Chamber and committees

Following the UK Government’s announcement of the closure of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, the Scottish Government has met with representatives of the UK Government, Church groups and the Church of Scotland.

The Scottish Government was not informed of this decision prior to the announcement from UK Government and the timing of this announcement, after the Scottish Budget had been set, has limited the opportunity to identify any immediate replacement funding within existing allocations.

Nevertheless, the Scottish Government is actively exploring options to ensure that listed places of worship in Scotland are not disproportionately affected by the withdrawal of this UK-wide VAT relief, however we are unable to identify any additional Barnett consequential funding specifically linked to the introduction of the Places of Worship Renewal Fund in England and this limits what is possible.

While responsibility for managing and maintaining the school estate sits with local authorities, Scottish Government officials continue to engage closely with The Highland Council and remains clear about the importance of ensuring facilities meet relevant standards and provide a safe environment for pupils and staff.

The Council met with parents of Rosebank Primary School pupils on 15 June to discuss the issues raised, including concerns about toilet provision. A further meeting is scheduled for 29 June, where the Council will provide an update on current arrangements and outline its assessment of the improvements it intends to deliver as part of a planned improvement programme for the school.

In the interim, the Council is also exploring the installation of temporary toilet units to help address current pressures. The Scottish Government expects the Council to continue to assess provision carefully and to ensure that both interim and longer-term arrangements meet relevant standards and guidance, with the welfare of pupils and staff remaining the priority.

The Scottish Government recognises the positive impact that Instrumental Music Instructors play in supporting young people to learn a musical instrument.

I am aware that a range of music stakeholders representing Instrumental Music Instructors (IMIs) have advocated for IMI’s to be registered as Instrumental Music Teachers for some time. That is why we recently undertook a consultation exercise to understand the implications of this change and gather information from a range of partners on the consequences of this change in their respective areas. Following the conclusion of this consultation period I will be reviewing the information gathered with my officials, recognising the complexities which do exist when considering a change of this kind.

The fund has been refocused to target low and middle-income households with a total income of £50,000 or less, as they are less likely to able to meet the upfront cost of installation. Eligibility criteria is reviewed on an annual basis.

Weapons should never be in our schools and violence towards pupils or staff is unacceptable.

The Scottish Government’s national guidance on preventing and managing exclusion provides clear advice for schools on the response to incidents involving weapons. Police Scotland are responsible for responding to crime in Scotland, wherever committed.

The responsibility for these matters rests with local authorities in their role as employers of teachers. You may wish to contact the relevant local authority. You may also wish to contact the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), the independent regulator of teachers in Scotland.

The responsibility for these matters rests with local authorities in their role as employers of teachers. You may wish to contact the relevant local authority. You may also wish to contact the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), the independent regulator of teachers in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is clear that everyone should be able to practise their faith safely and free from fear and condemns all forms of religiously motivated violence affecting Muslim communities and places of worship.

We are continuing to work closely with Police Scotland, Muslim communities and local partners to understand the concerns being felt, particularly following recent incidents, and to identify what support may be needed to provide reassurance and enhance security. This includes ongoing dialogue to ensure that responses are informed by the experiences of those directly affected.

We will continue to support communities and work in partnership with local and national organisations to help ensure that places of worship remain safe and that communities feel reassured in their daily lives.

It should be noted that the UK Government’s Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme is available for communities in Scotland, with applications open continuously, and details of how to apply can be found at Protective Security for Mosques Scheme - GOV.UK.

Alongside this, we will continue to consider how our wider work on community safety and resilience, including through the Hate Crime Strategy, can support communities and respond to emerging concerns.

Transport Scotland’s Operating Company, Amey, has not yet had the opportunity to inspect the footpath to respond to this request. Footway inspections are undertaken every 12 months for this section of footway per the trunk road maintenance contract. The location has been referred for consideration within future maintenance programmes, and Amey’s Landscaping Team will assess the vegetation to determine any maintenance or improvement works required.

Active travel improvements are progressing elsewhere on the A726 in East Kilbride, with further A725 trunk road cycle infrastructure planned, subject to design development, programme coordination and available budgets.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01261 on 9 July 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.