The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S6W-44010

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 12 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £57.044 million allocated in 2026-27 to the Level 4 budget line of Equalities, Inclusion and Additional Support for Learning, under the Level 3 budget heading of Improvement, Attainment and Wellbeing in the Education and Skills portfolio, includes provision for increasing the supply of (a) qualified teachers of children and young people with visual impairment (QTVIs) and (b) qualified teachers of deaf children and young people (QTODs), and, if so, what the allocations are for each.

Education authorities have duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 to identify, provide for and review the additional needs of their pupils. The recruitment and deployment of specialist teaching staff is the responsibility of education authorities, who also have duties to employ qualified teachers for deaf and visually impaired pupils.

The Scottish Government is committed to investing in Additional Support for Learning (ASL), including provision for pupils with sensory impairments. Building on the record investment by local authorities in ASL of almost £1.1bn in 2024-25, the Scottish Government invested a further £28m to support the ASL workforce and teacher numbers nationally and locally in 2025-26. The 2026-27 budget maintains this additional investment.

Question reference: S6O-05657

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of its Budget 2026-27 on the ability of local authorities, including Perth and Kinross Council, to meet rising demand for services.

Question reference: S6W-44011

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the £24.311 million allocated in 2026-27 to the Level 4 budget line of Other Spend, under the Level 3 budget heading of Social Care Support in the Health and Social Care portfolio, specifically detailing (a) how much is allocated to sensory impairment services, (b) which specific services and initiatives will be supported and (c) how this compares to the allocation for sensory impairment support services in (i) 2025-26, (ii) 2024-25 and (iii) 2023-24.

The level 4 breakdown provided in the budget tables is the lowest breakdown currently available as spending plans are still being finalised by policy leads.

However, we can confirm that £320,000 from this budget will be included in the Local Government Finance settlement for sensory impairment in 2026-27. This is consistent with the allocation in 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24.

The Scottish Government’s policy towards local authorities’ spending is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. As such, the vast majority of funding is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

Question reference: S6O-05618

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what further support it will provide to local authorities to protect access to public libraries in rural areas.

Question reference: S6W-43852

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure consistent implementation of the National Framework for Adult Support and Protection Learning and Development in Scotland across all local authority areas.

The National Framework for Adult Support and Protection (ASP) Learning and Development in Scotland provides a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary resource to ensure that all those involved in supporting and protecting adults are appropriately trained and skilled for their role. It prioritises workforce development and underscores the importance of dialogue, collaboration, and partnership across professional groups. The Framework aims to support a consistent approach across Scotland which can be adapted for local use to enhance existing local training approaches. An implementation plan has been developed and will be delivered by the by the National ASP Coordinator and supported by the multi-agency National Learning and Development Network. This includes work with early adopter sites to provide feedback and a multi-agency review on its use 10 months following publication. Colleagues in learning and development roles within multi-agency local partnerships are in a unique position to support best practice. They can develop the knowledge and skills required in practitioners across all organisations and services, promoting multi-agency, multi-service shared learning.

Question reference: S6W-43853

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an implementation plan, including measurable outcomes, for the National Framework for Adult Support and Protection Learning and Development in Scotland.

The National Framework for Adult Support and Protection (ASP) Learning and Development in Scotland provides a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary resource to ensure that all those involved in supporting and protecting adults are appropriately trained and skilled for their role. It prioritises workforce development and underscores the importance of dialogue, collaboration, and partnership across professional groups. The Framework aims to support a consistent approach across Scotland which can be adapted for local use to enhance existing local training approaches. An implementation plan has been developed and will be delivered by the by the National ASP Coordinator and supported by the multi-agency National Learning and Development Network. This includes work with early adopter sites to provide feedback and a multi-agency review on its use 10 months following publication. Colleagues in learning and development roles within multi-agency local partnerships are in a unique position to support best practice. They can develop the knowledge and skills required in practitioners across all organisations and services, promoting multi-agency, multi-service shared learning.

Question reference: S6W-43851

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide financial support to third sector organisations to enable them to meet the training requirements set out under the National Framework for Adult Support and Protection Learning and Development in Scotland.

The National Framework for Adult Support and Protection (ASP) Learning and Development in Scotland provides a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary resource to ensure that all those involved in supporting and protecting adults are appropriately trained and skilled for their role. It prioritises workforce development and underscores the importance of dialogue, collaboration, and partnership across professional groups. The Framework aims to support a consistent approach across Scotland which can be adapted for local use to enhance existing local training approaches. An implementation plan has been developed and will be delivered by the by the National ASP Coordinator and supported by the multi-agency National Learning and Development Network. This includes work with early adopter sites to provide feedback and a multi-agency review on its use 10 months following publication. Colleagues in learning and development roles within multi-agency local partnerships are in a unique position to support best practice. They can develop the knowledge and skills required in practitioners across all organisations and services, promoting multi-agency, multi-service shared learning.

Question reference: S6F-04684

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 February 2026

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that hundreds of teachers have sought medical treatment following attacks by pupils in the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-43575

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any risk that afforestation poses to species-rich grasslands and nationally important species, and whether it will take steps to protect species-rich grasslands by recognising them as irreplaceable habitats within Scots law.

Scottish Forestry is the competent authority responsible for regulating woodland creation. Their assessment of afforestation proposals follows a defined process governed by the Forestry (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 and supported by the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS). The process involves several stages designed to identify, avoid, prevent and where necessary, mitigate negative impacts on environmental receptors, including biodiversity, set out in the Regulations. Therefore, there is already a robust assessment process that provides a strong consideration of protected habitats, priority habitats, protected species and designated sites.

Question reference: S6W-43576

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of reported community concerns about the potential impacts of large-scale forestry proposals on nationally important species or habitats, and what steps it is taking to ensure that future afforestation proposals do not destroy or damage these species or habitats.

Scottish Forestry ensures the protection of nationally important habitats and species by applying a robust and proportionate process to all afforestation proposals under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations. This process begins by assessing if significant negative effects have been avoided or prevented. Where there are identified significant adverse impacts, particularly within sensitive or high-value ecological areas, Scottish Forestry requires the proposal to enter the full EIA consent process. This ensures that risks are comprehensively assessed and that appropriate mitigation measures are secured before any consent is granted.

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