- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don on 11 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what early warning systems are in place to identify any nurseries that are at risk of closure due to financial difficulties or staffing shortages.
Answer
Under Funding Follows the Child, all nurseries who deliver funded early learning and childcare (ELC) must, as part of the criteria in the National Standard for all ELC providers Section 2: The National Standard for all Early Learning and Childcare Providers - Funding Follows The Child and The National Standard for Early Learning and Childcare Providers: Operating Guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) , be able to demonstrate that they are financially viable providers and that they have a sustainable staffing structure in place which meets the recommended adult: child ratios.
Local authorities are responsible for assessing and monitoring compliance with the National Standard in all funded providers, as part of their contract management arrangements and in their role as guarantors of quality. With regards to business sustainability, services delivering funded ELC must ensure that they are able to demonstrate – when required – that their business model continues to be financially viable through the provision of appropriate financial information, for example, accounts and business forecasts/projections. A Business Continuity Plan must also be in place.
If a service delivering funded ELC was at risk of closure due to financial difficulties or staffing shortages then it is expected that they would make their local authority aware of these challenges.
The Scottish Government monitors trends in sustainability and staffing across the overall childcare sector, including through the Financial Sustainability Health Checks. Analysis in the most recent Financial Sustainability Health Check: Financial Sustainability Health Check of the Childcare Sector in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) published on 31 July 2023, reported that annual cancellation rates for private and third sector services over the period March 2020 to March 2023 were at similar levels to previous years.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 4 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its position to have a target of 60% of household waste recycled annually by 2020, in light of reports that the target is being dropped.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 4 June 2024
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 28 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how early retirement has impacted the number of active teachers, and what steps are being taken to address any potential teacher shortages arising from any such trend.
Answer
The Scottish Government's annual teacher workforce planning process is informed by a statistical model which estimates the number of Initial Teacher Education students required to maintain teacher numbers. The model considers a number of inputs, including projections of the number of teachers retiring.
The Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which comprises a range of key education stakeholders, is also considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland.
The Scottish Government is committed to protecting teacher numbers, and we are offering local authorities £145.5m in this year’s budget for that purpose. This funding will allow councils to protect teacher numbers in order to support children’s education.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what options are available for early retirement under the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS), and how any such options impact the final pension amount that a teacher receives.
Answer
There are three early retirement options available to members of the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme who have reached normal minimum pension age:
- Premature Retirement is an option if a member is made redundant or retires in the interest of efficiency. The pension would be actuarially reduced because the member is retiring early and employer must agree to make up the shortfall to the full pension amount. Therefore, there is no impact on the final pension amount the member receives.
- Voluntary Early Retirement is where the member chooses to receives an actuarially reduced pension. The benefits are reduced to take into account the fact the pension will be paid over a longer period of time than a normal retirement pension.
- Phased Retirement allows members to take up to 75% of their pension while reducing their working commitment. To do this, members must reduce their pensionable salary by at least 20% for a minimum of 12 months. Any percentage of pension benefits taken before normal pension age would be subject to an actuarial reduction.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent teacher pay settlements impact the future value of teacher pensions, and, if so, what steps are being taken to mitigate any potential negative effects.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not consider there are any potentially negative effects of the recent teacher pay settlement on the future value of teachers pensions. The impact will be taken into account as part of the 2024 scheme actuarial valuation which measures the costs of the benefits being provided and informs the future contribution rates to be paid by employers in order to ensure sustainability.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to conduct a full review of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) in the near future, and, if so, what the key areas of focus will be for any such review.
Answer
While Scottish Ministers have executively devolved responsibility for the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS), occupational pensions policy is reserved to the UK Government and is outside the powers of the Scottish Parliament.
The STPS was last reformed in 2015, as provided for under the Public Service Pensions Act 2013. When the 2013 Act was introduced, the UK Government made a commitment that the reforms would be sustained for 25 years. Therefore, the Scottish Government do not intend to carry out a full review of the scheme in the near future, however, we continue to work closely with the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme Advisory Board who advise Scottish Ministers on the desirability of changes to the design of the Scheme.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) compares with pension schemes offered to other public sector workers, and whether there are any plans to harmonise these schemes.
Answer
The Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme was reformed by the UK Government under the Public Service Pension Act 2013 along with the other main public service pension schemes in the UK. All schemes are broadly comparable and are based on Career Average Revalued Earnings. Apart from the uniformed public services, all schemes have a pension age linked to State Pension age.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what support mechanisms are in place to ensure that retired teachers with long careers have a secure and comfortable standard of living.
Answer
The Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme (STPS) provides teachers in Scotland with a Defined Benefit pension scheme which offers the security of a guaranteed inflation proofed income in every year of retirement which is paid in addition to the State Pension. Teachers are automatically enrolled into the scheme and begin accruing pension immediately upon taking up teaching employment which supports pension saving throughout their careers.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures the smooth transition for teachers moving between the Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme (STSS) and the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme 2015 (STPS 2015), in order to avoid any loss of pension benefits.
Answer
The value of members’ benefits accrued in the Scottish Teachers’ Superannuation Scheme (STSS) are protected by transitional protections on moving to the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme 2015. These protections include a Final Salary Link which provides that members’ final salary pension from the STSS is based on their pensionable salary at the point they finally retire and not at the point they transition to the 2015 Scheme.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of rising living costs, whether it is considering any measures to increase the pension payments for current retirees who are members of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS).
Answer
Pensions in payment from the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme are protected against inflation and are adjusted each April in line with the Consumer Prices Index. In April 2023, pensions increased by 10.1% and in April 2024 by a further 6.7%.
