Chamber and committees

No teacher, member of staff or pupil should have to suffer abuse in schools. The Scottish Government is absolutely clear that our schools should be safe and consistent learning environments for all, and that violent and abusive behaviour towards pupils or staff is unacceptable.

Last month concluded a series of summits I held with a wide range of stakeholders on behaviour in schools. The Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research was also published, which set out that while the majority of pupils are well behaved there has been an increase in some forms of serious disruptive behaviours, including violence.

In my statement to Parliament on 29 November, I confirmed a multi-year plan is in development to address issues identified in the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research. This plan will be developed in collaboration with the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools, and we expect it to be published early next year.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23822 on 19 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 .

We are working to implement the commitments of our Neurological Care and Support – National Framework for Action 2020-25 , to improve the provision of co-ordinated health and social care and support, develop sustainable workforce models and ensure high standards of person-centred care.

Whilst the Framework is not condition specific, it covers issues affecting people with all types of neurological conditions, including dystonia.

Despite the disruption to health and social care services during the pandemic, we have sustained our efforts to deliver the commitments of the Framework, awarding £2.6 million since October 2020 to fund innovative projects working to improve outcomes for people living with neurological conditions. A midpoint progress report was published in July 2022.

The Scottish Government has been further working in partnership with NHS24 to update accessible public-facing information about dystonia , and other neurological conditions, for the NHS Inform website.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23762 on 19 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

World Expos are overseen and regulated by the Intergovernmental Organisation - Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). BIE membership is reserved so any bid to host a World Expo would need to be progressed by the UK Government and any participation by Scotland in that process would have to be at their invitation.

We are not aware of any bid being considered by the UK for the World Expo in 2035 and would refer the member to the UK Government for any further information on this.

A member of the third-sector community was identified to join the Pain Management Task Force in October 2022 to represent the needs of people with lived experience.

We are committed to increasing the representation of the needs of people with lived experience in our work and that is why we are currently about to begin the process of recruiting additional lived experience representatives as outlined in the recently published Pain management service delivery framework: implementation plan update.

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has previously written to the Scottish Government setting out a series of recommendations for the reform on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). In response to this advice, we published a consultation on EPC reform on 25 July 2023 which concluded on 16 October 2023. We will publish a response to this consultation in 2024.

The consultation proposed to revise the information displayed on domestic EPCs, expanding the current suite of ratings to introduce a fabric energy efficiency rating and displaying relevant information relating to the heating system. This aims to provide a more holistic view to current and potential homeowners and tenants.

On the 28 November 2023 we launched the Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill: Consultation which set out a potential role for EPCs to provide evidence that could support building owners in complying with proposed standards. The consultation proposes that privately-owned homes across Scotland will be required to meet a minimum energy efficiency standard before the end of 2033, with homes in the private rented sector having to do so before the end of 2028.

We continue to develop the approach to long term rent control in support of the introduction of a Housing Bill later in this parliamentary year. This ongoing work is considering how improvements in the condition of rented properties, including energy efficiency, could be included.

The Scottish Government recognises that we must do more to attract the investment required if we are to fulfil the potential that the heat network sector has in Scotland and create a sustainable market. Reducing demand risk is one of the ways of achieving this.

We are working to develop potential new legislation on public sector organisations regarding connection to heat networks. We aim to consult on this during 2024-25, having first engaged with public sector partners.

Additionally, on 28 November we published a consultation on a Heat in Buildings Bill in which we seek views on the proposal to: Provide local authorities and the Scottish Ministers with powers to require other buildings within a Heat Network Zone to end their use of polluting heating systems (by a certain date and with a minimum notice period).

Prison population levels change on a daily basis as people move in and out of custody. On the morning of 11 December 2023 the prison population was 7,926.

Scotland’s two iconic national parks were established in 2000 as Non-Departmental Public Bodies and their governance arrangements were set down in Designation orders thereafter.

NDPBs operate at arms lengths from Scottish Government and are wholly accountable to the Scottish Parliament. The relationship with government is set out in a Framework Agreement between the body and Scottish Ministers, both national parks have these agreements in place.

Scottish Ministers regularly meet both National Parks to discuss a range of matters, including governance.