Chamber and committees

The 2026-27 Budget continues to provide local authorities with an additional £186.5 million to protect teacher numbers. We will work in partnership with local government to agree delivery of the commitment to maintain pupil-teacher ratios.

There are now 2,700 more teachers in Scotland's classrooms than a decade ago, as a result of sustained investment by the Scottish Government. Scotland also continues to have the lowest pupil-teacher ratio in the UK.

A detailed breakdown on the number of eligible properties by local authority is not held centrally.

For those living in Scotland who are reliant on heating oil or liquid petroleum gas, they can visit the home heatingadvice.scot website to review the eligibility criteria and make an application.

The Scottish Government promotes Global Citizenship Education through its funding to the Development Education Centres (further detail provided in the answer to PQ S7W-00984 on 25 June 2026) and through the implementation of our Learning for Sustainability Action Plan. In addition, the national curriculum agency, Education Scotland, is currently reviewing and strengthening Scotland’s curriculum. The updated curriculum will emphasise themes such as diversity, democratic values and will support young people to understand their local and global roles.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00937 on 25 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

We recognise that workforce capacity is fundamental to the successful delivery of our funded childcare expansion, just as it was fundamental to our successful delivery of 1140 hours of funded early learning and childcare. Our approach to expansion will involve working closely with local authorities, private and third sector providers, representative bodies, and trade unions across the childcare sector and wider civil society, to ensure that workforce requirements are understood and addressed.

The Scottish Government plans to commence the review of modern language provision in schools this year. A timeline for its completion will be established as part of that work.

The cost of the Welcome to School Bags will be determined by decisions on content, design, and delivery method, underpinned by a need to provide value for money. We have committed to work with children and families on design and content.

Information about how the Apprenticeship Accelerator Grant scheme will operate will be set out in due course.

We continue to monitor and consider a range of evidence in relation to Scotland’s energy sector, including this new report from the University of Aberdeen.

Decisions on licensing, consenting and the associated fiscal regime for offshore oil and gas are all matters reserved to the UK Government.

We remain clear in our own support for a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector, which recognises both the important contribution the North Sea continues to make to our energy and the geological maturity of the basin.

Global citizenship education plays a vital role in equipping individuals and communities in Scotland with the knowledge, skills and values needed to understand global challenges, foster solidarity, and promote sustainable development.

In terms of recent meetings with relevant organisations, on 17 June I met with the British Council Scotland, who promote global citizenship through schools partnerships, teacher development and cultural exchange programme, to discuss the Erasmus+ programme, transnational education and language learning in schools.