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 753 contributions
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 28 June 2023
Bill Kidd
The panel has been terrific, as we all can see, in covering every aspect of what has been asked, but it would not do any harm to have a quick run over what has changed since the Morgan review in respect of initial teacher education or, indeed, the continuing professional development of teachers.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 28 June 2023
Bill Kidd
Fran Foreman wants to comment again, I think.
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 22 June 2023
Bill Kidd
Cabinet secretary, to go off on a wee bit of a tangent—this is still related to what you have been speaking about—the Scottish Government has allocated many millions of pounds to ensure that the two vessels are delivered. However, on 24 May, you wrote to us and stated that £120,000 has been provided to Ferguson Marine for capital investment measures. A lot of money is being spent on those two boats, but capital investment measures give an indication of where the yard will go in the future. I have to say that £120,000 does not strike me as a figure that will fill people with a huge amount of confidence with regard to the yard’s future. Why has that money been allocated now? Will you give us a breakdown of how the money will be spent, please?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 22 June 2023
Bill Kidd
As we all know, this is a time when everyone is facing some financial difficulty. Colleges are no different. Colleges across the country face issues with costs and financial stability.
During this period, £800,000 of public money has been spent on investigations and associated costs at South Lanarkshire College. To what extent has the expenditure of that large amount of money helped to improve the college’s financial stability, compared with that of other colleges across the country?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 22 June 2023
Bill Kidd
Perhaps I was conflating two areas a wee bit. When you see large sums of money, you tend to look for the positive benefits, but those are two separate areas. Thank you for the answer.
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 22 June 2023
Bill Kidd
Is there a way in which the large amount of money that has been spent in this instance will help the college to move towards being in balance? There is a financial issue across all colleges, as we have talked about, but it has probably been worse in this case during this period. Will the money help to bring back a degree of balance in terms of temporary staff and so on?
Public Audit Committee
Meeting date: 22 June 2023
Bill Kidd
I have a question on the back of that. I understand those elements. I do not want you to have to predict things—that sum of £120,000 has been allocated now for those specific elements—but, as things go forward, are there likely to be further requirements in that business scenario?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 21 June 2023
Bill Kidd
You are talking about taking just over a couple of months, maybe three. It is not for me to make any decisions for the committee, but I think that it would be good if you came back to the committee before you stand up in Parliament and show us what will be implemented, so that we can interrogate that to some degree. Is that reasonable?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 21 June 2023
Bill Kidd
Minister, you have stated clearly—we have all heard you—that the Scottish Government will not shy away from skills reform following the recommendations of the Withers review. You have mentioned that a couple of times this morning already. Can you share any further thinking on how those recommendations will be implemented? When can the response that sets out the way forward be expected?
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Meeting date: 6 June 2023
Bill Kidd
That is clear. I am certain—I hope—that the committee will be pleased to work with the minister and the Government on that.