Current status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing a statutory duty of care for higher education institutions.
The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a statutory duty of care for higher education institutions, however we do expect them to put in place measures to protect and support student wellbeing, as well as to comply with existing legal duties, such as the Equality Act 2010 and Online Safety Act 2023.
The Scottish Government will continue to engage closely with universities on student mental health support, in line with our Student Mental Health Action Plan, and work to ensure that universities are places where students can live, study and research free from gender-based violence, through the Equally Safe in Colleges and Universities Core Leadership Group.