Chamber and committees

Since the STEM bursary scheme (now known as the Teaching Bursary Scheme) was introduced in 2018, the costs the Scottish Government has provided is as follows:

There was no discussion at the Heads of Devolved Governments Council regarding the UK’s Military presence in Scotland.

However, we have previously highlighted to the Scottish Affairs Committee decisions made by the UK Government on defence, which is a reserved matter, can have far reaching implications for Scottish communities who we support.

In the Scottish Government’s written evidence to the Committee, we proposed that the UK Government commits to meaningful engagement with the Scottish Government through clear structures that facilitate discussion leading to productive outcomes.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with National Records of Scotland and adoption agencies to understand further the challenges in accessing adoption records.

We have also commissioned research to explore the unmet needs of those people affected by historic forced adoption, and what services we could put in place to support them. Access to records forms a key part of that research which is due for publication in late autumn.

Significant public consultation and stakeholder engagement was undertaken as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), published in December 2022. STPR2 will inform the Scottish Government’s transport investment programme in Scotland over the next 20 years (2022-2042) and will help to deliver the vision, priorities and outcomes for transport set out in the National Transport Strategy (NTS2). Within this there is a recommendation for a review of the upgrade or relocation of Stranraer rail station to be undertaken. Stakeholder engagement and public consultation were key elements of this review, including a three-month public consultation on the draft recommendations between January and April 2022. A summary report detailing the outcomes of this exercise was produced alongside an analysis report setting out how responses were used to inform the appraisal process. STPR2 Recommendation 40 includes measures to improve access to Stranraer and ports at Cairnryan; to encourage greater use of public transport and support wider town regeneration proposals, this recommendation also includes a review of the upgrade or relocation of Stranraer rail station.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19549 on 9 August 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

There is no time limit for accessing Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) in Scotland. Any individual over the age of 16 can start an MA at any point in their career. Skills Development Scotland provide funding contributions which depend on the type of apprenticeship, the qualification level and the age of the apprentice, however there is no specific time limit on funding available.

Over the summer, the Scottish Government will continue to work with partners to develop a 1-year Scottish Education Exchange test and learn pilot programme, to commence in 2023-24.

Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) are available to anyone in Scotland aged 16 or over.

Skills Development Scotland funding contributions depend on the type of apprenticeship, the qualification level and the age of the apprentice, however there is no specific age cap on funding available. Learning providers can ask employers for an additional contribution to fund the apprenticeship or employers can also choose to self-fund these programmes.

Apprentices aged 16-24 are eligible for higher contribution rates to reflect that they may have less experience of the workplace and therefore may require more support to complete their apprenticeship.

Funding for apprentices aged 25+ is restricted to key and supporting sectors for MAs. For certain key sectors and for individuals who are disabled and care-experienced, there's an enhanced funding contribution up to and including the age of 29.

Statistics for 2022/23 detail a particularly high uptake in MAs for those aged 25 and over, with 41.1% of apprentices being from this age category.

Apprenticeships in Scotland are demand-led, and our apprenticeship system aims to be as responsive to industry demand as it can be. Any new Modern Apprenticeship (MA) frameworks created would be as a result of sufficient demand from employers for a new MA and a clear indication that an MA is the right training route. Skills Development Scotland (SDS) work with industry to assess the level of demand and can support the development of new apprenticeship frameworks where required.

Oil and gas licensing is a matter that is reserved to UK Government. In line with the Scottish Government’s evidence-led approach to policy development, we have completed a programme of work and analysis to better understand Scotland’s energy requirements as we transition to net zero and how this aligns with our climate change targets. Through our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, we have set out a clear pathway to deliver on global commitments and capitalise on the enormous opportunities offered by becoming a net zero economy. Our focus must be meeting our energy security needs, reducing emissions and ensuring a just transition for our oil and gas workforce as North Sea resources decline.

We continue to engage with the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance as part of a wider programme of analysis and engagement with a range of organisations and stakeholders.