Good morning. The first item of business is general question time. In order to get in as many members as possible, I would appreciate succinct questions and responses.
Net Zero and Just Transition Goals
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to achieve its net zero and just transition goals. (S6O-03709)
The Scottish Government continues to develop Scotland’s next climate change plan, which will provide strong and credible policy action to deliver emissions reductions. Those policies will be underpinned by our enduring commitment to a just transition to net zero and supported by the development of just transition plans for sites, sectors and regions to ensure a greener and fairer future for Scotland’s people. Pending the passage of legislation in the Parliament and the setting of carbon budgets, we expect the next climate change plan to be laid in draft in summer 2025.
I thank the minister for that answer; that is useful timetabling. Given this morning’s announcement by Petroineos that 400 workers will lose their jobs in Grangemouth when it shuts its oil refinery, what support will those workers—with their skills, knowledge and experience—be given to ensure that we see a real just transition?
Sarah Boyack is right to point to the importance of Grangemouth and the concern, which the Government shares, about Petroineos’s announcement of its plans to cease refining in Grangemouth and the impact that that will have on many workers and their families.
I have made clear to the business community in Scotland, including that sector, the importance of a just transition for Grangemouth. The workforce there is highly skilled and perfectly equipped to support the deployment of new technologies at Grangemouth in the coming years. The first meeting that the First Minister had with the Prime Minister focused in part on the criticality of securing just such a just transition for Grangemouth.
Full delivery of our ambitious net zero agenda will require full funding, and yet the Scottish Government faces an almost 9 per cent cut to its capital budget. Given the significant up-front cost to reaching net zero, to what extent will achieving our climate goals be contingent on the United Kingdom Government reversing capital cuts?
Audrey Nicoll is quite right. Needless to say, the real-terms cut of 9 per cent to Scotland’s capital budget has had an incredibly damaging effect on Scotland’s ability to provide essential funding to a number of important projects and programmes, including those in the net zero space. The Scottish Government and other devolved Governments depend on the UK Government coming to appreciate that fact if we are to drive forward meaningful and impactful net zero policy.
Funding will be crucial to achieving our net zero targets, but part of that will come from resources from the ScotWind leasing round, which are to be diverted from that objective, as the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government announced last week. The GMB Scotland secretary, Louise Gilmour, condemned that as the money being “squandered” and said:
“Scotland’s future in renewables is now being frittered away.”
Does the minister agree?
The Government is considering carefully how remaining ScotWind funding can be deployed. We wish to minimise the use of ScotWind money and put moneys back in the future, as we did in 2023-24. There is a 10-year just transition plan of £500 million for the north-east, for instance, which indicates our commitment to the future.
We appreciate—as I hope Liam McArthur does—the position that Scotland has been put in by the UK Government. I know that he, and other members, would not wish to see more money come out of public services to try to cope with that eventuality. Scotland has no levers available mid-year to deal with the difficulties that are imposed on us by the UK Government, other than through the reduction of spending on public services or through making sensible use of such resources as the one that Liam McArthur mentioned.
Domestic Abuse (Recorded Crime)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the most recent recorded crime in Scotland statistics, which showed a 22 per cent rise in crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 in a single year. (S6O-03710)
Domestic abuse is abhorrent. Although any case is unacceptable, the figures demonstrate that Police Scotland has been able to utilise the new domestic abuse offence powers proactively. I hope that that will further increase public confidence in reporting incidents of domestic abuse. I encourage anyone who is affected, whether they be a victim or a witness, to contact the police.
We are committed to working with a range of partners in the statutory and third sectors to tackle domestic abuse, bring perpetrators to justice and ensure that victims receive the support that they need. Our equally safe strategy, which is backed by annual funding of £19 million, aims to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls and focuses on early intervention, prevention and support.
Domestic abuse is an appalling crime that ruins so many lives in Scotland. The figures are shocking. Some 95 per cent of such crimes involve female victims. Current Scottish National Party Government policies are not protecting women sufficiently. I recently proposed the creation of a new violence against women unit in Police Scotland. Will the Government consider that proposal?
I am pleased to hear that Ms Gosal is meeting the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs next week. I am sure that the cabinet secretary would be happy to consider all proposals to make the lives of domestic abuse victims easier.
It is important to highlight the women whose courage has brought into the open the misogyny and sexism that underpin domestic violence against women and girls and still exist in society today. With that in mind, what can the Government and the Parliament do to change such societal attitudes?
The member raises a valid point. Those who perpetrate violence and abuse—the majority of whom are men—must change their actions and behaviour. It is only through fundamental societal change that women can be protected. We must root out and tackle the toxic masculinity and gender inequality that lead to violence, harassment, misogyny and abuse against women. We should stand against it and call it out whenever we see it.
As we announced in our programme for government, we will introduce a bill to create a new offence of misogynistic conduct. The bill will be informed by the report of the working group on misogyny and criminal justice and the subsequent consultation on draft legislative provisions to implement the report’s recommendations.
