Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-41001

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the finding in the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, that a credit-based funding model is output driven, how it will ensure that such a model does not incentivise colleges to prioritise cheaper-to-deliver courses over those most needed by employers and communities.

Question reference: S6W-41005

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the reasons for the withdrawal of £26 million of transition funding in 2023, as noted in the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025.

The reason behind the withdrawal of £26m transition funding in 2023 is on record.

The funding was originally announced as part of the 2023-24 Budget to support strategic change and transformation in the college sector. That it had been necessary to take this as a required saving given new portfolio pressures was communicated in this letter to the Education Children and Young People Committee on 2 May 2023 found here: Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans.

Question reference: S6W-40994

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, which highlights that two colleges required liquidity support from the Scottish Funding Council in 2023-24, what criteria were used to approve this support.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) regularly monitors and engages with the colleges and universities it funds as part of its role in ensuring the sustainable and coherent provision of fundable further and higher education.

It is for SFC to consider the criteria used to approve liquidity support. Given that the circumstances of individual colleges will differ, each case will be considered on its own merit.

Question reference: S6W-41000

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that apprenticeship funding reaches colleges more directly, in light of the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, which found that only 40% of Scottish Government funding reaches some colleges that deliver training.

We recognise that managing agents undertake a range of valuable services to support apprentices and employers. This includes pre-assessment, support materials, pastoral care and the delivery of final assessments (where appropriate).

The role, responsibilities and funding arrangements for managing agents are being considered as part of our work on apprenticeship reform. We are committed to working with Colleges Scotland, managing agents and key agencies including SDS and the SFC, to ensure that apprenticeship funding is sustainable for the future and focused on supporting apprentices to train and progress.

It is important that we retain all of the very best elements of the current system while maintaining best value for public funding.

Question reference: S6W-41004

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Audit Scotland’s recommendation in its recent report, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, that the Tripartite Alignment Group should set out income stream diversification plans for colleges within six months.

It is important to expand the sources of income into the college sector, which is why the Colleges Tripartite Alignment Group, comprised of Colleges Scotland, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council, has been exploring the perceived barriers to income diversification and how to overcome them.

Scottish Government officials hosted a workshop with colleges, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council in June 2025 to share best practice, and will build on the outputs from that workshop to deliver Audit Scotland’s recommendation.

Question reference: S6W-41007

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that capital maintenance funding allocations for the college sector are sufficient to cover essential repairs, in light of the finding in the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, that current funding is inadequate.

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.

Question reference: S6W-40997

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings on the college sector workforce in the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, how many teaching and support staff left Scotland’s colleges through (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory severance in 2023-24.

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

Colleges are responsible for making workforce-related decisions in line with legislative requirements, the Code of Good Governance for Scotland’s Colleges and the Scottish Funding Council’s Financial Memoranda. Such decisions may be necessary to respond to the changing needs of the local economy and industry skills demands, as well as ensuring the institution is financially sustainable.

The Scottish Government expects any workforce restructuring decisions to be informed by Fair Work principles, following meaningful engagement with staff and trade unions.

Question reference: S6W-40995

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, what action it is taking to ensure that the Scottish Funding Council has the capacity to meet any future increase in liquidity support requests from colleges.

The Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) funding allocation to Scotland’s colleges for the current academic year (2025-26) equates to a 2.6% increase in funding for teaching activity, and a 4.8% increase for capital maintenance funding, to support colleges to continue to invest in student’s learning experiences.

The SFC provides regular advice to the Scottish Government on the pressures facing the college sector. This is based on the regular financial returns received from colleges.

Question reference: S6W-41006

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide inflationary uplifts to college budgets, in light of Audit Scotland’s finding in its recent report, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, that no such uplifts have been applied to budgets in 2025-26 despite rising costs.

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.

Question reference: S6W-41011

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand the provision of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) in colleges, in light of Audit Scotland’s finding in its recent report, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, that demand for such courses is high.

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.