Chamber and committees

Data on the outcomes and achievements of school pupils with additional support needs are published on the Scottish Government website.

Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels data provides information on attainment of school pupils in literacy and attainment ( School education statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ). Information on pupils with additional support needs can be found in Section 4.3 of the publication. The latest data available is for 2021-22 with 2022-23 data due to be published on 12 December 2023.

Data on the attainment and initial destinations of school leavers can be found in the Summary Statistics for Attainment and Initial Leaver Destinations publication ( School education statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ). Information on pupils with additional support needs can be found in tables 3 and 6. The latest data available is for 2021-22 with 2022-23 data due to be published in February 2024.

Data on the follow-up destinations of school leavers can be found in the Summary Statistics for Follow-up Destinations publication ( School education statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ). Information on pupils with additional support needs can be found in table 3. The latest data available is for 2021-22 with 2022-23 data due to be published in June 2024.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) publish a range of information for colleges and universities for disabled students. Information can be accessed through their websites at ( Data and analysis | HESA ) and releases ( Report on Widening Access 2021-22 (sfc.ac.uk) ).

The Students Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) publish data each year on the number of supported Higher Education students at college and university claiming Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). Data is available through the Higher Education Student Support in Scotland publication ( https://www.saas.gov.uk/about-saas/statistics ).

The Scottish Government doesn’t inform the Met Office about landslips, as this is not an operational requirement of this UK Weather Agency. The role of the Met Office is to make meteorological predictions across all timescales from weather forecasts to climate change.

It should be noted however, The Met Office is one of a number of stakeholders the Scottish Government liaise with in the course of preparing responses to resilience and weather related events. The Met Office provide weather related advice to the Scottish Government, which in turn serves to inform our wider resilience response, including consideration of landslip risk in areas such as the A83, Rest and be Thankful.

Catering service times across campus provide a robust offering around parliamentary business.  Lunch service timings in the Garden Level Restaurant (11:30-14:30) are based on levels of demand and efficient use of resources in line with parliamentary requirements.  If it is helpful, it is possible to pre-order food on our app, and collect it from the Holyrood room between 11:30 and 2:30, although this does not change the timings, it is a quicker service.

Alternative options are available after 2.30pm including the Coffee Bar where a hot sandwich option can be ordered and the Public Café where hot food options including soup, baked potatoes and a range of sandwiches are on offer.  Hot food is also available from 4pm in Queensberry House Lounge.

The Scottish Government engages with a wide range of stakeholders on the future of the marine sector on a very regular basis. This has included, for example, detailed engagement with Scottish seafood stakeholders on Brexit and the new costs and barriers it has created for exporting to the EU, and our shared concerns about post-Brexit UK immigration policy, and how these can be mitigated or overcome.

“Our marine sector in an independent Scotland” is informed by our continuous engagement with the marine sector.

The Scottish Government uses a range of techniques to monitor and study fish populations which is critical to inform the management actions put in place to protect species. Internal tagging is used when there is no appropriate alternative method available to answer the specific question being addressed. It is a regulated procedure covered by the Animals (Scientific procedures) Act 1986 and is performed under licence from the Home Office. Alternatives to this method are examined and adopted where possible by the Scottish Government following the principles of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) embedded in the act.

The external costs associated with the production and publication of the Building a New Scotland paper, ‘Our marine sector in an independent Scotland’, are set out in the following table:

The Scottish Government will commence work on the 4 Day Working Week public sector pilot by the end of the calendar year. The pilot will take place over a 12 month period.

A number of public bodies expressed an interest in the 4DWW public sector pilot. Pilot participants are still being finalised, as are details of when participants will join the 4DWW pilot and initiate changes to their working week. Further details will be provided in due course.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23120 on 7 December 2023. 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 values and appreciates all the work that Who Cares? Scotland does to support and advocate for all Care Experienced people and we are committed to working with Who Cares? Scotland and other key partners to ensure that we Keep The Promise to care experienced adults and ensure that their voices are heard.

The Scottish Government is bringing forward legislation that will provide further protection to the rights of care experienced, children, young people and adults. This includes:

• A commitment to Scotland being the first UK nation to incorporate the UNCRC into domestic law, ensuring we are a country that respects, protects and fulfils children's rights.
• The Children's Care and Justice (Scotland) Bill, which is presently going through Parliament, and if agreed will bring an end to the placement of 16 and 17 years olds in young offenders institutions, and increase the age of referral to the Children's Hearing System to 18.
• A commitment to a Promise Bill by the end of this Parliamentary session, to make any further legislative changes required to Keep The Promise for children, young people and adults.
  

The Race Equality Action Plan concluded in 2021 with a final report outlining the progress made in implementing actions.

Education Scotland play a significant part in the Scottish Government’s Anti-Racism in Education Programme, particularly in the development and delivery of their award-winning Building Racial Literacy Programme.