Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37115 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.

We recognise the importance of schools and families working together to promote positive relationships and behaviour in schools. A strong partnership between home and school helps create a consistent, supportive environment where children feel safe, respected, and are better able to learn and thrive.

The Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research published in 2023, highlighted a desire from some staff for greater engagement with parents, as not all parents were perceived as being supportive of schools’ efforts to address behaviour.

In response, the relationships and behaviour in schools action plan 2024-27 emphasises the vital role of parents and carers in supporting positive behaviour. As part of the action plan, we are currently developing guidance on responding to behaviour in schools. The guidance will be available later this year and will include advice for schools on working with parents to support positive relationships and behaviour.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37086 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 recognises that some people have had to wait longer than they should for audiology services, and this is not acceptable. Sustained pressure is being experienced across the system, and we are taking action to support service recovery and improvement.

Audiology is considered a clinical priority area within the NHS in Scotland and improvement work is being progressed through the National Planning and Delivery Board under leadership from the Chief Operating Officer, NHS Scotland.

As part of this work, all NHS Boards have been asked to include audiology in their Annual Delivery Plans from 2025-26 onwards. We are also supporting Health Boards to undertake baseline assessments for Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) accreditation, which will help drive improvements in service availability, quality, and waiting times.

The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that audiology services are safe, effective, and accessible for all those who need them.

Scottish Government engaged extensively with UK Government regarding the development and implementation of their policy to remove the VAT exemption for independent school fees, emphasising the distinctive nature of the Scottish independent school sector.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37115 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.

Teaching is a rewarding and exciting career, with opportunities to share passion and expertise to inspire young people on their future pathways. While it is encouraging that intakes for primary teaching are overall above target, we are taking action to encourage more people into teaching, including in the hardest to fill teaching subjects.

These are long-term systemic challenges being faced globally, and we are committed to working together with partners, including teachers, unions, and COSLA, to develop solutions.

With COSLA, we are committed to working together to restore teacher numbers to 2023 levels, freeze learning hours and make meaningful progress towards reducing class contact time for teachers.. This will help ease teacher workload and improve outcomes for our children and young people.

Work is being taken forward through the joint Education and Childcare Assurance Board with COSLA on pupil behaviour and workload to overcome some of the challenges facing the profession and encouraging more people to consider teaching as a career.

The Scottish Government is committed to working collaboratively with stakeholders across the public, third, and independent sectors to support individuals affected by hearing loss and cognitive decline.

The Scottish Government’s 2023 Dementia Strategy for Scotland was developed in collaboration with people with sensory loss including from the deaf community, and commits to improving people's experience through timely diagnosis, access to high-quality support and how we can communicate risk factors around cognitive decline and dementia. Since 2020, the Scottish Government has invested around £1.5m to:

• Support the establishment of Brain Health Scotland to promote brain health and dementia risk awareness (in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland)
• Develop and evaluate a Brain Health Service & Clinic test site in Aberdeen, to learn about what such a service can contribute to people's health and wellbeing.

As part of our commitments to deliver the national Dementia Strategy, we will publish an independent evaluation of the Brain Health Service & Clinic test site this year, as well as establish a working group across Scottish Government focused on understanding the implications of the test site, and brain health overall, for how we provide health and social care.

Scottish Government is committed to support active farming and food production that is why we continue to deliver direct payments – to provide certainty to the industry, in stark contrast to the policy approaches taken by the current and previous UKG.

We note the results of the Scottish Farm Business Income report which demonstrates the volatility of the sector and reinforces the importance of support to provide much needed stability.

Our £40 million per annum support to suckler beef farmers is committed until at least 2028. This together with key support such as the Basic Payment Scheme, Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme and Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme show our unstinting commitment in ensuring a prosperous future for the sector.

Support for Animal Health and Welfare (AHW) interventions, offering up to £1,250 per farm over two years to assist farmers in reviewing and improving the health and welfare of their cattle and sheep has been provided in recent years. This funding supports interventions that enhance livestock performance and reduce emissions.

The Scottish Government has also been supporting the provision of MyHerdStats to cattle keepers. MyHerdStats is a free online tool to help cattle farmers access key herd performance data, such as calving intervals. Using existing traceability information, it supports better herd management, improves productivity, and contributes to animal welfare and emission reduction goals.

The Scottish Government is supporting the financial sustainability of cereal and milk producers through payments via the Basic Payment Scheme and related support schemes, including nearly £34 million for dairy farmers in 2023–24. We have funded the Scottish Dairy Growth Board and the Dairy Hub, helping boost Scottish cheese exports. Looking ahead, our £4 million investment in the Dairy Nexus project will create a new research centre at SRUC in Dumfries and Galloway to drive innovation, decarbonise the sector, and support a more sustainable dairy economy.

This year we will introduce the Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS) providing at least £14m in the first year to our farmers and crofter to investment for efficient food production in ways that benefit nature and climate.

The results in the report re-emphasise the importance of continuing to provide support to our key sectors – to provide much needed stability which is poles apart from the bad trade deals being made in a Brexit we did not vote for. This is why we will continue to provide Scotland’s farmers, crofters and land managers with the most generous package of direct support in the UK, investing around £660 million in support to agriculture.

Proposals for funding via the Scottish Central Government Energy Efficiency Grant Scheme are reviewed by a panel of technical experts to assess eligibility and value for money. The fund operates on a competitive basis and funding is offered only to projects that clearly meet the scheme’s objectives and have potential to progress to deployment, driving value for money from our investment.

When assessing value for money the panel consider how projects support key Scottish Government net zero priorities. Prior to receiving funding, projects must demonstrate that they have potential to deliver a significant reduction in energy consumption or meet clean heat objectives, provide savings for public bodies and show that the requested support amount is reasonable for the work being completed. In addition to this assessment process, all funding awarded is subject to public procurement regulations.

While the Scottish Government did award funding for the Edinburgh Crown Office project, it was the decision of the COPFS to take this project forward. The Scottish Government does not routinely publish panel appraisals of applications submitted to the scheme; however, a case study containing lessons learned will be published following completion of the project.