The budget invests over £2.4bn in post school education and skills and reinforces our steadfast commitment to free education. It includes a significant real terms increase in our investment in Scotland’s College and University sectors so that people of all ages have the opportunity to fulfil their potential, while also ensuring that priority workforce needs are met.

The Scottish Government is working to identify a shortlist of sectors for focused skills planning. Beginning in February, my officials will engage employers, colleges, universities, and regional partners to help refine this work. We will also share further details with the Education, Children and Young People Committee, including our emerging findings. Our intention is to formally publish this work in the Spring.

The absence of an Accountable Officer at any national body is clearly a concern for Scottish Government. However the circumstances surrounding the absence of the Accountable Office for an extended period at Historic Environment Scotland were particularly challenging.

In my letter to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee Convenor on 17 December following publication of Audit Scotland’s Section 22 Report about Historic Environment Scotland, I set out in more detail the circumstances around the extended absence of the Accountable Officer.

Scottish Government officials continue to attend HES Board meetings and are working closely with the organisation to support the new Chair and the HES Board .

Historic Environment Scotland are also commissioning a review into their organisation and culture led by an experienced external investigator. I welcome the commissioning of this review and am confident that this will enable the organisation to respond fully and positively to the areas of concern in the Auditor General’s Section 22 report to Parliament .

Once that review is concluded, the Scottish Government will work with the HES Chair and Board to ensure all necessary actions are taken and lessons learned.

On 28 May 2025 the Chief Executive and Accountable Officer of Historic Environment Scotland informed the Scottish Government that her absence from work which had begun on 2 May 2025 would be greater than four weeks, and that she expected to be absent for a further period. In doing so she also confirmed that during this period there would be no major events or matters planned which would require Accountable Officer approval.

The Historic Environment Scotland, Chief Executive and Accountable Officer (Katerina Brown) did resume her Accountable Officer duties on 20 October 2025.

As you are aware, regarding the continued absence of the Accountable Officer for five and a half months at Historic Environment Scotland, I wrote to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee Convenor on 17 December following publication of Audit Scotland’s Section 22 Report about Historic Environment Scotland, setting out the circumstances around this extended absence. That letter is now on record and published on the Parliament website. Historic Environment Scotland Accountable Officer | Scottish Parliament Website

I can assure you that during the five and a half month period that the Chief Executive and Accountable Officer was absent the Scottish Government continually monitored the situation and engaged with the then Chair and Board. Additionally at my request Sponsorship Officials attended and continue to attend all Historic Environment Scotland Board meetings.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the current and future skills needs of the economy, respecting that operational decisions such as course provision are a matter for individual colleges.

The Draft Budget 2026-27 invests over £2.4bn in post school education and skills. Scotland’s colleges will see a combined increase of £70m in resource and capital funding, equivalent to a 10% uplift on last year’s budget.

I will continue to work closely and collaboratively with Colleges Scotland, learners, and the wider sector, to support skills development and ensure a successful and sustainable future for our colleges.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the current and future skills needs of the economy, respecting that operational decisions such as course provision and equipment are a matter for individual colleges.

The Draft Budget 2026-27 invests over £2.4bn in post school education and skills. Scotland’s colleges will see a combined increase of £70m in resource and capital funding, equivalent to a 10% uplift on last year’s budget.

The Scottish Government continually works with stakeholders to understand the impacts of the many factors affecting Scotland’s high streets, including Scottish and UK taxes.

That is why in the draft Budget, published on 13 January, we announced plans to reduce the non-domestic property rate that retailers will be liable for, delivering the lowest Basic Property Rate since 2018-19.

We are, however, taking this course of action without the full economic powers needed to fully address the issues facing Scotland’s economy, and have called on the UK Government to take action to reverse its damaging decision to increase employers’ national insurance contributions, and to remove barriers for the re-use and re-development of town centre buildings through a review of the rate of VAT for the refurbishment of existing buildings.

The Scottish Government’s Housing Emergency Action Plan sets out a bold and co-ordinated response to tackling immediate pressures while laying the foundations for lasting, systemic change. The Plan looks to build on our existing policies whilst responding to the challenges of ending children living in unsuitable accommodation, supporting the needs of vulnerable communities and maximising investment in Scotland’s housing sector.

