Chamber and committees

All children and young people should receive the support that they need to reach their full potential. Education authorities are under a statutory duty to identify, provide for, and to review the support that they provide for pupils with additional support needs, including those who are deaf. They also have duties to employ teachers of deaf children and young people where support for a pupil is required.

The Scottish Government continues to invest in the school workforce and the provision of additional support for learning. The 2026-27 Budget provides £186.5 million of additional resource to councils. This includes £28 million investment in the ASL workforce and builds on the £15 million each year for pupil support assistants. Councils have the flexibility to use this funding to increase the number of teachers of deaf children and young people in their area and provide other specialist support such as BSL Tutors and Communication Support Workers. Councils have also continued their record investment in additional support for learning, with almost £1.1 billion spent in 2024-25.

In addition to postgraduate qualifications in deaf education, professional learning opportunities in supporting children and young people with sensory needs are available via the Scottish Sensory Centre, Education Scotland and CALL Scotland.

Notwithstanding the support that the Scottish Government already provides to schools we recognise the need to go further and we have already committed to expanding the provision of BSL training for teachers and to ensuring that a pool of specialist teachers to support those children who are blind, partially sighted, deaf or deafblind. I will update Parliament on these plans in due course.

The Education (Scotland) Act 2025 ensures that the Qualifications Scotland and HMIE will have due regard to the specific needs and interests of those receiving BSL learner education or BSL medium education.

General enforcement of road traffic offences including speeding is the operational responsibility of Police Scotland.

The Scottish Safety Camera Programme supports automated enforcement through national operational prioritisation and deployment of safety camera resources in accordance with the Scottish Safety Camera Programme Handbook. The Handbook also sets out the existing process of engagement with local authorities to provide localised input through annual site selection. Through targetted camera enforcement, the purpose of the Programme is to improve driver behaviour and reduce injury collisions in line with the Road Safety Framework to 2030.

An annual site prioritisation process is undertaken each year and involves partners including the three regional safety camera units, all thirty-two local road authorities, Transport Scotland for trunk roads and Police Scotland. This exercise acts to identify potential new camera sites which meet the minimum criteria, while at the same time assessing the performance of existing enforcement strategies.

In addition to annual site selection, where there are emerging or short term road safety concerns, all road authorities currently have the ability to request a short term or flexible safety camera deployment as required.

Local authorities have a statutory duty in terms of section 39 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to promote road safety on local roads and where appropriate, speed calming measures. It is for a local authority to consider appropriate measures which will safeguard road users and residents, and to determine the priority that should be given to any road safety measures. It is not for Scottish Ministers to intervene in a local authority’s day-to-day performance of these particular duties.

The Scottish Government has not carried out an assessment of the impact of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) on staff and students within university buildings and campuses.

The safety of staff and students is of paramount importance. Responsibility for the management and safety of buildings rests with institutions as estate owners. Institutions are expected to take a risk-based approach to identifying, managing and mitigating any risks associated with RAAC, taking account of relevant professional guidance.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01597 on 30 July 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Our commitment to the university sector is clear. Our overall 2026-27 investment will exceed £1.4bn, which includes a combined increase of over £55m in resource and capital funding for universities via the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) - equivalent to a 5% uplift on last year’s budget. We also continue our collaborative project between Scottish Government and Universities Scotland on the Framework for Sustainability and Success of Scotland’s Universities launched in December 2025. This will explore options that will ensure our universities are sustainable and well positioned to respond to current and future challenges. I am grateful to cross-party colleagues for their engagement in this work, which I hope will continue as we consider these complex long-term issues.

The Scottish Government position on the responsibility for addressing the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has not changed. RAAC is primarily a building maintenance issue and responsibility lies with the owner of the building.

The SFC continues to engage with colleges and universities on estate-related matters, including issues relating to RAAC, and keeps the Scottish Government informed of significant sector-wide developments. Institutions are expected to take a risk-based approach to identifying, managing and mitigating any risks associated with RAAC, taking account of relevant professional guidance. The Scottish Government remains in regular contact with the SFC regarding estate-related risks affecting the tertiary education sector and will continue to monitor the position.

On 4 September 2023, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) provided the Scottish Government with details of institutions where reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) had been identified. Edinburgh Napier University was reported as having RAAC in one building on its Merchiston Campus, with its removal planned as part of the university’s wider campus redevelopment programme.

Responsibility for the management, maintenance and safety of university buildings rests with the institution as the owner of the estate. As part of its outcomes framework and assurance model the SFC engages directly with institutions on estate matters and has maintained oversight of issues relating to RAAC across the tertiary education sector.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken a separate assessment of the extent of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) within university estates.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01597 on 30 July 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of any potential impact on Merchiston Castle arising from the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) within buildings on Edinburgh Napier University's Merchiston Campus.

As part of its outcomes framework and assurance model the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) engages directly with institutions on estate matters and has maintained oversight of issues relating to RAAC across the tertiary education sector. The Scottish Government remains in regular contact with the SFC regarding it’s assessment of sector-wide risks, issues and impacts.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01597 on 30 July 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Scottish Universities, as with all those with responsibility for building ownership and property management, should follow the advice and guidance on the identification, management and mitigation of risks associated with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) provided by professional organisations such as the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE).

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) continues to engage with colleges and universities on estate-related matters, including issues relating to RAAC, and keeps the Scottish Government informed of sector-wide developments.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01597 on 30 July 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Responsibility for the management, maintenance and safety of university buildings rests with the institution as the owner of the estate. Responsibility for engagement with institutions on these matters lies with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). As part of its outcomes framework and assurance model the SFC engages directly with institutions on estate matters and has maintained oversight of issues relating to RAAC across the tertiary education sector.

The Scottish Government remains in regular contact with the SFC regarding it’s assessment of sector-wide risks, issues and impacts.

Table 1 shows the number of police recorded crimes of Having in a school an article with a blade or point, by Local authority, from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Table 1: Recorded crimes of Having in a school an article with a blade or point (used and not used) by Local authority, Scotland, 2021-22 to 2025-26.