Chamber and committees

The actual cost to the third sector of the increase in Employer National Insurance contributions is difficult to determine given the diversity in size and employment numbers across the sector. However, in the joint letter from the First Minister and President of COSLA to the Chancellor on 3 January, which was supported by SCVO and a range of third sector organisations, they refer to SCVO’s estimate that the third sector will face additional costs of £75 million per year, plus wider inflation. We will continue to monitor the impact on the sector through the longitudinal survey we support through SCVO.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information

Since 2016, all media training for Ministers or civil servants has been provided by Scottish Government Communications Division staff at no additional cost.

The Parliament seeks to engage with other legislatures, inter-parliamentary bodies and international organisations in line with the SPCB’s International Strategy. This engagement is kept under regular review, with the Parliament’s International Relations Office providing six-monthly updates to the SPCB. Invitations to any event are a matter for the organisers. The International Relations Office constantly reviews opportunities for the Parliament to develop its engagement and maintains contact with event organisers, including of the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, and will seek involvement for the Parliament where appropriate.

The Scottish Government has no powers over the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS).

Ofgem and Energy UK are leading a cross-industry response to the RTS switch-off, which includes a public awareness campaign, which we welcome. However, with under five months till the switch-off on 30 June 2025, and no clear Plan B, the UK Government must use its powers to direct urgent and proportionate action.

In January, I wrote to the UK Minister for Energy Consumers to request that Ofgem include RTS related obligations in licence conditions for both suppliers and the Data Communications Company (DCC) who run the smart meter network. This change would compel both to use every tool available to ensure that households and businesses in Scotland and across Britain do not suffer detriment as a result of the RTS switch off.

However, the Scottish Government remains concerned at the rate of progress. We will continue to engage with the UK Government on a frequent and sustained basis to ensure that Scottish communities are not caused any detriment as a result of poor smart-meter accessibility and the RTS switch-off. This includes offering to convene a jointly-chaired roundtable on energy consumer issues and participation in the Ofgem-led RTS communications working group, which brings together consumer organisations, government and industry.

Any consumers experiencing difficulties with their supplier can contact Advice Direct Scotland (ADS). Funded by the Scottish Government, ADS runs the free national energy advice service and can be contacted on 0808 196 8660 or at energyadvice.scot.

The Scottish Government is carefully considering the report of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee’s ‘Follow-up inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland’ which was published on 17 January 2025, and which included a recommendation for welfare guidance for farmed salmon to be introduced. A response will be provided to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee in due course.

Recent population projections from National Records of Scotland indicate that high levels of positive net migration are projected to offset negative natural change, leading to Scotland’s population being projected to increase each year to mid-2047.

This demonstrates the importance of migration in driving population growth and is why we are using the full extent of our devolved powers to ensure Scotland is as attractive as possible, with a population profile which can support our economy, communities and public services. This includes delivering Scotland’s Migration Service and our Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, reflecting the strategic aims set out in our Population Strategy.

We will also continue to make the case for tailored migration schemes such as our Rural Visa Pilot and recently announced Scottish Graduate Visa. These are strongly supported by stakeholders, deliverable within the existing UK immigration system, and we urge the UK Government to engage substantively with the proposals to ensure that the UK immigration system can meet Scotland’s distinct demographic needs.

Violent and abusive behaviours towards pupils or staff is unacceptable. Schools should be safe and consistent learning environments for all.

Since May 2023, we have responded to schools’ concerns about relationships and behaviour in a number of ways. This includes the publication of new guidance on gender-based violence, updating our guidance on mobile phones and anti-bullying, and providing £900k to local authorities to support training of support staff.

The joint relationships and behaviour in schools action plan was developed in collaboration with the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour, of which NASUWT is a member. The plan sets out 20 actions to be taken over the next three years at both national and local level to help support schools to improve relationships and behaviour. This includes a number of actions under the theme of reducing violence and harm in schools.

The Programme for Government 2024-25 contains a commitment to report annually on progress of delivery against the plan. The first progress report will be published in the coming weeks.

The Scottish Government has utilised emergency early release legislation on two separate occasions in the last five years (May 2020 and June/July 2024).

Public and victim safety is central to our decision making, particularly when releasing individuals early from their prison sentence.

In each instance, the emergency action was necessary and proportionate to ensure prisons were able to operate safely, and to protect the health and wellbeing of prison staff and those held in custody. These decisions were not taken lightly, and on both cases strict eligibility criteria were set out, and agreed by Parliament.

In both cases, the number of individuals released was carefully limited to the level required. Only individuals who were close to their scheduled release date were eligible for release. There were important exclusions put in place for domestic abuse and sexual offences, long-term sentenced individuals were excluded, and Governors could veto the emergency early release of an individual, if this would present a risk to an individual or group.

Data in relation to the housing circumstances and employment status of individuals released from custody is not available.

Individuals serving short-term sentences are not routinely subject to any form of post-release supervision or monitoring, and those that had supervision or monitoring requirements post-sentence were automatically excluded from both the Coronavirus specific early release process in 2020 and the Emergency Early Release process in 2024.

Pre-release planning, including in relation to housing needs, was a key feature of both of the emergency early release processes (2020 & 2024). The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) worked closely with representatives from Local Government – including housing departments, wider public bodies, and the third sector in the planning and operation of the processes.