Bill Kidd

Answer · Ben Macpherson · 12 Mar 2026

The Scottish Government recognises the crucial role that colleges play in our country and the challenges faced by the sector in recent years, as set out in reports by Audit Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council in September 2025. The 2026-27 budget provides the college sector with a combined increase of £70 million in resource and capital funding, equivalent to a 10 per cent uplift on last year’s budget, and is a clear signal of this Scottish Government’s commitment to the sector.While a number of the issues facing colleges have been discussed and progressed through the work of the College Tripartite arrangement, there is broad consensus that a bolder sector and system wide approach is now needed to secure a strong and sustainable future, and enable the college sector to play its full part in the new landscape created by the reformed tertiary education funding system.We announce from today an ambitious, short-life workstream to design and deliver a college sector suitable to support the skills needs of Scotland, economically and socially, both in the shorter-term and in the future. This workstream, which has been co-designed with Colleges Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council, will draw on the views and ideas of college leaders, lecturers and professional service staff, trade unions, learners of today and tomorrow, businesses and employers, and independent experts. It will challenge the status quo and design and deliver recommendations to Ministers, setting out actions, initiatives and policies for all parties to consider and take forward.The first phase will synthesise previous reports and reviews, alongside other learning from the sector and more widely, to build on previous successes, lessons and evaluations.With a strong regional emphasis, priority will also be given to identifying early adopter initiatives that can showcase new and innovative ways for the sector to collaborate to support learners and regional needs more effectively and efficiently, and to contribute to the aims of the Scottish Government’s public sector reform programme.This activity is a partnership between the Scottish Government, Colleges Scotland, the Scottish Funding Council, and crucially, the people who need, rely on and deliver learning and skills opportunities all across Scotland.The Scottish Government looks forward to working closely with a wide range of stakeholders and with colleagues across the Scottish Parliament on this important next step for the sector. Further details will be made available as the work progresses.

Answer · Ben Macpherson · 28 Jan 2026

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) publish all Modern Apprenticeship starts on their website back to 2007-08 at Scotland and local authority level. These can be accessed at the following link: https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/publications-statistics/statistics/modern-apprenticeshipsPlease note that data for 2007-08 was collated by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. SDS was formed in April 2008.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth · 26 Jan 2026

For the years 2010-11 to 2024-25 the Scottish Government’s school estates data collection makes a distinction between schools built and those refurbished, while for the years 2007-08 to 2009-10 no such distinction was made in the data collection.Table 1 provides statistics on the number of schools built/refurbished by sector in each local authority between 2007-08 and 2009-10.Statistics on the number of schools built by sector and local authority since 2010-11 are provided in Table 2, while Table 3 provides the corresponding statistics for refurbished schools.Across all years, only schools where the total cost of the works (build or refurbishment) was £500,000 or more for primary schools or £1 million or more for secondary and special schools are included.TABLE 1 - Built/Refurbished 2007-08 to 2009-10Local AuthorityPrimarySecondarySpecialTotalAberdeen City5207Aberdeenshire4105Angus112013Argyll and Bute53210City of Edinburgh86317Clackmannanshire1304Dumfries and Galloway96015Dundee City6208East Ayrshire6219East Dunbartonshire1708East Lothian5106East Renfrewshire0101Falkirk5409Fife4408Glasgow City170118Highland98118Inverclyde5106Midlothian110011Moray0000Na h-Eileanan Siar0000North Ayrshire2608North Lanarkshire104014Orkney Islands1102Perth and Kinross64111Renfrewshire85013Scottish Borders5308Shetland Islands0000South Ayrshire6309South Lanarkshire2017239Stirling85114West Dunbartonshire0303West Lothian2608All authorities18011012302TABLE 2 - Built 2010-11 to 2024-25Local AuthorityPrimarySecondarySpecialTotalAberdeen City81110Aberdeenshire64010Angus5207Argyll and Bute1203City of Edinburgh1517Clackmannanshire1001Dumfries and Galloway83011Dundee City112114East Ayrshire122418East Dunbartonshire5106East Lothian3104East Renfrewshire3216Falkirk0011Fife28111Glasgow City210223Highland114217Inverclyde2417Midlothian7209Moray2305Na h-Eileanan Siar5207North Ayrshire7209North Lanarkshire95216Orkney Islands2103Perth and Kinross122014Renfrewshire3115Scottish Borders6219Shetland Islands1203South Ayrshire93113South Lanarkshire770481Stirling4004West Dunbartonshire84113West Lothian53311All authorities2577328358TABLE 3 - Refurbished 2010-11 to 2024-25Local AuthorityPrimarySecondarySpecialTotalAberdeen City130013Aberdeenshire227130Angus1102Argyll and Bute4004City of Edinburgh251026Clackmannanshire2002Dumfries and Galloway278035Dundee City1001East Ayrshire7018East Dunbartonshire1001East Lothian145019East Renfrewshire5005Falkirk111012Fife282030Glasgow City109611126Highland434047Inverclyde101112Midlothian4004Moray112013Na h-Eileanan Siar2002North Ayrshire151016North Lanarkshire3216Orkney Islands3003Perth and Kinross93012Renfrewshire7007Scottish Borders4004Shetland Islands3003South Ayrshire121013South Lanarkshire180018Stirling6107West Dunbartonshire1001West Lothian112215All authorities4324817497