Chamber and committees

It is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council to allocate funding to individual institutions, including whether there is a need to apply any conditions as part of this process.

The member may be interested to know that the Scottish Funding Council wrote to the Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee on 20 March outlining the conditions applied to the liquidity support for the University of Dundee. A link to the letter is as follows:

Letter from the Scottish Funding Council to the Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee on 20 March 2025

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-36866 on 6 May 2025. 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

The Scottish Government currently own 22 properties under the core estate.

Dallachy Airfield is currently owned and managed by Crown Estate Scotland rather than the Scottish Government. Currently, there are a number of commercial leases in place at the site.

Crown Estate Scotland has submitted a Call for Ideas representation to Moray Council Planning Department for the airfield to be allocated as Industrial and Green Energy development land, as part of the Moray Local Development Plan 2027.

The Scottish Government are checking and reviewing the ownership details used for this site as it appears on the Vacant and Derelict Land Register and will update the register with any changes in due course.

The list of public appointments by public body, which was published on 25 March 2025, is an exhaustive list of Ministerial regulated public appointments. Ministerial regulated public appointments are those governed by the Ethical Standards Commissioner and the Code of Practice for Public Appointments (2022). The Code requires publication.

The list covers daily rate and/or total remuneration and time commitment. It is intended to be updated regularly so that it reflects recently made appointments. It was corrected on 25 March 2025 following the identification of errors.

Details added to the spreadsheet should be correct at the point of the appointment commencing. These details may change over time and become out of date. A process is underway to update the spreadsheet to ensure accuracy, including rectification of any other errors identified, and it will be re-published when complete.

We recognise the need for ongoing action to address skills needs and we continue to provide additional targeted support across a range of sectors for example, we will invest an additional £3.5 million in our colleges to create an Offshore Wind Skills Programme and College Care Skill Programme, supporting a pipeline of skilled workers.

The Scottish Government also significantly invests in apprenticeships, which play a crucial role in giving young people pathways into rewarding careers. They provide employers with a vital route in which to invest in their future workforce, helping develop the skills we need for our economy and essential public services.

We also recognise the need to take action to ensure our post school learning and education system is fit for the future through our extensive programme of reform. This programme is about driving agility and efficiency through the system, making it simpler for learners to engage with, and making the best use of the substantial investment that we make for the benefit of Scotland’s people and economy.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

There has been a total of 168 confirmed drone incidents within the SPS estate from 1 January 2021 - 31 March 2025.

The following table provides a breakdown of the number of confirmed drone incidents by year:

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6O-04558 on 23 April 2025. All answers to Oral Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Official Report: search what was said in Parliament | Scottish Parliament Website

The relevant legislation in this context is the Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016, which outlines the areas where the retention of salmon is prohibited, meaning catch and release is mandatory when fishing for salmon in these areas.

There were no prosecutions, where it was the main offence, under the Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016 between 2013-14 and 2022-23.

Please note: The latest available information on proceedings and convictions is for the financial year 2022-23.

The Scottish Government has not conducted analysis to determine the impact of career advice services on the reported increase in the number of early school leavers.