Parliamentary questions
Pam Duncan-Glancy
1,119 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to address the reported 84% increase in the number of Scottish applicants refused a place at Scottish universities since 2006.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The 84% quoted by the journalist is not correct. UCAS data is not comparable back to 2006 due to changes in the main UCAS cycle including the introduction of Nursing in 2010 and Teacher Training in 2015. As such, comparisons are only appropriate between 2015 …
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments from a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh claiming that some undergraduate students had to "couch-surf" through the entirety of their first year due to lack of available accommodation.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government has no direct role in provision of student residential accommodation. However, we are determined to improve accessibility, affordability and standards across the rented sector and are carrying out, with a cross-sectoral expert group, a…
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported findings that the attainment gap among primary school children in South Lanarkshire has increased by a third during 2020-21.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18183 on? 7 June 2023. 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…
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comments from NASUWT that the Scottish Government has failed to tackle serious violence and abuse from pupils in schools.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: As I highlighted in a recent parliamentary debate and at the NASUWT conference last month, I am determined that teachers and school staff are supported to deal with challenging behaviours in our schools. Any incidents of violence or abuse towards anyone are …
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has issued sanctions to any local authorities that have not achieved the pupil teacher ratio since it was established.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The current benchmark for measuring the pupil teacher ratio (PTR) nationally is 13.7. Sanctions would only be applied if the national average were to rise above this. Since the average has been maintained or lower since the PTR agreement with local authoritie…
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some local authorities are rolling out Maths Recovery training for teachers to address learning gaps caused by interrupted learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Education Scotland National Numeracy and Maths Team continue to support local authorities and schools in delivering Maths Recovery training for teachers. Education Scotland has led the Early Career Teacher (ECT) maths programme for two years and will do …
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring mechanisms are in place to evaluate the impact of the £145.5 million allocated to local authorities to protect teacher numbers, and whether it plans to publish any such evaluation.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We will use the September 2023 annual census levels, which will be published in the Official Statistics Summary School Statistics in December 2023 and March 2024, to confirm whether numbers have been maintained. It is important that all stakeholders have conf…
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported findings that the attainment gap for P1 children in South Lanarkshire doubled during 2020-21.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Pre-pandemic, the poverty related attainment gap in primary schools was closing across Scotland, including in South Lanarkshire. We nonetheless recognise the negative impact of the pandemic. We are now seeing strong evidence of recovery: the latest published …
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards its commitment to increase teacher numbers by 3,500 by the end of the current parliamentary session.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We committed to support the recruitment of at least 3,500 teachers, in addition to the 1,400 recruited during the pandemic, over the course of this Parliament. The 2022 teacher census total was 54,193 teachers, which indicates an increase of 1,946 from the ba…
17 May 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting public bodies to implement Fair Work principles.
16 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to implement the recommendations of the Strathesk lessons learned report.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government is awaiting formal responses to the recommendations from all partners in the Collective Bargaining process and will use these to inform the next steps regarding the implementation of the recommendations. Critically, and as made clear …
16 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Colleges Scotland's estimation that meeting the current pay offer, of a 7% cumulative pay rise over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years, would cost the sector £40.4 million in total.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Operational decisions on pay and staffing matters are for college employers and trade unions to negotiate collaboratively, in the spirit of national bargaining. Ministers have no direct role in these decisions. I expect management and trade unions to make e…
16 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported student petitions protesting cuts to further and higher education budgets.
Answer · Graeme Dey: We currently face the most difficult public spending environment since devolution and as a government have had to make tough decisions. However, despite the unprecedented fiscal challenge, we have maintained college and university resource budgets at last yea…
16 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out what it anticipates a "more significant and recognised role for colleges" will look like.
Answer · Graeme Dey: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18143 on 31 May 23. 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/wr…
16 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what purpose the £26 million previously allocated to the college sector in the Scottish Budget 2023-24 was redeployed.
Answer · Graeme Dey: As set out in the letter dated 2 nd May to the Education Children and Young People Committee, the additional £46 million (£26 million for colleges and £20 million for universities) was identified as a necessary saving in Financial Year 2023-24. This is part o…
16 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the college sector since 1 April 2023.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and I have engaged frequently with the college sector and its key stakeholders since 1 April 2023. This has been done through in-person meetings, visits, online meetings and written communication. Ministerial En…
16 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its vision for the college sector.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government has been working with the college sector and other stakeholders to develop a Purpose and Principles for post-school education, research and skills. On publication this will provide a framework for the system, including Scotland’s vital…
16 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what target number of full-time equivalent (FTE) places in colleges it has set in each year since 2007.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government first set a national target for the college sector to deliver full-time equivalent (FTE) student places in Academic Year 2012-13, with Academic Year 2020-21 being the last year in which this target was in place. The target in each of t…
16 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the independent review of the skills delivery landscape.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape will be published before Parliament goes into recess at the end of June.
16 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the Minister for Higher and Further Education to the Education, Children and Young People Committee on 2 May 2023, on what date the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills identified the now withdrawn £26 million of funding for colleges as a "necessary savi…
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills considered this saving from the SFC budget as part of discussions that took place during April 2023.
16 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting colleges to educate and train students in a financially sustainable manner.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) works with the sector to ensure provision is delivered sustainably and to support learner and economic need. To support the sector in achieving this, SFC have provided a range of financial flexibilities and we continue to co…
15 May 2023 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comments made by the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland that the Scottish Government has “absolutely" failed to deliver for children.
10 May 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering replacing any retained EU law.
3 May 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its proposed timetable for implementing the new musculoskeletal pathway, including how it will ensure that the views of third sector organisations are reflected in the process.
13 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan – Update November 2022, how the findings from reports by children’s services, Regional Improvement Collaboratives, and Annual Education Plans have been utilised in order to measure and improve additional support needs pl…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is working with local government partners on the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to deliver the recommendations of the 2020 additional support for learning review by March 2026. All local authorities are considering the a…
13 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan – Update November 2022, how (a) the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) and (b) COSLA plan to improve the experiences of children and young people with additional support needs through local commissi…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is working with local government partners on the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to deliver the recommendations of the 2020 additional support for learning review by March 2026. All local authorities are considering the a…
13 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan – Update November 2022, what progress it has made towards implementing the recommendations of the Strategic Review of Learning Provision for Children and Young People with Complex Additional Support Need (the Doran Revie…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is working with partners to implement the long-term recommendations of the 2012 Doran Review. Our 10 year strategy , published in 2019, outlines our agreed approach to improving the learning provision for children and young people wi…
13 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan – Update November 2022, what the key issues and barriers were that were found to have impacted the implementation of coordinated support plans (CSPs), and what work has been carried out to address these since the publica…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is working with local government partners on the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to deliver the recommendations of the 2020 additional support for learning review by March 2026. As outlined in our updated action plan pu…
13 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan – Update November 2022, what communications have taken place with stakeholders, to date, to ensure that the independent review of qualifications and assessment "fully considers the needs of children and young people with…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Independent Review is continuing to seek views from stakeholders from across the education landscape on how a system of qualifications and assessment can uphold the rights of all learners, including those with additional support needs. I am aware that Pr…
13 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan – Update November 2022, when it expects that a national performance audit on outcomes for children and young people with additional support needs will be conducted.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is working with local government partners on the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to deliver the recommendations of the 2020 additional support for learning review by March 2026. As outlined in our updated action plan , …