Seòmar agus comataidhean

Having delivered 139,203 affordable homes between April 2007 and March 2025, we now remain focused on our new target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70% of these for social rent and 10% in rural and island areas, including new build, rehabilitation and acquisitions.

Backed by £808 million of investment this year, including £80 million targeted towards acquisitions to support local authorities to tackle the most sustained homelessness and temporary accommodation pressures, we are continuing to work with partners to increase the delivery of more affordable homes. The delivery of affordable homes, through both new build and acquisitions, is integral to our objectives of tackling poverty and inequality, ending homelessness, creating and supporting jobs, meeting energy efficiency and decarbonisation aims and creating connected, cohesive communities. Acquisitions are a useful option to help deliver at increased pace where the properties are of the right type, quality and location to meet local authority strategic housing priorities.

We report on all homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme via our quarterly official statistics. Official statistics for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are available on the Scottish Government website at Housing statistics - gov.scot.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03151 on 1 October 2021.

Whilst we hold information on the number of off the shelf properties supported through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, we do not hold information on whether those properties are former right-to-buy properties.

We report on all homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, including off the shelf properties, via our quarterly official statistics. Official statistics for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are available on the Scottish Government website at Housing statistics - gov.scot.

In the 10 years since ending the Right to Buy policy in 2016, we estimate that up to 15,500 homes will remain in the sector available to renters now and in the future.

The Scottish Government cannot unilaterally ban mobile phones in schools. The statutory responsibility for the delivery of Education in Scotland rests with Local Authorities, under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.

In August 2024 we published updated guidance on use of mobile phones in schools, which was developed in consultation with the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools. The guidance makes clear that headteachers can take the steps that they consider appropriate to respond to the disruption caused by mobile phones, including banning their use in schools. A number of schools and Local Authorities have now enacted such approaches as a result and they will continue to have the full support of the Scottish Government in so doing.

The Scottish Government’s guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools, published in August 2024, sets out the features of a respectful and responsible use of mobile technology policy, including consideration of digital etiquette (standards of conduct when using mobile phones), digital rights and responsibilities (what individuals can and cannot do), and safe and secure use of mobile technology (precautions that can be taken to ensure digital safety).

The guidance supports schools and local authorities to develop an ethos of citizenship that promotes respectful and responsible use of mobile technology, encouraging positive use to enhance learning now and in the future, while protecting staff, children, and young people from potential misuse and harm.

The guidance is clear that high expectations for respectful and responsible conduct are to remain consistent, regardless of the context, and in line with this, policies on mobile technology use in schools should be rooted within existing positive relationships and behaviour policies. Any breach of expectations in relation to mobile technology should therefore be treated in accordance with a school’s relationships and behaviour policy. The guidance outlines consideration within a mobile phone policy should include agreed consequences for the misuse of mobile phones that are integrated with each school’s existing policies and approaches and clear procedures for removal and return of mobile phones, in the circumstances of inappropriate use, in alignment with the wider relationships and behaviour policy.

We expect schools and local authorities to have appropriate measures in place on devices provided by the school and on school networks.

Finally, schools must help pupils develop an understanding of safe use of digital technologies and privacy.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government remains focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70% of these for social rent and 10% in rural and island areas, including new build, rehabilitation and acquisitions.

We report on all homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) via our quarterly official statistics, and this includes approvals, starts and completions. Official statistics for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are available on the Scottish Government website at Housing statistics - gov.scot.

Note: The AHSP statistics reflect the number of affordable homes delivered with government support, whether through loans, grants or guarantees.

For the AHSP, figures are reported at the stages of approval, start and completion:

• Approval marks the point at which funding is granted.
• Start is recorded once there is an on-site presence to progress site work.
• Completion is measured when all homes on a site are delivered and ready for occupation.

This differs from the all-sector housebuilding statistics, where completions are reported on a unit-by-unit basis. As a result, there will be occasions when the AHSP records completions in a local authority while the social sector new housebuilding series shows zero completions in the same quarter. This occurs because the corresponding units are captured in earlier quarters of the housebuilding data.

While the majority of affordable housing developments in Scotland are supported by the Scottish Government through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, there are also contributions to the costs from housing associations, councils and the private sector. In particular, contributions by private sector developers are agreed through the planning system.

More information of Data and Methodology can be found of the Scottish Government website: Data and methodology - Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply to end March 2025 - gov.scot.

Data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 provides some insights into the use of digital devices and mobile phones in schools for learning. The evidence shows that moderate use of digital devices in lessons is positively linked with performance in the PISA assessment of maths, reading and science; but that overuse and/or misuse of digital devices can be negatively associated with performance.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39149 on 22 July 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government has invested £33 million in specialist staff and £11.3 million on facilities to deliver thrombectomy treatment since the financial year 2020-21.

Learning in the Social Studies curriculum area helps young people to develop important skills in research and evaluation, creativity, critical thinking and communication and it helps our young people develop as responsible, informed citizens with a global outlook covering important topics such as democracy and voting. In particular, Modern Studies helps to equip pupils with a range of Investigative and critical thinking skills; and English helps pupils to engage with texts of all kinds, critically evaluate the contents of those texts, and make informed judgements about the material they encounter on a day to day basis. SQA course specifications for Modern Studies and English are available at: A to Z of National Qualification (NQ) subjects - SQA To support learning and teaching, schools can already draw on a range of resources. For example, in relation to political literacy they can access the You decide - A political literacy resource | Resources | Education Scotland from Education Scotland, which provides guidance on how to ensure that learners use their voice, participate and contribute to decision-making processes.

The Scottish Government is providing funding to Time for Inclusive Education’s Digital Discourse Initiative. The resources provide teachers with the tools they need to teach core critical and digital media literacy skills, and to equip pupils with the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding they need to navigate digital media and counter the impacts of disinformation and online hate.

Later this year, Education Scotland will publish further professional learning resources on English, aimed at supporting teachers’ understanding of what critical literacy is and how they can support children to develop these crucial skills.

Finally, as the member may be aware, the Curriculum Improvement Cycle is also updating and strengthening the curriculum across all curricular areas.