Chamber and committees

Social Impact partnerships have the potential to change the way preventative work is funded. Our manifesto commitment is to develop a Justice Social Impact Partnership which targets reoffending and provision of safe spaces for young people. A partnership of nine organisations with experience in investment, philanthropy, prevention, and programme evaluation has been formed to take this work forward. Learning from the justice pilot will inform the wider use of social impact partnerships across government, including on issues such as creating the legal and financial structures to support investors and partnership delivery.

When concerns have been raised about the interaction between Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits and Pension Age Disability Payment or Carer Support Payment, Social Security Scotland has worked with DWP to investigate those cases.

Investigations undertaken to date have not identified any systemic issues affecting Pension Credit calculations following an award of Pension Age Disability Payment or Carer Support Payment. Neither have they identified evidence that the cases examined resulted from a failure in the routine sharing of information between Social Security Scotland and DWP.

Social Security Scotland continues to work closely with DWP to ensure information is shared appropriately and systems operate as intended. This includes investigating individual cases when concerns are raised and working jointly with DWP to resolve any issues identified.

The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including recruitment, attendance and location policies.

All civil service vacancies within the Scottish Government are advertised through the internal jobs portal, with some advertised externally via the external jobs website. While posts indicate a location, there are no restrictions preventing employees from applying for any internal role, regardless of their current place of work.

I would encourage the member to direct any further questions on this matter to the Permanent Secretary.

The Scottish Government is working with partners and senior advisers to develop a High-Growth Unit to identify and support fast growth businesses that have the potential to grow to Unicorn scale in Scotland.

The High Growth Unit will sit within Government, and Parliament will be updated on the design and structure of the Unit in due course.

Decisions relating to the development and administration of HES grant programmes are operational matters for HES, which exercises its functions independently of Scottish Ministers.

There may be existing HES grants which would be suitable for small business owners to apply for. More information on HES grants and funding is available on the organisation's website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/grants-and-funding/.

It is not for the Scottish Government to comment on a statement made by Alex Hynes in his capacity as Director General for Rail Services at the UK Department for Transport.

The Scottish Government provides support for the historic environment through our sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland, our lead public body that investigates, cares for and promotes Scotland’s historic environment. Historic Environment Scotland actively engages with a variety of international stakeholders, enabling the exchange of knowledge and expertise that can help inform historic environment policy and practice in Scotland.

While there is currently no specific plan to evaluate local government procurement practices in relation to heritage and conservation policies, procurement can and should be an enabler of public sector policies. Where relevant to the local governmental body, this can include policies and good practice set by Historic Environmental Scotland.

I wrote to the convener of the Rural Affairs Committee on 4 September setting out the Government's position on historic rights to ferry. The letter can be read at the following link: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-7/rural-affairs-committee/correspondence/2026/glenelg-and-kylerhea-ferry-service

We are seeking to transform Scotland’s childcare offer to better support families with the cost of childcare, for children from 9 months to the end of primary school. As this Parliament agreed in May, this is a priority, and must be informed by learning from the ELC 1140 expansion and the voices of those who use and deliver childcare in Scotland.

Our Programme for Government set out our intention to publish and consult on a blueprint for the future, building on learning from the last ten years of childcare design and delivery. Given the scale of our ambition it is only right we take the time to develop that blueprint, and we will publish it for consultation next year. The Scottish Government will of course inform the Parliament of the blueprint’s publication in line with standard procedures.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable contribution that children and young people who speak English as an additional language (EAL) make to Scotland's schools and communities. We are aware that the number of pupils recorded as having English as an additional language has increased over recent years, reflecting Scotland's increasingly diverse population and our proud reputation as an attractive and welcoming country.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people receive the support they need to access learning and achieve their full potential. Responsibility for the delivery of education and for meeting the needs of pupils who require EAL support rests with local authorities. Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, education authorities must identify, make provision for and review the additional support needs of children and young people whose education they are responsible for. We recognise that support for EAL will reduce as pupils’ English language levels increase.

Through the local government finance settlement, local authorities receive funding to provide education services and to respond to local needs and demographic changes. Between 2012-13 and 2024-25, ASL spending has increased from £540m across all local authorities to almost £1.1 billion - an increase of £560m in the last 10 years. The Scottish Government also funds Enquire, the national advice and information service on additional support for learning, who provide information, advice, training, learning resources and support services to help support children and young people with specific additional support needs, including those with English as an additional language.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with local authorities, Education Scotland and other partners to monitor emerging pressures, share effective practice and ensure that schools have access to appropriate guidance and support to meet the needs of Scotland's increasingly diverse learner population.