Chamber and committees

Since 2018 732 bursaries have been awarded to individuals who may not otherwise have applied for teacher training in STEM and modern language subjects.

The bursary scheme has been effective in increasing the number of teachers teaching in these hard-to-fill subjects.

Scottish Government policy for respiratory conditions falls under the remit of the Long Term Conditions Unit which has so far spent £219,365 to support delivery of the Respiratory Care Action Plan since its publication in 2021.

The Respiratory Care Action Plan also contains actions and commitments that are being addressed by other Scottish Government strategies which have their own funding.

Social Security Scotland is committed to tackling funeral poverty and increasing take-up of all Scottish benefits. Since its introduction in 2019, Funeral Support Payment has been promoted across a wide range of channels including advertising on radio, in print and online, as well as through articles in media outlets and content on our own social media channels.

The Scottish Government recognises the significant impact that bereavement can have on young people and is committed to ensuring that schools are equipped to provide appropriate support.

We published a professional learning resource and a Whole School Approach Framework to assist school staff in supporting children and young people’s mental health. This framework encourages all schools to help young people develop resilience and personal coping skills while ensuring that measures are in place to support those who experience bereavement.

Education Scotland provides a range of materials, including resources specifically focused on bereavement, to aid teachers in delivering sensitive and effective learning on this topic. These resources are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect best practice.

Schools may also refer to the Seasons for Growth programme which contains support around bereavement and trauma. This is in addition to local policies in place for bereavement.

The research paper is currently with peer reviewers and is expected to be concluded by early June. We are committed to publishing the report and will do so once the peer review process and any further action needed has concluded. I expect to be able to do that no later than the end of 2025.

The Scottish Government provided a Policy Design Specification in October 2023 for formal impact assessment by the DWP, which set out how the Scottish Government would like the split policy to be delivered. I also recently met with Sir Stephen Timms MP, on 30 April, to discuss the UK Governments UC review, highlighting the work being carried out on split payments policy and the need for the UC review to include a gendered analysis. The Scottish Government remains committed to working with the DWP towards delivery of split payments for Universal Credit.

Employers are key to the delivery of our ambitions for a skilled workforce to meet the demands of an ever-changing economy and society. The Scottish Government is committed to working with them and listening to them as we take forward our programme of post-school education reform.

I host an employer roundtable several times a year to engage on the Scottish Government’s programme of post-school education reform. The most recent roundtable took place in February 2025. The roundtable includes a range of employers from across Scotland, including small to large businesses.

In addition, a national employer network to engage employers on post-school education reform is being set up. This will include members of the DYW Employer Network, with which Ministers will also continue to engage. This new network will serve as a platform for sharing updates, seeking input on policy reforms, acting as a sounding board and facilitating workshops and discussions. The first meeting of the Reform Employer Network will focus on the Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill which was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 6 February 2025 and will take place in May 2025.

The Growth and Skills levy remains a reserved tax for the UK Government. The changes, as we understand them, will impact on what funding can be spent in England. We do not expect this to have an impact on Scotland. Officials will continue to engage with the UK Government to understand any impacts that changes to the Levy may have for businesses in Scotland.

Our programme of reform of post-school education will see us develop a streamlined funding system more focussed on the needs of employers and the economy through improved national skills planning and reformed apprenticeships.

As we take this work forward, we will learn from the experience of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund to develop a skills system that is simple, straightforward, agile, and responsive to the needs of Scotland’s learners and employers.

Employers have a key role to play in workforce development. We will continue to encourage employers to build strong partnerships and work with their local colleges and universities to ensure training offers align to labour market needs.

The Scottish Government has been reviewing the hybrid working policy for civil servants it employs and decisions on future arrangements will be announced shortly. Working from home can be more productive than working from an office. Hybrid meetings can be much more productive than in person meetings in many cases as they reduce travelling time between individual meetings.

The Scottish Government has had regular engagement with the UK Government at both official and Ministerial level on US developments and the implications of tariffs. I met with the UK Minister for Trade Policy twice recently to discuss this, and the First Minister also met with the Prime Minister on 11 April.

Through these engagements we have welcomed UK Government commitments to uphold high food standards and exclude the NHS from any negotiations, however despite our repeated requests, we have not received further details on the scope of trade negotiations with the USA.

Scottish businesses and interests must not be forgotten and we are therefore continuing to call on the UK Government to share details of the negotiations so that we can assess likely impacts on Scotland and ensure our interests are appropriately represented in any final agreement.