Chamber and committees

The responsibility for these matters rests with local authorities in their role as employers of teachers. You may wish to contact the relevant local authority. You may also wish to contact the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), the independent regulator of teachers in Scotland.

The responsibility for these matters rests with local authorities in their role as employers of teachers. You may wish to contact the relevant local authority. You may also wish to contact the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), the independent regulator of teachers in Scotland.

Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including queries relating to the management of Holyrood Park, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.

I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to her question in writing.

The fund has been refocused to target low and middle-income households with a total income of £50,000 or less, as they are less likely to able to meet the upfront cost of installation. Eligibility criteria is reviewed on an annual basis.

The future investment on maintenance at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful in the next five years is estimated in the table below. These figures exclude funding for construction or development of the medium-term and long-term solutions, which will be determined through annual budget processes. These figures are provisional and are subject to change, for example due to unpredictable landslip events, findings from geo-hazard assessments, competing priorities, etc.

Following the UK Government’s announcement of the closure of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, the Scottish Government has met with representatives of the UK Government, Church groups and the Church of Scotland.

The Scottish Government was not informed of this decision prior to the announcement from UK Government and the timing of this announcement, after the Scottish Budget had been set, has limited the opportunity to identify any immediate replacement funding within existing allocations.

Nevertheless, the Scottish Government is actively exploring options to ensure that listed places of worship in Scotland are not disproportionately affected by the withdrawal of this UK-wide VAT relief, however we are unable to identify any additional Barnett consequential funding specifically linked to the introduction of the Places of Worship Renewal Fund in England and this limits what is possible.

The Marine Directorate’s Licensing Operations Team (MD-LOT) and NatureScot have worked hard to plan for an increase in offshore wind applications for some time. Scottish Government resource requirements continue to be monitored, with staff deployed flexibly to help process applications as expeditiously as possible. Best efforts are made to meet a determination timeline of 12 months from initial application, noting that more complex applications may take longer. However, where additional information is required this will impact determination timelines.

In April 2026 Nature Scot implemented a new charging model to enable full cost recovery associated with providing advice to MD-LOT and developers. These approaches have helped ensure timescales do not present unnecessary barriers to projects seeking to participate in Contract for Difference Allocation Rounds.

Local authorities have responsibility for the development and delivery of flood protection schemes, and the Scottish Government provides funding to support them to do so.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of community ownership in Scotland, which is why, in 2026-27, we have provided over £7 million of funding to support the Scottish Land Fund. This has allowed those communities to then generate a further £60 million in additional funding, from various sources, as a result of owning assets.

While responsibility for managing and maintaining the school estate sits with local authorities, Scottish Government officials continue to engage closely with The Highland Council and remains clear about the importance of ensuring facilities meet relevant standards and provide a safe environment for pupils and staff.

The Council met with parents of Rosebank Primary School pupils on 15 June to discuss the issues raised, including concerns about toilet provision. A further meeting is scheduled for 29 June, where the Council will provide an update on current arrangements and outline its assessment of the improvements it intends to deliver as part of a planned improvement programme for the school.

In the interim, the Council is also exploring the installation of temporary toilet units to help address current pressures. The Scottish Government expects the Council to continue to assess provision carefully and to ensure that both interim and longer-term arrangements meet relevant standards and guidance, with the welfare of pupils and staff remaining the priority.