Renewables Economy (Support for North-east Scotland)
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the renewables economy in the north-east of Scotland, including through the retraining of energy workers and enhancing supply chain development. (S6O-03711)
As our programme for government set out, the Scottish Government continues to take significant action to grow our renewables sector and to ensure a just transition. Through our just transition fund, we have already allocated £75 million to projects in the north-east and Moray, including £11 million for skills and retraining initiatives. We are investing up to £500 million over five years to anchor our offshore wind supply chain in Scotland. We are kick-starting that commitment with an investment of £67 million in the sector this financial year. Those investments form just part of the approach that we are setting out through our new “Green Industrial Strategy”, which was published yesterday, and the energy strategy and just transition plan, which we will publish shortly.
Instead of investing £460 million of ScotWind money in supply chain development and training in the north-east, which would have represented an investment for the next 30 years, the Scottish National Party Government has squandered it on simply getting through the next three months. The minister says that the position has been created by the United Kingdom Government, but he chooses to ignore the Scottish Fiscal Commission, the Fraser of Allander Institute and Audit Scotland, all of which say that it is down to SNP incompetence.
Surely the minister cannot ignore the views of the Deputy First Minister, who, in the chamber on 27 March, told the finance secretary that she wanted to ensure that the Government would not lament the money raised through ScotWind being poured into the SNP’s black hole. Does he agree that the situation is indeed of the SNP’s own making?
Needless to say, all of that was nonsense. [Interruption.]
Let us hear one another.
I say that because the United Kingdom Government itself has pointed to a black hole in its finances and has indicated that it intends to see things getting worse. [Interruption.]
Again, let us hear one another.
As I have indicated, there is a very significant cut to our capital budgets in the coming years. If the member has any influence with the UK Government, he will perhaps indicate those facts to it and suggest that it might be better if things got a little better in the future rather than worse, particularly when Scotland is in a position of seeking to meet public sector pay deals and to provide public services in the teeth of austerity from the UK Government.
The Scottish National Party and Labour Governments are failing to support the oil and gas sector in the north-east. The SNP has a presumption against new oil and gas exploration, while Labour’s disastrous windfall tax will risk 35,000 jobs and wipe £13 billion of economic value off the sector. Neither Government has a plan for a just transition. Will the minister end the SNP’s attack on the oil and gas sector, stand up for the north-east and support the Scottish Conservatives’ plans to create a national centre for green jobs in Aberdeen, deliver a jobs-first transition and give everyone the right to retrain?
The Scottish Government is committed to giving people the right to retrain. As I have indicated, some of the areas in which the Scottish Government is active on that—not least in terms of the £500 million being allocated for offshore wind—
What about the presumption against oil and gas?
I would be grateful if members did not interrupt when people were speaking. In that way, we can all hear.
I presume that the member also does not want to hear about the £500 million just transition fund.
The Scottish Government appreciates the stresses that the north-east economy has experienced because of the changing situation in the North Sea basin and the changes that our economy will face. We are committed to reskilling and providing opportunities to people to make that transition a just transition into the future.
Modern Apprenticeships (Achievement Rates)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the latest achievement rates for modern apprenticeships across all frameworks. (S6O-03712)
Modern apprenticeship official statistics covering quarter 1 were published by Skills Development Scotland on 6 August. It is encouraging to see that the modern apprenticeship achievement rate is now 83.2 per cent, which is an increase of 5.7 percentage points, compared with the same quarter last year.
So far this year, just over 5,000 individuals have achieved their modern apprenticeship qualification, which is allowing them to continue progressing in high-quality employment opportunities within their chosen career path.
Housing is critical infrastructure. It is critical for achieving net zero, critical for economic growth and critical if we are going to tackle the housing emergency. The minister quotes the figures overall, but those are not the figures for the construction industry. The latest figures show that, of those who are in building modern apprenticeships, only 62 per cent left having completed their apprenticeship. That is down from 71 per cent seven years ago. What plans and targets does the Government have to correct that? Ultimately, we need to improve achievement rates if we are going to take growth, transition and tackling the housing emergency seriously.
I absolutely agree with Daniel Johnson on that point: we need to improve those numbers for that particular sector. We are working very closely with the Construction Industry Training Board, among others, to address some of the issues.
Daniel Johnson will be aware that there was an apprenticeship backlog emanating from the Covid pandemic. There have been issues about how we have addressed that, but considerable work is on-going in that regard and I am optimistic that that will be addressed. However, as I said, I absolutely agree with the point that he makes.
Instrumental Music Tuition in Schools
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to protect the provision of instrumental music tuition in schools. (S6O-03713)
This Government has transformed instrumental music tuition in Scotland’s schools by supporting our councils to eradicate unfair charges. This financial year, we are providing £12 million of funding to local authorities to support the continued delivery of free instrumental music tuition, as part of record funding of more than £14 billion that has been provided to local authorities in the budget.
Local authorities are ultimately responsible for ensuring access to music tuition for pupils in schools across Scotland. The most recent instrumental music survey, which was published in December 2023, showed that the number of pupils participating in instrumental music tuition is at a record high since the survey began.
