Chamber and committees

Please find attached a breakdown of (a) percentage and (b) number of primary schools that are signed up to The Daily Mile Initiative, broken down by local authority area.

Scotland Primary School Sign Up Percentages

Aberdeen City - 88%

Aberdeenshire - 45%

Angus - 53%

Argyll and Bute - 48%

Clackmannanshire - 89%

Dumfries and Galloway - 63%

Dundee City - 97%

East Ayrshire - 43%

East Dunbartonshire - 47%

East Lothian - 42%

East Renfrewshire - 79%

City of Edinburgh - 63%

Na h-Eileanan Sar - 90%

Falkirk - 46%

Fife - 27%

Glasgow City - 52%

Highland - 55%

Inverclyde - 45%

Midlothian - 63%

Moray - 27%

North Ayrshire - 31%

North Lanarkshire - 61%

Orkney Islands - 29%

Perth and Kinross - 47%

Renfrewshire - 38%

Scottish Borders - 27%

Shetland Islands - 52%

South Ayrshire - 68%

South Lanarkshire - 29%

Stirling - 50%

West Dunbartonshire - 72%

West Lothian - 63%

Scottish Primary Schools Sign Up Numbers

Aberdeen City - 42

Aberdeenshire - 65

Angus - 27

Argyll and Bute - 37

Clackmannanshire - 16

Dumfries and Galloway - 61

Dundee City - 32

East Ayrshire - 17

East Dunbartonshire - 16

East Lothian - 15

East Renfrewshire - 19

City of Edinburgh - 57

Na h-Eileanan Sar - 19

Falkirk - 22

Fife - 36

Glasgow City - 74

Highland - 93

Inverclyde - 9

Mid Lothian - 19

Moray - 12

North Ayrshire - 15

North Lanarkshire - 72

Orkney Islands - 6

Perth and Kinross - 33

Renfrewshire - 19

Scottish Borders - 16

Shetland Islands - 14

South Ayrshire - 28

South Lanarkshire - 36

Stirling - 19

West Dunbartonshire - 23

West Lothian - 43

Based on the latest forecasts, our block grant for capital is expected to reduce in real terms by 8.7 per cent by 2027-28 – a cumulative loss of over £1.3 billion. This is why the Scottish Government is currently undertaking a cross government review of all capital projects and anticipate the revised infrastructure investment pipeline will be published alongside the Medium-Term Financial Strategy in the Spring.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26667 on 2 May 2024. 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/questions-and-answers

The funding for the 38,000 apprentices in training is committed. SDS commenced contracting for up to 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship opportunities at the start of April.

In October 2022, the Career Review Programme Board published ' Delivering Careers By Design', including 10 recommendations co-created working with stakeholders and young people.

Since then, 'Career Review Final Report' published in March 2023 set out in further detail how the recommendations will be implemented.

Two of the ten recommendations have already been delivered. Recommendation 1; establishment of a new career development model and Recommendation 10; creation of a career services coalition – the Careers Services Collaborative.

The Collaborative continues to meet, chaired by Grahame Smith, to oversee further implementation of improvements to the careers offer, with a focus on the remaining recommendations. Further information on progress will be published via www.careerreview.scot over the course of the year.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26656 on 1 May 2024. 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 funding for the 38,000 apprentices in training is committed. Skills Development Scotland commenced contracting for up to 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship opportunities at the start of April, including in the construction sector.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26667 on 2 May 2024. 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 .

Since August 2021, we have implemented the funded early learning and childcare (ELC) offer which provides up to 1140 hours per year (equivalent to 30 hours/week term time or approx. 22 hours/week year-round) for all three- and four-year-olds and eligible 2-year-olds. This is fully funded by the Scottish Government and delivered through local councils. More information on eligibility can be found online: Funded early learning and childcare - mygov.scot .

A two year old as part of a multiple birth is not automatically eligible for access to funded ELC due to being a multiple, although local councils have a discretionary power to provide access to funded ELC to any child residing in their area, as they see fit. We are aware that some councils use this discretion to offer places to a wider range of children, either: according to local priorities, or; according to the needs of the individual child. We provide statutory guidance to local authorities on their duties and powers in relation to funded ELC here: Introduction - Early learning and childcare: statutory guidance - July 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Public Health Scotland (PHS) published a baseline report as part of their interim Evaluation of the Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation programme in February, where the best available evidence suggested that referrals into residential rehabilitation have been increasing not only in East and South Ayrshire, but across the country since the beginning of the Scottish Government’s National Mission to improve and save lives impacted by substance use.

According to another recent PHS report, the upward trend in placements suggests that the Scottish Government is on track to hit its target of 1,000 people publicly funded to go to rehab by 2026.

The Scottish Government is finalising plans to provide more funding to facilitate this increase in areas where it is most needed. Further details on this will be made available in due course.