Seòmar agus comataidhean

Decisions about the use of particular literacy resources and programmes are informed by purpose, context and the specific needs of learners. Consequently, such decisions are taken at a local level by schools and teachers themselves.

Education Scotland offers support to practitioners through online platforms such as the Glow based National Literacy Professional Learning Community.

The Scottish education system is set up in such a way that decision making is devolved to the most appropriate level, enabling local education authorities to make choices that meet their local circumstances and needs. As a result schools, supported by their local authority, plan the reading curriculum to meet the needs of the learners within their own local context.

Access to literacy specific research is available through the National Literacy Professional Learning Community on Glow.

The Discussion Document (2018) was prepared by Crown Estate Scotland, who also administered the engagement process and review of responses. The Scottish Government was provided with a summary of responses but do not hold information on individual responses. As per S6W-08311 on 16 May 2022, the Crown Estate Sponsor Team did not provide any comment on the topic of option fee agreements in this early engagement document.

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 is aware that changes to officer pensions have resulted in an increase in the numbers currently retiring.

The recruitment of police officers is a matter for the Chief Constable, who is actively managing workforce challenges and is committed to recruiting 300 new officers each quarter to help return officer numbers to appropriate levels. Implementation began in April when a larger than usual intake of approximately 300 probationers joined the service.

NHS Scotland expenditure on mental health, including children and adolescents, is reported in the Scottish Health Service Costs , published annually by ISD Scotland.

Expenditure in financial years 2016-17 to 2020-21 in NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Forth Valley and NHS Dumfries and Galloway, identified as relating to mental health services delivered in hospitals or in the community aimed specifically at children and adolescents, is shown in Table 1. The financial resource allocated to reduce waiting times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is not held by Public Health Scotland.

Table 1:

This Government has delivered the highest spending, and more teachers, per pupil than any other UK nation. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

Schools and local authorities are encouraged and supported to consider innovative ways to ensure there are a wide choice of courses available to their learners. It is for them, working together with partners, to plan course choices in their areas. Expansion of course choice is reflected in the growth of vocational provision for young people in the senior phase. There has been a year on year increase in the number of school leavers attaining vocational qualifications at level 5 and above of the Scottish Qualifications & Curriculum Framework since 2014. The latest attainment stats reflect an increase from 7.3% in 2013/14 to 26.1% in 2020/21.

The Scottish Government does not collect this data from SEEMiS.

Recording and monitoring of bullying incidents is essential and best carried out locally where recurring patterns can be understood and acted upon. We provided guidance to support local authorities and schools on this matter.

The recruitment and deployment of police officers is a matter for the Chief Constable.

We recognise that Police Scotland are undertaking a wide range of actions in response to the increase in officers choosing to retire including the recruitment of 300 new officers each quarter to help return officer numbers to appropriate levels.

The Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums steering group is an independent group and the Scottish Government is not, therefore, able to comment on its discussions.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting and empowering women and girls to reach their full potential through our sustainable and inclusive economic growth ambitions.

In our recently published Best Start, Bright Futures: Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-26, we committed to building on existing work to remove barriers to employment, taking a strategic and intersectional approach to tackling employment inequalities. We know that the voice of lived experience is vital in developing and implementing policy to tackle poverty, and will continue to work with partners in the delivery of this plan.

To incorporate understanding of women’s experiences, we will be working in partnership with our key stakeholders and partners, as well as key advocacy groups who work directly with parents in the priority families groups outlined within the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan. We have committed to establishing a Parental Lived Experience Panel in Summer 2022, to help inform our activity around employability. This will build on the on the success of our existing Lived Experience Panel, which has been invaluable in co-designing No One Left Behind, and aligns with our wider commitments to embedding the Scottish Approach to Service Design in employability. Work is also underway to develop a lifetime skills offer to support individuals and businesses to develop the skills needed now and in the future, and as these proposals are developed, we will link with key expert groups to inform the process.