In East Ayrshire Council in my area, the plan is to move music tuition from local authority control to a trust. Concerns have been raised by constituents that the definition of “free tuition” pertains only to those in secondary 3 to 6 who are doing Scottish Qualifications Authority exams and whose tuition will remain within council control as statutory school education. Music tuition for those out of that cohort will not be deemed to be statutory education, so after being transferred to the trust it will be outwith the council’s control and therefore under threat.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that music tuition is a statutory service, that it should remain within council control and that it should be delivered by local authorities? Does she further agree that offering music education is crucial to a well-rounded education experience?
The member raises a really important point. I am aware of the issue in East Ayrshire. There is another local authority—I think it is Highland Council—that delivers music tuition in a similar way. Ultimately, it is a matter for East Ayrshire Council in setting its budget. It is ultimately responsible for ensuring access to free instrumental music tuition.
However, I accept the principle of the member’s question. I have asked my officials to engage directly with East Ayrshire Council and its proposals. It is really important that there is no dilution of young people’s access to free instrumental music tuition as a result of the changes. I am happy to keep the member updated on that engagement, and I will speak to my officials again directly in relation to the proposals.
Schools (Absence Rates)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Centre for Social Justice report, “Where Have All the Children Gone?”, which found that there has been a 72 per cent increase in severe school absence rates in the last five years. (S6O-03714)
School attendance plays an essential role in supporting our children and young people to reach their full learning potential. Our own data on persistent absence, which was published in March, paints a concerning picture, and I have been clear that there must be a renewed drive across Government and our education agencies to address that and improve the situation.
I have tasked Education Scotland with working directly with directors of education to improve attendance as a matter of priority. Education Scotland launched an online package of support for schools only last month, which included guidance, professional learning and exemplification. The interim chief inspector is ensuring that persistent absence is addressed in every school inspection and is identifying successful approaches that can be shared more widely.
“Severely absent” means children missing 50 per cent or more of classes. In Scotland, 20,000 children have avoided school for two or more days, and 3,000 primary school children missed 50 per cent or more in a school year. One in three children is persistently absent from school. That is a truly shocking picture.
Worse than those dire statistics is the fact that the Scottish Government has not bothered to monitor severe absence, which means that it has no idea of the true extent of the problem. So-called ghost children are out of sight, out of mind and abandoned by the Scottish National Party Government. Is it any wonder that Scottish education is crumbling under this inept SNP Government? Will the Scottish Government finally begin to collect information about children who are severely absent from school?
The member will recall that the children to whom he refers are those who lived through a global pandemic and lost out on two years—
Dear, dear!
I hear heckling from the Conservatives. I am mindful that there is a school class right behind the Conservative benches today, and those young people—[Interruption.]
Let us hear the cabinet secretary.
Those young people had their education disrupted for two years. There has been an increase in anxiety, and there are a number of other reasons why young people might not be able to engage in their school education.
It is worth pointing out that a number of actions have been taken. I have been engaging with the member’s colleague Liam Kerr in relation to children who are persistently absent from school.
The challenge needs sustained effort, not just from Government but from local authorities, which have the statutory responsibility for ensuring that our young people attend school. Last year, I commissioned Education Scotland’s report, which was published in November and was focused on improving attendance. As part of our response to that report, and as I intimated in my initial response, I have tasked the interim chief inspector to work directly with directors of education. That includes ensuring that persistent absence is addressed in every school inspection.
We have asked for additional data.
Briefly, please, cabinet secretary.
The member speaks about missing children, but that is not how it is characterised in Scotland; our measures are quite different. However, we have added in a new data measurement, which specifically concerns persistent absence. That additional—
Cabinet secretary, I must ask you to conclude.
Fair Work First Guidance (Breastfeeding)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to strengthen its fair work first guidance to support and promote the good-practice example, referenced in the guidance, of providing a private, healthy and safe environment for breastfeeding mothers to express and store milk. (S6O-03715)
Our fair work first guidance provides good-practice examples of supporting women at work, including providing safe spaces for breastfeeding mothers. Parent Club, which is our national online parenting platform, provides practical advice and information on rights for breastfeeding mothers on returning to work.
I am happy to consider how best to provide advice to employers on supporting breastfeeding mothers in the workplace and to strengthen action, as required, to address labour market inequalities that are faced by women and other groups in our society.
I want to briefly share the experience of one of my constituents, who recently returned to work. She said that she was disappointed to find that the lactation room was being shared with blood donation and first aid. She added that there were overfilled yellow hazard bins and blood splatters on the pillows, and that the fridge that she was supposed to store her breast milk in was being used as a surface for blood collection. She felt that that was unhygienic and that it was a possible health and safety issue. When she raised the matter with her employer, she was told that it was that room or nothing. Thankfully, an office space has been reallocated for her.
Does the minister accept that, although there is existing guidance, some women are still not provided with a private, healthy and safe environment to express milk at work? Is he prepared to meet me to discuss how the Breastfeeding etc (Scotland) Act 2005 can be strengthened?
I recognise the concerning set of circumstances that Rachael Hamilton has narrated to Parliament. We are in a period of refreshing our fair work guidance. I am happy to take on board the issues that the member raises and I am more than happy to meet her to discuss them in more detail.
That concludes general question time.
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First Minister’s Question Time