Chamber and committees

The Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) funding model operates alongside with its Outcomes Framework and Assurance Model - Scottish Funding Council (OF&AM) to ensure that college courses align with the needs of employers and communities.

Through its OF&AM, SFC engages with colleges to ensure they are engaging with employers to respond to industry and sector needs.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital role English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) plays in supporting people whose first language is not English, equipping them with the communication skills necessary to contribute and integrate economically, culturally and socially in Scotland.

Scottish Government funding for college based ESOL provision forms part of the Scottish Funding Council’s grant allocation. Colleges are responsible for decisions on course provision and are best placed to respond flexibly to local ESOL need alongside partners including local authorities and the third sector. Local authorities themselves play an important role in delivering their community learning and development (CLD) plans, which supports the provision of community based ESOL.

Recognising ESOL’s importance, the former Minister for Higher and Further Education wrote to the Scottish Funding Council with supplementary guidance: Letter to Mike Cantlay from Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans - 04.03.25 to ensure ESOL remains a priority for colleges in the academic year 2025-26.

Additionally, the Scottish Government has directly made £1.2m available for ESOL provision in Glasgow since 2024-25. This funding has been provided in response to the Learning: For ALL. For Life report: Learning: For All. For Life. A report from the Independent Review of Community Learning and Development (CLD) - gov.scot which called on the Scottish Government to take immediate action to address high levels of need for ESOL, which disproportionately impacts Glasgow. There have been recent spikes of demand, for example, following the war in Ukraine.

A further £200,000 has also been invested in a nationwide online ESOL and employability pilot in 2025-26 for up to 1,800 learners which is administered by ESOL Scotland and focused on gaps in provision.

In response to the Learning: For All. For Life report following the independent review of CLD, Scottish Government and COSLA accepted report recommendation 1.1 to establish a joint CLD Strategic Leadership Group (SLG). The SLG will play a central role in developing our detailed response to the remaining 19 recommendations. The SLG, which includes the Scottish Funding Council as a member, has met on four occasions and identified taking action on ESOL an immediate priority.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on staffing levels and future workforce plans: operational decisions are for individual colleges to determine.

The Scottish Government recognises the critical role that colleges play in delivering high-quality education. The 2025-26 budget provided almost a 5% increase in capital maintenance funding to help colleges further invest in student’s learning experiences. In collaboration and with agreement from the college sector, SFC retained £2.5m of its 2025-26 capital budget for high priority needs (including health & safety issues).

The Scottish Funding Council’s College Infrastructure Strategy (CIS) describes the SFC’s approach to determining future investment in Scotland’s college estate and other college infrastructure. The CIS sets out the collective approach between the SFC and colleges to develop a 10-year Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) for Scotland’s colleges. The plan will identify future infrastructure investment needed for a sustainable sector and is due to be published in autumn 2026.

At this point in the budget cycle no decision has been made on the funding that will be made available for colleges in financial year 2026-27. The Scottish Government is aware of the pressures colleges are facing and remains committed to working constructively with the sector and the Scottish Funding Council. The College Tripartite Alignment Group has membership from a range of colleges, SFC and the Scottish Government and provides strategic direction on the pressures and opportunities facing colleges. You can read more about the Group’s activities here Colleges: Tripartite Alignment Group - gov.scot.

At this point in the budget cycle no decision has been made on the funding that will be made available for colleges in financial year 2026-27. The Scottish Government recognises the critical role that colleges play in delivering high-quality education, is aware of the pressures colleges are facing and remains fully committed to working constructively with the sector. The College Tripartite Alignment Group has membership from a range of colleges, the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Government and provides strategic direction on the pressures and opportunities facing colleges. You can read more about the Group’s activities here Colleges: Tripartite Alignment Group - gov.scot.

The Scottish Government’s position remains that the current UK immigration system is not working for Scotland.

We continue to call on the UK Government for urgent changes to ensure that the immigration system reflects Scotland’s distinct demographic and economic needs. Our tailored migration proposals including a Scottish Visa, a Rural Visa Pilot and a Scottish Graduate Visa are designed to operate within the existing UK immigration framework. They have, however unfortunately been repeatedly dismissed by the UK Government.

Labour's immigration policies are damaging to our National Health Service, public services and our economy. They have refused to work with us on our proposals. It is clear that Scotland requires a tailored approach to migration which can only be delivered through a fresh start with independence.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is the body responsible for issuing guidance to and ensuring compliance by public bodies in this matter as it is the statutory regulator and enforcer of the Equality Act 2010. The Scottish Government has consistently supported the view that public bodies must comply with the law, and has actively encouraged them to take any necessary steps to do so since the Supreme Court’s judgment.

We wrote to the UK Government on 4 September, requesting sight of the revised Code of Practice sent to them by the EHRC, which we have not yet seen. We will continue to engage with the UK Government to seek urgent clarity on the timeline for the Code’s approval and laying before the UK Parliament. While we acknowledge the time that was needed by the EHRC, to analyse the public consultation responses and revise the Code before they sent it to the UK Government for approval, it is essential that clear, authoritative guidance is now provided to all those operating in this complex legal area.

The SG’s position is consistent with and informed by legal advice but, due to long-standing convention, any such advice is confidential and we cannot disclose who provided any such advice or its content.

Scottish Government officials from the Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights meet with EHRC Scotland staff regularly for general updates, and highly value the positive working relationship in Scotland.

We welcome all opportunities to engage with the EHRC across different portfolios. We will continue to maintain a positive and open working relationship with the Commission.

The Scottish Government accepts the judgment of the Supreme Court that in the Equality Act 2010, sex means biological sex, and that a Gender Recognition Certificate does not change a person’s sex for the purposes of the 2010 Act.