The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 1830 contributions
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 22 February 2023
Stephen Kerr
I welcome your observation that we have a clutter in many policy areas. This is certainly one of them. One of our earlier witnesses described it as a legislative salad. There seems to be an awful lot on the plate. I think that that is part of our problem.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 22 February 2023
Stephen Kerr
Yes, but it just seems logical to ask the question.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 22 February 2023
Stephen Kerr
Is that from generic savings?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 22 February 2023
Stephen Kerr
I am not sure that I am powerful enough to be responsible for what you decide in the Government.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 22 February 2023
Stephen Kerr
Can I just make one last point—
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 22 February 2023
Stephen Kerr
But you do not have the details of where the money is going to be cut from at the moment.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 22 February 2023
Stephen Kerr
Right. We need to know what that means as you go along, cabinet secretary, because at the minute you do not know the detail.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 22 February 2023
Stephen Kerr
So, you are saying that the bill is well intentioned but, ultimately, it will not change much in the actual experience of the young people who are the focus of our concern.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 22 February 2023
Stephen Kerr
If you are willing to share any documentation on that, that would be useful.
The £100 million that was announced yesterday in the budget is going to local authorities and is to be used exclusively or is expected to be used—we have to use the right language—to increase the salaries of non-teaching education staff. That is correct, is it not?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 22 February 2023
Stephen Kerr
It is the normal, run-of-the-mill stuff that there is an adjustment at the end of the year. That £100 million has gone to the non-teaching education staff.
I come back to the question of where the money comes from. I am genuinely seeking to understand that. One of the great defences that is deployed frequently against those of us in opposition who ask questions of Government about spending is that, if we want to spend more money in a particular area, we have to say where it will be taken from. Last week, you announced that £156 million, split between this year and next, will be used to fund the pay offer for teachers. Where did the money come from?