy to engage with Mr Greer and the local authority on that, but the decision making on where the additionality should go is a matter for the local authority. I very much look forward to our visit in the coming weeks and to engaging with the local authority on that point.