Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

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Question reference: S6W-28400

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce teacher workload.

We recognise the concerns around teacher workload, which is why we remain committed to reducing class contact time by 90 minutes giving teachers more time out of the classroom.

To help inform this discussion the WPI report which was commissioned by the Scottish Government and published on 7 May contains a number of high-level future scenarios and assesses their broad compatibility with any changes to teachers’ contracted class-contact time.

These scenarios will help to facilitate our discussions with SNCT partners on how we can best deliver this commitment and ensure effective and evidence-informed workforce planning we have commissioned an external modelling and research exercise.

We continue to explore with the SNCT how we can best make progress. Any changes to teachers’ terms and conditions require tripartite agreement through the SNCT.

Question reference: S6W-27964

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 23 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its response to the report of the Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape, what steps it has taken to embed consideration of gender in the exercise to be undertaken in summer 2024 to develop a better understanding of the specific skills needed across the country.

Question reference: S6O-03773

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 July 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government test 6

Question reference: S6W-28417

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the deeming of wages is in line with its Fair Work agenda.

Question reference: S6W-28362

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there should be trade union representation on the board of Qualifications Scotland.

The Education (Scotland) Bill, introduced by the Scottish Parliament on 4 June, sets out the provisions for Board membership of Qualifications Scotland to include one or more member who has relevant knowledge of the interests of employees within Qualifications Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that there is an effective staff voice within the formal governance structures of Qualifications Scotland. As the Bill progresses in Parliament, there will be opportunities to consider the detail of this aspect, as part of the organisational design work. Further engagement will take place with SQA staff and the recognised unions on this matter.

Question reference: S6W-28182

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors student retention data in colleges and universities.

Information on university retention rates is published by the Scottish Funding Councils (SFC) in the statistics publication “Report on Widening Access”.

The latest publication is available on the SFC’s website: Report on Widening Access 2021-22 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk)

Information on college withdrawal rates is published by the SFC in the statistics publication “College Performance Indicators”.

The latest publication is available on the SFC’s website: College Performance Indicators 2022-23 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk)

This data supports Scottish Government and SFC’s work with colleges and universities to measure and improve performance across the sectors. The data is also used to monitor student progression as part of the SFC’s Outcome Agreements with institutions. In addition to monitoring data returns, institutions may provide written commentary on their student retention rates and/or discuss this with their Outcome Agreement contacts within SFC.

Question reference: S6W-28184

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when (a) it and (b) the Scottish Funding Council last offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into teaching subjects that have traditionally been difficult to recruit for, and what options were considered.

The Scottish Government engages regularly through the Teacher Workforce Planning process, and recently discussed this with the Scottish Council of Deans of Education. Previously, this has led to the Scottish Government supporting a number of Initial Teacher Education universities to deliver a range of alternative routes into teaching. These included distance learning programmes, programmes aimed at training existing local authority employees to become teachers and a pathway to becoming a STEM teacher in rural areas. These programmes were summarised for the Strategic Board for Teacher Education (SBTE) in 2020 - Alternative%2Broutes%2Binto%2Bteaching%2B-%2BFebruary%2B2020v3.pdf (www.gov.scot) .

We are currently working with SBTE to consider issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail. The intention is that this will include consideration of potential alternative routes into teaching.

The Scottish Funding Council published its University Intake Targets for Initial Teacher Education AY 2024-25 (sfc.ac.uk) in April 2024. This contains a clear commitment to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which have traditionally been difficult to recruit to, in response to the changing patterns of student demand for flexible learning routes.

Question reference: S6W-28183

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered an "earn-as-you-learn" route to midwifery as a means to widen access and help address any recruitment challenges in remote and island NHS boards.

We recognise that alternative career pathways such as earn-as-you-learn can widen access to midwifery careers by providing an alternative route into the profession for those who may not want or be able to choose the undergraduate route, including those who are settled and rooted in our rural and island communities.

That is why, as part of its remit, the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce will propose recommended actions to develop alternative career pathways - recognising a growing interest in flexible learning models which allow students to earn and learn at the same time.

We are also developing a Rural and Islands Workforce Recruitment Strategy which will provide employers with tools and methodologies to strengthen recruitment practice both in and to rural and island communities.

Question reference: S6W-28088

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 21 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support with energy costs is available to organisations in the cultural sector.

The Scottish Government recognises the ongoing and serious impact that high energy costs is having on the culture sector in Scotland and that is why we are increasing funding to the culture sector by £15.8m this financial year. The Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government to bring in regulation of the energy market and other measures which will help to address the energy cost crisis.

Question reference: S6O-03637

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the impact of a reduction in teacher numbers in some areas on pupils with additional support needs.

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