Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government agrees that Scotland’s school libraries play a key role in supporting literacy and cultivating a love of reading.

Responsibility for school libraries rests with local authorities, who have a statutory duty to ensure there is adequate provision of library services.

At a national level, the Scottish Government worked with key partners to develop and publish the National Strategy for School Libraries. Over the course of 8 years we have provided over £1.8 million via the School Libraries Improvement Fund to enhance school library provision.

Scottish Ministers have been clear on their desire to ensure greater islander representation on the Boards of David MacBrayne Ltd and CMAL. Previous recruitments have resulted on at least one board member in each organisation who has the skills required for the role and is also an islander. We will continue to work hard with both Boards to fully explore all options that will result in encouraging more island residents to apply for future Board opportunities.

A number of forums exist which provide an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss disabled student and graduate outcomes.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) have regular contact with the College Development Network’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion network, which brings together equality leads from Scotland’s colleges. SFC are also developing a relationship with the Scottish Equality Forum, a network which brings together equality leads from across Scotland’s universities and college to provide support to each other on addressing inequality in the sector.

Additionally, through the development of the proposed Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill, 3 Bill Advisory Panels were established early last year to co-develop proposals. This includes stakeholder and practitioner panels and a lived experience panel. Those panels provide a forum for wider discussion of the challenges and barriers faced by autistic and neurodivergent people, including their experiences of education.

And in September 2024, the Scottish Government published its Student Mental Health Action Plan which sets out, for the first time, a mainstreamed approach to student mental health. The Scottish Government will work in partnership with NHS Boards, CoSLA, Public Health Scotland and community based providers to join up support that is already available, embedding support for students into the wider communities in which they live and study.

CMAL Board appointment campaigns are carried out in line with the Ethical Standards Commissioner’s Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland.

Scottish Ministers consider the recommendation presented to them by the selection panel appointed to take forward Public Body Board appointment campaigns. The selection panel includes an advisor appointed on behalf of the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

In this instance the CMAL Board required a candidate with specialist risk and assurance expertise and experience. The selection panel evaluates the evidence presented by each candidate as part of the Board appointment process, this is tested when reviewing each application form and also at interview. The selection panel recommend to Scottish Ministers the candidates they consider as being most able to meet the requirements of the role or roles as advertised. This is based on merit and is in line with the Ethical Standards Commissioner’s Code of Practice.

I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

Membership of the PVG Scheme is available for an individual coaching or training children in sports. It is the responsibility of the recruiting organisation to make use of the PVG disclosure checks. Membership of the PVG Scheme will become a legal requirement on 1 April 2025. Currently, though, many organisations (including sports governing bodies) treat the Scheme as though it is a legal requirement. This de facto requirement is primarily because, if an organisation was to employ a barred individual to do regulated work, they would be guilty of an offence under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.

In cases where a self-employed individual (and that includes paid, and unpaid or voluntary work) teaches or trains children scheme membership is available to that person. The individual can use their scheme membership to satisfy parents or carers of children in receipt of teaching or coaching that they are not unsuitable for that type of regulated work.

Particularly since the 2017 Health and Sport Committee report on Child Abuse in Sport, Disclosure Scotland has worked closely with all sports governing bodies (“SGBs”), including sportscotland and the Scottish Youth Football Association, to ensure that PVG disclosure checks are undertaken on sports coaches eligible for scheme membership. This includes providing guidance to SGBs on specific duties and requirements under the Scheme, and carrying out compliance audits. It is our assessment that most, if not all, SGBs require PVG membership as part of any role that involves working with children or protected adults.

The Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 will make PVG scheme membership a legal requirement for all individuals carrying out a regulated role in Scotland, which includes sports coaches and agents. It will be an offence for an organisation to employ an individual into a regulated role if that individual is not a member of the PVG Scheme.

Scottish Ministers and Transport Scotland officials meet regularly with David MacBrayne Ltd & CalMac Ferries Ltd. This includes Ministerial meetings with the Board and Senior Management Team as well as Transport Scotland participation in a range of DML led working groups.

The Cabinet Secretary for Transport last met the DML Board Chair (Erik Østergaard) in person on, 17 September 2024, and remotely on, 16 November 2023.

The member raised the issue of setting up such a forum in the Chamber during general questions on 28 November 2024.

I confirmed at the time I would be happy to meet to discuss such a group, noting that I would be keen to extend any such forum to look at apprenticeships as well.

Notifications of awards of DSA to assessors are being provided as part of the new DSA online service that Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) released in October 2024.

The service is in a pilot stage where it is being trialled by 3 universities to submit new DSA applications. It is anticipated that the online service will be rolled out by SAAS to every Higher Education Institution during 2025. In the interim, there is an exceptions handling process in place for assessors who require a copy of a DSA award notice from SAAS.

Data shows that we have a record number of new students at university with a recorded disability or additional support need (6,765, an increase of 14.9% over the year). Additionally, the support provided to students via the Disabled Students’ Allowance totalled £14.1 million in 2023-24, an 18.4% increase over the year.

Against that backdrop, the 2025-26 budget, published on Wednesday 4th December, emphasises the First Minister’s priorities and champions programmes that have a far-reaching impact in addressing child poverty and improving outcomes for families and learners across Scotland.

As part of the budget announcement, Ministers expect the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to prioritise the additional investment, to support widening access and to protect and enhance the learner experience. In addition, by protecting the right to free tuition, the Scottish Government is driving forward our commitment to widening access.

As part of the annual funding allocations process, the SFC reviews demand and supply of funded places, to reflect the dynamic changes to learner needs.

SFC and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) are currently working together to enhance the SFC’s leadership and oversight role in tackling persistent inequalities in the tertiary system.

Through this, SFC and EHRC have established a set of National Equality Outcomes (NEOs) for the tertiary education sector through their Persistent Inequalities work, including three NEOs specific to disabled students.

The SFC asks colleges and universities to be mindful of the Equality Act (2010), under which disabled students are protected, and supports them to meet the requirements and achieve the aspirations of the Public Sector Equality Duty. This includes through the statutory requirement for Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments of new and revised strategies and policies.