- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has issued any guidance to local authorities on appropriate levels of screen use for primary school pupils in classroom settings.
Answer
Decisions about the delivery of education are devolved to local authorities. As such the Scottish Government has not issued guidance on specific or appropriate levels of device or screen use in classroom settings. It is for councils to decide how and when digital technology is used to support learning, in line with their local education and digital strategies. We have published guidance for parents on screen time for school-aged children via Parent Club.
The term screen use covers a wide range of activities with varying levels of educational value. In schools, digital activity is typically planned, structured and directly linked to learning objectives, and is therefore not directly comparable to recreational or passive screen use outside the classroom. The Parent Club guidance reflects this noting, what they’re watching or doing is just as important as counting the number of minutes.
The Scottish Government would expect content and activities available on school managed devices to be carefully curated by local authorities to support learning and teaching. Devices should be appropriately secured, filtered and monitored, with access to inappropriate or non-educational content restricted, providing pupils with an age appropriate and supervised digital environment.
Digital technologies are one tool among many available to support learning. Teachers are trusted to exercise their professional judgement in deciding when digital approaches add pedagogical ,inclusive or practical value, and when other approaches are more appropriate, as they do with any learning resource.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities are required to undertake formal risk assessments before introducing one-to-one digital device programmes in schools.
Answer
Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 local authorities are responsible for the delivery of education in their area, and to ensure that school environments are safe for pupils. In that context, decisions about introducing one-to-one digital device programmes sit with local authorities as part of their wider responsibilities for the planning and delivery of education.
The Scottish Government does not mandate a specific or centrally prescribed form of risk assessment for such programmes. However, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that appropriate consideration is given to potential risks and mitigations as part of their own decision-making processes, including safeguarding, data protection, security, accessibility and pupil wellbeing.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what requirements exist for obtaining parental consent where pupils are required to use digital learning platforms that involve the processing or sharing of personal data.
Answer
Local authorities are independent data controllers for their use of digital learning platforms in schools are responsible for ensuring that any processing of pupils’ personal data complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Under data protection legislation, controllers must identify and document an appropriate lawful basis for each processing activity. The UK GDPR sets out a number of lawful bases for processing personal data, including consent and the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority. It is for local authorities to determine and justify which lawful basis is appropriate in each case, taking account of the nature and purpose of the processing.
In the context of the delivery of statutory education functions, local authorities will commonly rely on the lawful basis of public task, rather than consent, where the use of digital platforms is deemed necessary to support learning and teaching. Where consent is relied upon, it must meet the requirements of the UK GDPR, including being freely given, specific, informed and capable of being withdrawn.
As data protection legislation is reserved, oversight and enforcement sit with the UK data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what oversight it has of commercial partnerships between local authorities and technology providers in schools, including any safeguards to ensure that educational priorities and pupil wellbeing are protected.
Answer
As with other areas of local service delivery, responsibility for decisions about the use of commercial technology providers in schools, including procurement arrangements, rests with local authorities as part of their statutory role in delivering education. The Scottish Government does not oversee or approve individual commercial partnerships entered into by councils.
The Scottish Government does, however, support the sector through national procurement frameworks that local authorities may choose to use when purchasing goods and services, including digital devices and related technology. These frameworks are developed in line with public procurement legislation and support consistency, value for money and compliance with wider public sector requirements, including around security, sustainability and social value.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that local authorities comply with data protection requirements when using educational technology platforms that process children’s personal data.
Answer
Local authorities are independent data controllers for their use of educational technology and are responsible for ensuring compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, including completing Data Protection Impact Assessments where required.
It is therefore for local authorities to satisfy themselves that any educational technology complies with data protection legislation, alongside local security and safeguarding requirements. As data protection legislation is reserved, enforcement sits with the UK data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to roll out the distribution of lockable pouches to restrict mobile phone usage in local authorities across Scotland, following the pilot projects in Queensferry and Portobello high schools.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s national guidance on mobile phones in schools supports schools and local authorities to put in place approaches that best meet the needs of their pupils and communities.
Decisions on whether to introduce measures such as lockable pouches remain a matter for individual schools and local authorities. Restrictions currently vary across Scotland, and the use of lockable pouches is one option that can be considered by local authorities as part of their wider engagement and assessment work.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any action it has taken under section 33 of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 to prepare and publish a food security statement.
Answer
The Scottish Government takes matters of food security and resilience very seriously. Work is underway on the inaugural food security statement which will have regard to the recently published Rural Support Plan. That statement will build on the package of measures we are already taking to support food production including maintaining direct support for farmers and crofters in stark contrast to policies in other parts of the UK.
The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 (the 2024 Act) requires Scottish Ministers to make a statement on food security at least every three years, from the Act’s entry into force on 16 June 2025.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that lessons have been learned from concerns raised by families regarding prescribing practices for immunosuppressant patients in paediatric services at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Answer
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) have met with the clinical leadership team from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC), and are currently considering what, if any, actions may be required to provide assurance of the medicine governance arrangements and the prescribing practices for immunosuppressed patients in paediatric services at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH).
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what clinical governance arrangements are in place across NHS Scotland to oversee decision-making regarding extended, blanket and targeted antifungal prophylactic medications, including posaconazole, to prevent infection from water or airborne bacteria during cancer therapy.
Answer
Health Board Area Drug and Therapeutics Committees (ADTCs) are responsible for providing governance and oversight of medicines use, ensuring that local prescribing policies and practices are safe, effective and evidence-based.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 23 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its Rural Support Plan as required by the Agricultural and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024.
Answer
The Rural Support Plan was laid today and will be published tomorrow.
