Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-35092

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to establish effective disciplinary procedures across school estates, including emphasis on the concepts of respect and consequence, and how these procedures will be standardised and enforced.

Each school should have a relationships and behaviour policy setting out clear expectations of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, and the responses which staff can utilise. Staff should respond to behaviour in line with this policy. The existing Scottish Government policy framework, including the national policy on exclusion, allows the use of consequences.

This government is committed to doing what it can to provide support and direction at a national level, informed by our national evidence base. Ultimately, it is the responsibility local authorities to decide how to promote positive relationships and behaviour in their schools. We expect local authorities to consider how best to implement our national guidance to meet particular needs and experiences at a local level, identifying areas of local challenge or concern.

As part of the relationships and behaviour action plan, we will be providing clarity on the range of approaches and consequences that are available, including exclusion where there is no appropriate alternative. This guidance is being developed by a sub-group of the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools, together with the Head Teacher Taskforce and will be published later this year.

Question reference: S6W-35088

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that (a) it and (b) local authorities are accountable for ensuring that all qualified teachers who wish to work in the profession can find suitable employment opportunities, and what mechanisms it plans to introduce to monitor and report on employment practices for teachers.

Individual Local Authorities, as employers, are responsible for managing teaching vacancies and providing job opportunities across Scotland.

Teaching vacancies are advertised across Scotland, throughout the year, through a process of fair and open recruitment. Local authorities must balance the teaching jobs they advertise with their local needs and contexts.

The Scottish Government collects and publishes annual data on the number of teachers employed across Scotland’s 32 Local Authorities through the Annual Teacher Census. This data can be accessed at: School education statistics - gov.scot.

The Establishment of an Education Assurance Board, which was part of Scottish Government and local government’s joint agreement published in December 2024, will provide a forum by which we can carry out joint monitoring of employment practices, share best practice and ensure that teacher numbers return to 2023 levels; while understanding and considering local needs and geographical and subject recruitment challenges.

Question reference: S6W-35089

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consult on holding a social media age-use ban similar to that introduced in Australia, and whether it has carried out an analysis of the potential benefits and challenges of such a measure.

We recognise that online platforms, including social media, can have both positive and negative impacts on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing and that support must be in place to help children use social media in a healthy and balanced way. It is important to note that regulation of the internet is a reserved matter to the UK Government, however we have previously successfully engaged on its Online Safety Act to strengthen protections for young people.

We will continue to explore opportunities to work with the UK Government on this important issue, whilst also taking action here in Scotland. For example, since 2020 we have invested over £400,000 to support young people to navigate online spaces and use screen time in a safe way and help parents and carers to ensure they have the information to guide young people and recognise risks.

The Young Scot ‘Aye Feel’ online hub, the ‘Mind Yer Time’ resource, and ‘Digi Know’ features, address social media usage amongst children and young people to help them navigate online spaces, ensure websites are reliable, and use screen time in a healthy and positive way. Our Parent Club national resource for parents also has information and advice to support parents to manage children’s screen time and have informed conversations with their child about screen time, social media and internet use. In addition, we have recently published guidance for schools on the issue of mobile phones in schools, which supports education authorities and schools in their consideration of limiting access to mobile phones in schools.

Earlier this year the First Minister announced a Scottish Government Online Safety Taskforce. The Taskforce will provide oversight and direction to work across Scottish Government and identify what more can be done to protect children and young people from online harm within the limits of devolution.

Question reference: S6W-34434

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to outline a comprehensive plan for reforming public debt collection practices, including the consideration of debt amnesties for families affected by housing arrears.

Scottish Government recognises the financial pressures that many households are experiencing, including debts to public sector bodies. However, it is important to be clear on the role and responsibilities of all partners in relation to public sector debt and to recognise that local authorities have independence to make decisions particularly regarding their approach to collection of council tax arrears and school meal debt.

Scottish Ministers have consistently encouraged public bodies to share good practice on debt assistance and collection and to show empathy and dignity when working with people struggling with debts. This includes using the Good practice principles for managing school meal debt[1] published by COSLA in February 2023 following engagement with local government partners.

The Scottish Government and COSLA recognise that there are opportunities to improve collection practices in Council Tax. The ‘Joint Working Group on Council Tax Reform’, which is co-chaired by COSLA, is undertaking work to encourage better practices in debt collection. This includes ensuring that councils are furnished with the information they need to improve practices, and identify those in need of support.

In addition, Social Security Scotland is committed to delivering a debt management service that is responsive to clients’ needs while protecting the public purse. This includes an approach for vulnerable clients that includes training debt officers to identify and sensitively handle potential hardship and vulnerable clients, as well as signposting them to support and advocacy groups.

The Scottish Social Housing Charter sets outcomes that social landlords need to meet. An outcome on tenancy sustainment states; that tenants get the information they need on how to obtain support to remain in their home; and landlords ensure suitable support is available, including services provided directly by the landlord and by other organisations. This includes tenants who may be at risk of falling into arrears with their rent. Where a tenant is struggling to pay their rent they should seek support immediately from their landlord.

[1]Good-Practice-Principles-for-School-Meal-Debt-Management.pdf (cosla.gov.uk)

Question reference: S6W-35087

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to develop a strategic workforce plan that ensures fair and sustainable employment for teachers while addressing the current challenges faced by teachers in their employment conditions.

Question reference: S6W-35093

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in developing standardised sexual assault and misogynistic abuse reporting guidelines across all educational environments, and how these guidelines will be communicated and implemented to ensure the safety of staff and students.

Question reference: S6W-35090

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it plans to challenge any gender stereotyping in schooling, with a specific focus on increasing the participation of women and girls in STEM subjects, and how it will implement these.

Question reference: S6O-04370

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update its guidance on the use of mobile phones in classrooms.

Question reference: S6W-34432

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 19 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the steps taken to fully implement the recommendations of the Expert Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group, particularly in relation to reducing the number of households with children in temporary accommodation and the duration of their stay.

We are taking decisive action to reduce the number of households with children in temporary accommodation. Increasing affordable and social housing supply is the best way to do this and the reinstated budget of £768 million for
2025-26 will enable the delivery of over 8,000 homes.

Additional investment of £42 million this year has been targeted to five local authorities with sustained temporary accommodation pressures. That funding is to increase the supply of social and affordable homes, including larger properties that are suitable for families, through acquisitions and bringing empty social homes back into use.

The homelessness prevention duties in the Housing (Scotland) Bill will mean people get help to avoid housing crisis and an additional £4 million will be available in 2025-26 to support services to prevent homelessness before it occurs.

Question reference: S6F-03808

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2025

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s plans to update the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967.

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