The Affordable Housing Supply Programme will invest £808 million in 2025-26 including £80 million targeted at acquisitions and voids, with a focus on family homes. Over the next four years, up to £4.9 billion of investment will be committed to affordable housing, delivered through a blend of public and privately leveraged investment to help deliver 36,000 affordable homes providing up to 24,000 children with a warm, safe home. This investment will support the delivery of Local Authority strategic housing priorities informed by their Housing Needs and Demand assessments.

Since 2007 we have helped deliver more than 141,000 affordable homes, of which more than 101,000 have been for social rent. In the year to end September 2025 we helped an estimated 2,172 households with children into affordable housing and, more broadly, keeping rents lower than market rents benefits approximately 140,000 children in poverty each year.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of locally produced content in reflecting Scotland’s diverse communities and supporting our creative economy. We maintain regular engagement with STV as part of ongoing dialogue on this and a range of matters impacting broadcasting in Scotland. Most recently, following my written correspondence with STV on 26 September, I met the broadcaster on 6 November to underline the critical importance of protecting jobs based in Scotland in the media industry and sustaining the vital outputs of regional news services.

The Scottish Government has consistently emphasised the cultural and economic value of regional programming and encouraged continued investment in Scottish content. We will continue to represent the interests of audiences and the creative industries in Scotland, including in our response to Ofcom’s consultation on STV’s proposals to change its regional programming requirements, to set out our strong opposition to proposals that put sustainable Scottish jobs and the outputs of vital news services at risk.

I will continue to work closely with STV, Ofcom, and other stakeholders to ensure that public service broadcasting remains robust and that audiences across Scotland have access to high-quality, locally relevant content.

As outlined in my response to Parliamentary Question S6W-42740 on 15 January 2026, the Scottish Government regularly engages with STV on a range of broadcasting matters. Most recently, following my written correspondence with STV’s Chief Executive on 26 September, I met the broadcaster on 6 November to emphasise the critical importance of protecting jobs based in Scotland in the media industry and the vital outputs of regional news services.

A copy of the written correspondence is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/letter-from-the-cabinet-secretary-for-constitution-external-affairs-and-culture-to-stvs-chief-executive/

The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting a sustainable, diverse and inclusive media landscape. We will continue to make these views clear through ongoing engagement with STV and Ofcom, including through Ofcom’s consultation on STV’s proposals to change its regional programming requirements.

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/written-questions-and-answers.

Regarding the 4 main reported governance issues at Historic Environment Scotland, with the exception of the absence of the Accountable Officer, Ministers had a limited role in the remaining 3 of the 4 areas highlighted by Audit Scotland given their operational nature although we had some awareness of the Archive House issues.

After gaining Scottish Government consent in 2021, following lengthy discussions over a number of years, HES announced their plans for Archive House in 2023: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/about-us/news/plans-unveiled-for-new-archive-house/.

Consent was given by Scottish Government on the clear understanding that HES considered the project affordable within existing budgets and that they would not revert back for additional funding from the public purse for this project.

In early 2024, Scottish Government became aware that costs for Archive House had significantly risen beyond the agreed circa £10 million. HES were advised that a revised business case would be required by Scottish Government for the Archive House project.

Following a decision at the HES Board meeting in May 2024 to stop the project in its current form, work was initiated at HES under the auspices of the Archive House Project Board to develop an Interim solution for HES archives pending a longer-term plan.

On 29 July 2024, HES announced it had adjusted their plans for the Archive House facility detailing a revised approach to the development of a new home for its extensive archive collections.

Currently HES continue to engage with the Scottish Government, Public Service Reform Culture Cluster on shared storage solutions and are working with the HES Board to identify alternative solutions to Archive House.

Regarding the absence of the Accountable Officer at Historic Environment Scotland, on 28 May 2025 the Chief Executive and Accountable Officer of Historic Environment Scotland informed the Scottish Government that her absence from work which had begun on 2 May 2025 would be greater than four weeks, and that she expected to be absent for a further period. In doing so she also confirmed that during this period there would be no major events or matters planned which would require Accountable Officer approval.

As you are aware I wrote to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee Convenor on 17 December, setting out the circumstances around this extended absence of Historic Environment Scotland’s Accountable Officer. That letter is now on record and published on the Parliament website: Historic Environment Scotland Accountable Officer | Scottish Parliament Website

The Historic Environment Scotland, Chief Executive and Accountable Officer (Katerina Brown) resumed her Accountable Officer duties on 20 October 2025.