Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-35319

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that youth work services are accessible in areas of economic deprivation.

Question reference: S6W-35317

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to local authorities to ensure the delivery of youth work services and programmes, and how it works with them to (a) ensure that youth work is integrated into broader economic and social development strategies, (b) measure and report on the impact of youth work on young people’s economic wellbeing, (c) develop a coordinated national strategy for youth work that aligns with its broader priorities and ensures equitable service provision and (d) develop central support mechanisms to assist them in the effective deployment of programmes, and how these mechanisms are monitored.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. This work contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority of eradicating child poverty and tackling inequality.

In Programme for Government, published in September 2024, Scottish Government committed to invest in community-based youth work focused on reaching young people outside the classroom and supporting access to education, training, and employment.

Each education authority is responsible for securing Community Learning and Development (CLD) in their area under the Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013.

In addition to the block grant given to local authorities, and in a challenging fiscal context, the Scottish Government has continued to fund Youth Scotland and YouthLink Scotland in 2024-25 in support of high quality youth work as part of CLD. Overall funding remains broadly consistent with previous years and reflects the priority that the Government attaches to support community-based youth work.

Question reference: S6W-35325

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a dedicated strategy for enhancing youth work provision in rural and island communities to help stimulate local economies.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. This work contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority to eradicate child poverty and tackle inequality.

Each education authority is responsible for securing Community Learning and Development (CLD) in their area under the Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013, including in rural and island education authorities.

The 2013 Regulations require local authorities to plan and arrange the provision of CLD. In line with the Verity House Agreement, local authorities have the autonomy to deliver services to meet the needs of young people in their areas.

Question reference: S6W-35326

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what work (a) it and (b) its agencies carry out with (i) local authorities and (ii) youth organisations to assess the economic value of youth work.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. This work contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority of eradicating child poverty and tackling inequality.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with Youth Scotland and YouthLink Scotland in connection with the grant funding provided to each organisation from the Community Learning and Development (CLD) budget.

Funding is focused on supporting the workforce to deliver high quality youth work, which, in turn, contributes to Scotland’s economic growth by providing disadvantaged young learners with the confidence and skills needed to overcome barriers to progression and enter the workforce.

As part of the independent review of CLD, the Scottish Government published a detailed literature review on the value and impact of Community Learning and Development, including youth work. This includes external research carried out on the economic value of youth work. The literature review was prepared in consultation with a range of CLD stakeholders, including from the youth work sector, and can be accessed at: www.gov.scot/publications/community-learning-development-scotland-internationally-literature-review/.

In addition, HM Inspectors of Education review and report on the quality of CLD provision across Scotland and evaluate the progress that local authorities and their CLD partners are making to improve the quality of provision and services in their areas.

Question reference: S6W-35328

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that delegating the delivery of youth work to local authorities does not compromise the quality or consistency of services.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. This work contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority to eradicate child poverty and tackle inequality.

The Scottish Government recognise the crucial role councils and their employees play in communities across Scotland. That is why the Scottish Government has made available over £14 billion to local authorities in 2024-25, a real terms increase of 4.3 percent, with a record £15 billion for 2025-26 set out in the Scottish Budget, a further real terms increase of 5.5 percent.

In line with the Verity House Agreement, local authorities have the autonomy to deliver services to meet the needs of young people in their areas.

In addition to block grant funding for local authorities, the Scottish Government funds a range of youth work initiatives, projects and programmes which aim to support diverse youth work models, promote partnership working and enhance the quality of youth work, supporting the best possible outcomes for young people.

Furthermore, HM Inspectors of Education review and report on the quality of CLD provision across Scotland and evaluate the progress local authorities and their CLD partners are making to improve the quality of provision and services in their areas.

Question reference: S6W-35330

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering any direct interventions or policy initiatives to supplement local authority-led youth work, particularly in areas where local authorities are considered under-resourced.

Question reference: S6O-04277

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Forces Children Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-32430

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the publication and content of the interim report of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment.

The Scottish Government welcomes the publication and thanks the Chair, Edel Harris for her work. The Scottish Government is now carefully considering these initial findings, including the areas the Chair considers may be capable of early action. A written response to the final report will be published within six months, following assessment of policy and delivery implications and the affordability of proposals.

Question reference: S6W-32429

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to propose the scheduling of time for a ministerial statement on the interim report published by the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment.

Question reference: S6W-32431

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to take forward the recommendations made in the interim report of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment.

Chamber and committees