Chamber and committees

The Framework for the Sustainability and Success of Scotland’s Universities is a collaborative project between the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland and was launched on 18 December 2025.

Development of the Framework is led by a steering group, co-chaired by Scottish Government and Universities Scotland. The process had cross-party support and has the backing of staff and student unions, which have been invited to help drive the direction of the work by joining the Steering Group. The Steering Group has met three times since the first meeting in January 2026.

The Steering Group, leading the Framework, will deliver its work in three phases, working through the period of the May 2026 election, and has agreed to present a concluding report to the Scottish Government and Parliament over the Winter.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00942 on 24 June 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.

Teacher employment practices are matters for local authorities as employers however Local Government is responsible for providing a complement of teachers and all the necessary staff that best meets the needs of each school and its pupils within the resources available.

However, we know there are challenges in some places and in subject areas and that is why we are working to encourage more students to pursue teaching careers through the Teaching Bursary Scheme, which offers £12,500 to individuals undertaking graduate teacher training in hard-to-fill subjects including Maths, Technical Education and Science.

We also recently ran a recruitment campaign, delivered between January to March, was aimed at encouraging more students to take up a career in teaching, specifically in hard to fill subjects and rural areas. Priority subjects that were covered include STEM, Modern Languages and Home Economics.

Where a subject cannot be offered by a school, national guidelines encourage flexibility, enabling schools to work collaboratively with other local schools or colleges or through online, digital approaches.

We continue to monitor and consider a range of evidence in relation to Scotland’s energy sector, including this new report from the University of Aberdeen.

Decisions on licensing, consenting and the associated fiscal regime for offshore oil and gas are all matters reserved to the UK Government.

We remain clear in our own support for a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector, which recognises both the important contribution the North Sea continues to make to our energy and the geological maturity of the basin.

Global citizenship education plays a vital role in equipping individuals and communities in Scotland with the knowledge, skills and values needed to understand global challenges, foster solidarity, and promote sustainable development.

In terms of recent meetings with relevant organisations, on 17 June I met with the British Council Scotland, who promote global citizenship through schools partnerships, teacher development and cultural exchange programme, to discuss the Erasmus+ programme, transnational education and language learning in schools.

Plans to deliver this commitment will be set out in due course. In 2026-27, the Scottish Government has provided funding to support around 25,500 new modern apprenticeship starts and 1,500 graduate apprenticeships starts. Funding for apprenticeships in 2027-28 will be considered as part of preparation for the Scottish Budget 2027-28. Funding for subsequent years will be a matter for future budgets.

The cost of the Welcome to School Bags will be determined by decisions on content, design, and delivery method, underpinned by a need to provide value for money. We have committed to work with children and families on design and content.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The Care Inspectorate collects and publishes data on the registered capacity of individual services (available here: Resources, publications and statistics | Care Inspectorate)

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

The Scottish Government plans to commence the review of modern language provision in schools this year. A timeline for its completion will be established as part of that work.