Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-09278

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is giving sufficient funding to local authorities to provide the number of permanent teaching posts that are required to meet the needs of children and young people.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Scottish Government has provided £240m funding to local authorities to support the recruitment of additional teachers and support staff.

We have committed further permanent funding of £145.5m to support education staffing. This will ensure sustained employment of additional teachers, while meeting local needs and benefitting Scotland’s children and young people.

We will also fund 3,500 additional teachers and 500 support staff over this Parliamentary term – over and above the 1,400 teachers recruited during the pandemic.

We continue to work closely with COSLA regarding the employment of teachers to maximise the number of jobs available, including permanent posts.

Question reference: S6W-09142

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 6 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the report on the analysis of bird stomach contents, provisionally reported on in June 2020, will be published and available to local fishery organisations who supported the study.

Question reference: S6W-09279

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports women who have qualifications in STEM subjects to find employment in (a) teaching and (b) STEM-related industries.

The recruitment and deployment of teachers is a matter for individual local authorities, as they are responsible for using available resources to provide a complement of staff which meets the needs of each of their schools and its pupils based on local needs and priorities.

The Scottish Government has a number of ambitions to address the lack of women in STEM occupations and settings, such as schools. The Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning is also considering how best to ensure that girls and young women are able to freely choose activities, subjects and areas of study including those traditionally dominated by boys and men.

The Scottish Government recognises challenges in STEM teacher recruitment and continues to offer 150 bursaries of £20,000 for career changers, wishing to undertake a one year PGDE Initial Teacher Education (ITE) course that leads to the award of registered teacher status in the hardest to fill STEM subjects.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) seeks to equip each individual with highly effective Career Management Skills which will empower them to proactively direct their career, as well as give them the ability to manage key transition points throughout their lives. SDS has a network of Careers Advisers working in every school in Scotland, as well as at SDS Careers Centres across the country.

Question reference: S6W-09280

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of female teachers with experience and qualifications in STEM subjects being unable to find employment in a school setting.

The recruitment and deployment of teachers is a matter for individual local authorities, as they are responsible for using available resources to provide a complement of staff which meets the needs of each of their schools and its pupils based on local needs and priorities.

However, the Scottish Government has a number of ambitions to address the lack of women in STEM occupations and settings, such as schools. These ambitions start early: the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan examines how schools have a key role to play in helping young women make transitions into a broader range of more successful careers, as well as setting out measures which address occupational segregation, which can lead to fewer women accessing STEM careers.

The Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning is also considering how best to ensure that girls and young women are able to freely choose activities, subjects and areas of study including those traditionally dominated by boys and men.

We have provided £240 million of additional investment, over two financial years and a further £145.5 million of permanent funding from April this year to support the employment of additional teachers and support staff.

In addition, we will also fund 3,500 additional teachers and 500 support staff over this Parliamentary term – over and above the 1,400 teachers recruited during the pandemic. We will also continue to work closely with COSLA regarding the employment of teachers, to maximise the number of jobs available.

Question reference: S6W-09297

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools in Scotland chose (a) not to opt in and (b) to opt in to receive a copy of the Platinum Jubilee book, Queen Elizabeth: A Platinum Jubilee Celebration.

Question reference: S6W-09290

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that newly qualified teachers are able to secure a post in their own, or a nearby, local authority.

Local authorities are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of their staff. They have the autonomy to provide incentives to attract teachers to their area, and we know some have offered initiatives like free housing for an extended period.

During their probation year, Newly Qualified Teachers on the Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) choose five local authorities where they are willing to work to complete their probation year, and are allocated a place balancing their choice with local need.

Question reference: S6W-09631

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-09632

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-09303

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, following the reported cancellation of a proposed meeting with patient representatives on 20 June 2022, whether it can confirm that a rescheduled meeting will take place before the publication of the new Framework for Pain Management.

The Scottish Government intends to publish the Implementation Plan for the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery in summer 2022. As advised in a letter to the Convenors of the Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain on 15 June, Ministers intend to meet with patient representatives of the Group once it has been published.

Extensive engagement of people with lived experience was carried out at all stages to develop the Framework. This includes through representation on the National Advisory Committee for Chronic Pain and a national survey of people with chronic pain and their carers. We have also sought input from other stakeholder groups during the development of the Framework including NHS staff, service planners and third-sector partners. This has included work to bring together the diverse clinical disciplines involved in pain management in order to inform and support activities to improve chronic pain services.

The draft Framework also underwent public consultation with a high level of responses from people with chronic pain and other stakeholders. We are grateful for the views and ideas shared through the consultation which have been used to inform the Aims and Actions we will set out in the forthcoming Implementation Plan. Officials will provide a draft of the Plan to Ministers within the coming weeks and publication is anticipated shortly after this.

Question reference: S6W-09671

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Dorothy Bain on 5 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further information regarding the Lord Advocate’s reference to the Supreme Court on whether the question for a referendum on Scottish independence relates to reserved matters.

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