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-27115

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 8 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Good Governance Steering Group reportedly has no decision-making powers.

Question reference: S6W-27118

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 8 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the Good Governance Steering Group’s terms of reference.

Question reference: S6W-27117

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 8 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered providing the Good Governance Steering Group, whose mandate is currently advisory, with decision-making powers.

Question reference: S6W-26780

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consideration of combining the workstreams of the Strategic Board for Teacher Education and the Headteacher Recruitment and Retention working group.

The Strategic Board for Education (SBTE) is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, including tackling geographical and subject-specific challenges. SBTE is also working to improve the promotion of teaching as a valued career.

The Headteacher Recruitment and Retention Working group (HTRRWG) are currently in the process of developing a new workplan. As this group is a sub-group of SBTE, members have agreed that the HTRRWG workplan should align with and complement the overarching aim and outcomes of the SBTE workplan. This work is ongoing and will be discussed further at future meetings of the HTRRWG, minutes of which will be published on the Scottish Government website in due course.

Question reference: S6O-03402

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what measures it is putting in place to reduce waiting times for access to CAMHS.

Question reference: S6W-26836

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of MCR Pathways coordinators in delivering the MCR mentoring programme in schools.

We recognise the important role that programmes like MCR Pathways can play in supporting young people towards positive outcomes. Coordinators, who are often employed directly by local authorities, play an important role within the MCR Pathways programme, including building relationships with young people and supporting mentors.

Since 2021-22 the Scottish Government has provided approximately £5.5M to MCR Pathways to allow it to expand its programme.

Question reference: S6W-26837

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what role mentors provided by MCR Pathways play in improving outcomes for children and young people, including pupils from a care setting.

Question reference: S6W-26865

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 29 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to the development of a modern apprenticeship and graduate apprenticeship framework for the games industry.

Question reference: S6W-26787

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of recent reports that its student teacher intake target was missed in 19 out of 20 subjects, and that 10 out of 20 subjects were unable to attract 50% of their target numbers.

This relates to indicative figures provided by universities at the start of the academic session. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) will publish the 2023-24 academic year Official Statistics data in 2025. These will provide the most accurate figures on enrolments into modern language Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes.

This information is informing the work of Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.

Both the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council have offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which have traditionally been difficult to recruit to.

Question reference: S6W-26786

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns that, in 2023, the number of teachers in permanent, full-time employment fell to its lowest level since 2012, while the school role increased.

Over the past 10 years the number of teachers in permanent posts has remained stable at over 80%, and since 2014 the number of school teachers in post has increased by 8%, from 49,521 to 53,331 in 2023. Our overall teacher ratio is the lowest in the UK at 13.2.

Whilst the recruitment and employment of teachers is a matter for local authorities, we are committed to supporting the recruitment of teachers, and we are providing local authorities with £145.5m in this year’s budget to protect teacher numbers. This additional funding provides assurance of funding for councils and should remove this as a barrier to employing staff on permanent contracts.

The Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is made up of a range of key education stakeholders, is looking at issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail.