Chamber and committees

In my recent letter of guidance to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), I made it clear that we expect the SFC to consider the financial sustainability of individual institutions, and needs of learners, as part of any decisions around funding allocations.

Francesca Osowska, Chief Executive of the SFC, wrote to Angela Cox, Principal of Ayrshire College, on 1 April advising the SFC intended to take more time before publishing its indicative funding allocations to allow time to consider the feedback provided, including that from Ayrshire College. Francesca also provided reassurance that colleges will receive additional funding for lecturers’ pay and additional funding for pensions; and advised that the SFC are happy to have further discussions with Ms Cox and her colleagues in relation to support for flexibility within the credit model. The SFC published the indicative allocations on 10 April.

Specifically in relation to the financial sustainability of Ayrshire College, Francesca urged the College to contact the SFC’s institutional sustainability team to discuss its projections. I too would urge Ayrshire College to engage fully with the SFC on these matters at the earliest opportunity.

In relation to supporting the growth of Ayrshire College, the College plays an important role in supporting Ayrshire’s regional economy. There has been engagement on regional skills planning between the College, my officials, Colleges Scotland and the Ayrshire Regional Economic Partnership. My officials have engaged extensively with the Regional Economic Partnerships Network, sharing initial guidelines for how to collectively strengthen regional skills planning, building on existing best practice. I would encourage further engagement of this nature between Ayrshire College and other parties to ensure that the College is at the forefront of the development of future models of regional skills planning.

The Scottish Government is also investing £103 million over 10 years in the Ayrshire Growth Deal, matching the investment of the UK Government. This is supporting a series of projects which will transform the regional economy and support long-term inclusive growth, and Ayrshire College is a key partner in a number of those projects.

Further to this, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) oversees the national apprenticeship programmes and administers funding on behalf of the Scottish Government. SDS regularly conducts an open procurement process via Public Contract Scotland, and throughout the year, implements in-year reallocations of Modern Apprenticeship (MA) starts to ensure flexibility in responding to employer demand. Depending on budget availability, training providers are informed of the policy and process to request an increase in volumes, and SDS may reallocate MA starts on an ongoing basis based on evidence of performance. I would encourage Ayrshire College to continue to liaise with SDS and raise any concerns about their contracts with them in the first instance if the College feels that its potential for growth in this area is not being fulfilled.

More generally on support for the sustainability and growth of our colleges, the college Tripartite Alignment Group (comprising of Scottish Government, the SFC and Colleges Scotland) continues to work on identifying and implementing workable flexibilities to ease colleges’ financial pressures while ensuring accountability for public funds.

A fresh set of priorities for the Group were agreed last year, and work is underway across those areas, namely diversification of funding into the sector, establishment of a new way to flexibly fund investment in Curriculum Transformation, and exploration of the breadth of delivery via colleges.

Formalised changes to guidance on college asset disposals have been issued as a result of the work of the Tripartite Alignment Group, enabling colleges to retain a more significant proportion of the value of any sale to invest locally. Here is the link to the Group’s webpage where you can view the Terms of Reference, members, and minutes from the Group’s meetings: Colleges: Tripartite Alignment Group - gov.scot

Equality Law relating to equal opportunities is generally reserved under the Scotland Act 1999. It is for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) - as the regulator of the Equality Act 2010 - to produce, review and update any technical guidance in relation to such matters.

We note that the EHRC are now reviewing their guidance following the Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of woman under the Equality Act 2010. The Scottish Government are taking time to consider any implications the Supreme Court’s ruling may have on our own guidance to ensure that it is compliant with the judgment and takes account of any updated guidance that will be provided by the EHRC in due course.

We remain committed to protecting everyone’s rights and will continue to work to ensure that our guidance is inclusive of all of Scotland’s communities. This includes using communication which is plain, clear and concise, both in language generally, and in published guidance, as far as the subject-matter allows.

The information requested is not held centrally. However, data are available on the number of businesses operating in Scotland that are rest of the UK owned and Abroad owned. These estimates, sourced from the Businesses in Scotland 2024 publication, are shown in the following table.

Table 1: Registered businesses operating in Scotland, Rest of the UK and Abroad owned, 2010 to 2024

There can be no doubt that the tariffs that have been imposed by the United States will cause damage to the global, UK and Scottish economies. The USA is the most valuable export market by far for Scotch Whisky, worth £971m in 2024 (18% of total Scotch Whisky exports by value). The USA imported nearly $12 billion worth of distilled spirits in 2024, with Mexico ($5.4 bn), France ($2.1 bn) and the UK ($1.8 bn) being the largest trading partners by value. Scotch Whisky is subject to the 10% baseline tariff which may be passed through to higher prices for US consumers and weaken demand. Additionally, the uncertainty in future global trading arrangements more broadly is widely expected to lead to weaker growth, higher inflation, financial market instability and increased borrowing costs which could impact consumer confidence generally and impact demand for Scotch Whisky. We will continue to closely monitor and assess the impact of US tariff policy on Scotland’s exports across key sectors, including Scotch Whisky.

To our knowledge, there are currently only two public bodies operating in Scotland which allow sex markers to be changed on official documents (HM Passport Office and the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency). As both of these public bodies are reserved to the UK Parliament, it would not be within the devolved competence of the Scottish Government to mandate them to keep records of the number of documents changed annually.

The Scottish Government would not mandate any action for Scottish public sector organisations that is not legally required. It would be for respective public bodies to determine the best process for its staff and users. This includes matters relating to allowing sex markers to be changed and keeping records of the number of documents changed annually, with basic demographic information included.

However, we do expect all public sector organisations in Scotland to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty, which is not a duty to achieve any particular results, but a duty to have “due regard” to the need to achieve the three goals of:

• eliminating eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation
• advancing equality of opportunity and;
• fostering good relations between different groups of people.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35938 on 25 April 2025. 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

Local authorities have the statutory responsibility for delivering education and for ensuring that those pupils identified with an additional support need, are fully supported to learn. Work is underway through the Additional Support for Learning Action Plan to improve the consistency of all communications regarding additional support for learning. This includes the data that is recorded and published.

We recognise this is a challenging time for families. Our essential support for disabled people helps cover the costs of basic everyday living tasks. The qualifying period – which similarly applies in UK disability benefits - ensures this support is targeted to those with long-term conditions. A change to qualifying periods could undermine the fundamental purpose of Disability Assistance.

People don’t need to wait three months to apply for Child or Adult Disability Payment – they can apply as their needs happen. They also don’t need a diagnosis – if they have had the level of needs for 13 weeks when they apply, entitlement starts straight away.

The Young Patients Family Fund helps families of young inpatients cover costs of travel, food and/or accommodation and patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes support families with costs of travelling to hospital appointments. Carers receiving Carer Support Payment (CSP) can have a temporary break from caring if the person they care for is in hospital and still receive CSP. Additionally, the Children, Young People, Families and Adult Learning fund provides third sector funding to improve emotional wellbeing of young cancer patients and their families and reduce financial worries.

I have met the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prisons Service, the Chief Social Work Advisor, Chief Executive of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and Lord President of the Court of Session on a number of occasions since 29 March 2023.

Information is set out in the following tables on meetings with each individual and a small number of ad hoc additional meetings.

Meetings with Chief Executive the Scottish Prison Service

There is no plan at present to produce a grasslands action plan however there are a number of actions within The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy’s Delivery Plan applicable to grasslands.

These actions include, but are not limited to, publishing a Plant Biodiversity Strategy and revision of the Scottish Biodiversity List which currently includes species-rich grasslands as a habitat and specific grassland specialist species among those habitats and species of principal importance. In addition, NatureScot is also mapping the extent of the species-rich grassland resource across Scotland.