Chamber and committees

On 1 April 2022 there were 134 men actively participating in the Caledonian System, and between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023 a further 482 were given a Caledonian requirement. Currently 20 Local Authorities deliver the Caledonian System within Scotland, with another two areas, Moray and Shetland preparing to roll out this year. The Scottish Government is actively working with and encouraging those remaining local authority areas to consider adopting the Caledonian System over a phased period.

Social security is an investment in the people of Scotland. Our priority is to ensure that people receive the support to which they are entitled and that in doing so they are treated with dignity, fairness and respect. The Scottish Government are investing around £6.9 billion in Social Security benefits in 2025-26, this is projected to increase to around £8.9 billion by 2029-30.

The following table shows the number of journeys, broken down by local authority, made through the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme since its launch in January 2022 up to 28 February 2025. Journeys are based on the local authority in which the card was issued, therefore some journeys will have been undertaken outwith the local authority area.

We take a comprehensive approach to reviewing support provided to people receiving cancer treatment, which includes those who are parents. We published our Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 and initial three year Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023 – 2026 along with a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework in 2023. Our aim is that every person with cancer will have access to the support they need, clinical and non-clinical, reflecting what matters to them.

We are also committed to reviewing patients’ experiences through the Scottish Cancer Experience Survey, Care Opinion and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures Programme.

NatureScot expect to present a final version of the species licensing review for external review in April 2025. The review will then be submitted to Scottish Ministers for consideration and the findings published thereafter. We do not yet have a set date for the findings to be published.

The Scottish Government understands that Hamilton Mausoleum is a category A listed building owned by South Lanarkshire Council, and is managed and maintained by South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture SCIO which is a recognised Scottish Charity. It is important to be aware that the owners of listed buildings are responsible for the repair and maintenance of their property.

Regarding the member’s question about public access to the building, I understand that the local authority offers tours available on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from February to November. The local authority would therefore be best placed to provide further information on the upkeep of the property and provide further information on their plans for public visitor access.

While some schools or local authorities may run localised campaigns, Scottish Government paid-for marketing channels are not used within the school setting. Therefore, there is no recorded spend for Scottish Government marketing for drugs campaigns within schools during this time frame.

We want all young people to be appropriately educated about the harms of substance use, both to themselves and others.

In 2016 the Scottish Government published ‘What works in drugs education and prevention’: 'What Works' in Drug Education and Prevention? - gov.scot

The What Works review advises against mass campaigns about illegal drugs and instead recommends that: … wider programmes that are delivered in schools, which target multiple risk behaviours, help build self-esteem and life skills are more likely to be effective in preventing drug use. This suggests a departure from drug specific education. Generic programmes, such as the Good Behaviour Game, which do not focus on drug/substance use, can be effective in reducing substance use and other problematic behaviours in the long term.

This is why children and young people learn about a variety of substances including alcohol, medicines, drugs, tobacco and solvents in a way that focuses on identifying safe and unsafe behaviours, and learning about the impact that ongoing use can have on a person’s health, future choices and options.

Through application of Curriculum for Excellence they learn that alcohol and drugs can affect people’s ability to make decisions. The aim is to help children and young people make informed personal choices which will help them lead healthy lifestyles now and in the future.

The single most important driver of quality in a child’s Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) experience and improved outcomes is a dedicated, highly skilled, and well-qualified workforce. The ELC profession is therefore critical to the successful delivery of our 1,140 hours offer. We will continue to support a sustainable, diverse and thriving workforce.

Although staffing of funded ELC services is the responsibility of local authorities and their funded partners, in order to support a sustainable ELC workforce, the Scottish Government has provided local authorities with an additional £9.7 million in 2025-26 to increase the pay of ELC workers in the private and third sectors delivering funded hours, so that they are paid at least the Real Living Wage from April. Building on last year’s recurring investment of £16 million, this funding for the further increase to at least £12.60 per hour demonstrates the Scottish Government’s commitment to the Fair Work agenda.

Joint Scottish Government and COSLA guidance, published on 20 February, confirms that the additional funding will be passed to all funded ELC providers (including childminders) in 2025-26 through a minimum 3.75% increase in sustainable rates. This means an average increase of over £1,000 per year in gross salary for the eligible staff who are working full time.

Beyond pay, the Scottish Government is taking forward a range of actions to support the ELC profession. These include investment in continuous professional learning (CPL) resources and a dedicated CPL portal for the childcare profession, providing funding to Skills Development Scotland to support Modern Apprenticeships in childcare, providing funding for 100 childcare professionals to study for Masters qualifications each year and working with Skills Development Scotland to pilot a new programme to improve staff access to paid time off the floor.

Preparatory work is now underway for the NIFS4 contract but this remains at an early stage. No decision on the detailed requirements of the contract has been taken but the views of stakeholders and operational feasibility will inform the approach taken. This will include considering how the booking system can be operated to maximise flexibility for customers.

The Scottish Government takes the safety of the public very seriously. Sex offender notification requirements apply to an individual, irrespective of what name they use. Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements record any aliases in their documentation. The current position in legislation is that sex offenders must inform the police of a name change within three days and failure to notify such a change can result in a prison sentence.

We are aware that the Crime and Policing Bill, recently introduced to the UK Parliament, contains legislative change in this area. We are exploring the possibility of extending the provisions in the Crime and Policing Bill to Scotland. Any such amendment would be the subject of the legislative consent process.