Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00956 on 24 June 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.

There are no plans to increase the number of places on the current Future Planners Programme. We will consider options for the future of the Programme to address the shortage of professional planners working in Scotland in advance of the completion of the current Programme in summer 2027.

We have had no discussions with local authorities and COSLA about replicating the Future Planners Programme.

Heads of Planning Scotland has been supportive with the current Programme, providing work shadowing opportunities and other learning and development sessions for Student Planners. We will continue to work in partnership with planning authorities and other stakeholders to deliver innovative solutions to increase resilience of the planning profession.

The Scottish Government has been clear that we will support the delivery of a guaranteed three-year employment for newly qualified teachers.

Local authorities, as the employers of teachers, hold full responsibility for creating employment contracts and the decisions associated with them. Therefore, this commitment requires careful engagement with local government and trade union partners.

Further details on the Teacher Jobs Guarantee will be set out in due course.

We have committed to convene stakeholders within the first 100 days to agree a timeline and route-map for the development of a new national staged intervention approach to additional support needs in education.

The route-map will set out indicative timeframes for the implementation of a Scottish national staged intervention model, which will support improved identification, planning, and provision for children and young people with additional support needs.

As I set out in my statement to Parliament on 2 June, we will launch a consultation on a legislative approach within the first 100 days of this government.

Further development of the legislative approach will be informed by the outcomes of this consultation but Ministers intention is that benefits of phone free learning will be enjoyed by learners and teachers as soon as possible.

The McManus review of additional support for learning published in March, set out six high level and far reaching recommendations to address the evolving ASN systems challenge. The first step in implementing the recommendations will be the publication of a timeline and route map in relation to the national staged intervention model (recommendation 1 of the McManus report) and the associated 100 days commitment. Beyond that it is envisaged that the McManus report will be delivered in stages across the Parliamentary term.

The Scottish Government is committed to eradicating child poverty and our Free School Meal programme is saving families who take up this offer every day approximately £450 per child, per year. As a result of our expansion programme, around 84% of primary school children are now eligible for a free school meal.

We have committed to an ambitious expansion of our Free School Meal programme and plan to deliver universal free school meals in primary schools in the lifetime of this Parliament. We will continue to work with our partners in COSLA and local authorities to deliver this.

The Scottish Government has identified a need to amend the law in relation to standing for election and holding office as a councillor ahead of next May’s local government elections. While the law was changed on 1 August 2025 to permit foreign nationals with limited leave to remain to stand as councillors, we have identified a gap in the provisions which mean this did not apply to Commonwealth citizens with limited leave to remain. This is contrary to the aim of the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill, which was passed unanimously on 17 December 2024. I therefore plan to introduce a short Bill in September to give Parliament the opportunity to remedy this issue in time for next year’s local authority elections.