 Lywodraeth am y cyffordd maen nhw'n ei naid i gyflawn ymingau, y cyfeilio i ddarparu'r ei fod yn ymddillol i dda. Strin iawn ag yn ymddill o'i cyffordd maen nhw'n ei fod yn ei fod yn ei fod'r mynd i gael cyfan gweithio eich mewn cyfeilio, maen nhw'n ei gael cyflawn i ddechrau i gael gweithio unrhyw. Rwy'n bwysig i gael gyffraeth maen nhw'n ei fod yn ei felwydd yn ymddillol i ddateb yng nghymru. The Scottish Government has agreed the skills development Scotland budget for 23 24, and the Scottish National Party has completed contract awards to support up to 25,500 new moderate apprenticeship starts in 23 24. Official statistics published by the Scottish National Party on 23 May this year report 25,447 modern apprenticeships starts by the end of quarter four in 22 23. Statistics also show that the number of apprentices in training across the country is the highest ever at around 39,000. SDS provides an all-age career service in every local authority area, highlighting the options available to people across Scotland, including modern apprenticeships, and SDS undertakes further activity together with employers to highlight the importance of modern apprenticeships, particularly through the Scottish Apprenticeship week. We continue to work closely with SDS to monitor and support modern apprenticeships throughout Scotland. Timmy Hodge last month, the Scottish Training Federation stated that the Scottish Government's delay in setting skills and employability budget has led to 75 redundancies since April. Last year, there was an apprenticeship freeze, and this year's vital budgets, including the individual training account budget, have been delayed. Why are apprentices and training providers always this Government's last consideration? I thank the member for his question. Of course, he will recognise some of the financial challenge that this Government has been presented by, not least in relation to inflation recovery pressures. That has meant that we have had to recalibrate budgets right across the Scottish Government. I do not make an apology for that today, but I recognise the challenge that was presented to me in the first two weeks of undertaking posts as Cabinet Secretary. It is important to say that we have had an increase slightly in relation to the number of modern apprenticeships that we have outlined in my initial response. I recognise the challenge from the Federation. I am delighted that we have now been able to commit to that funding and move forward, but I am committed as well as Cabinet Secretary and working alongside Mr Day in that respect to working with the sector to ensure that we support the roll-out of modern apprenticeships. Those are really important qualifications, I think, to supporting people into work. It is hugely important that across Government we take a nice and particularly of the outcomes from yesterday's skills review in that respect. There are a number of recommendations in the weather's review for the delivery of skills in the future and what that could mean. I am very aware, as Cabinet Secretary, that we have a plethora of different reports coming to fruition at a similar time. It is important that we have an overarching strategic direction from Government as we move those reports and their respective recommendations forward. A couple of supplementaries will need to be brief, as well as the responses from the First Government, Donald. On Monday, Scotland's leading electrical bodies were celebrating a boost for the industry after receiving confirmation of financial support for the next intake of electrical apprentices and adult trainees. Fiona Harper of the Scottish GIB said, The second guarantee of additional places means that we can continue to train and develop a significant number of skilled electricians. Amidst enormous pressure on Government budgets due to Tory economic mismanagement, is it not the support of the demonstration of the value that the Scottish Government places on apprenticeships? I stress the definition of brevity that is being observed in the breach here. I welcome this very positive news. Investing in skills across a person's lifetime is critical to our future productivity as a nation. That is also underlined by our commitment more broadly, underlined by the national strategy for economic transformation. I was delighted that in May of this year, SDS undertook a reallocation process and issued updated contract awards for over 2,000 new modern apprenticeships starts to provide us with strong evidence of employer demand and where there is a need to support critical skills in the economy. Our priority as a Government will continue to be to ensure that apprenticeships are of the highest quality and lead to sustainable employment opportunities. The percentage of women's starting modern apprenticeships has dropped. One reason suggested for the drop was the increase in construction-related apprenticeships where women represent just 2.5 per cent of starts. Does the cabinet secretary agree that more women should be encouraged to take up roles in construction? Can she set out what steps it will take to increase female representation in the sector? I think that she makes a really interesting point. Overall, 38.1 per cent of starts were female and 61.9 per cent were male. However, she is absolutely correct to point to the industry-specific challenges in relation to gender. I am more than happy to take that point away that the members made today, particularly in relation to construction and related, as it is badged. That has taken the largest proportion of new starts. It is really important that we see more women coming into those fields. Of course, we also have over 22 per cent who have been supported through health and social care and in IT additionally. I will certainly take the point that the member has made away from today's portfolio questions and raise it with the Minister for Higher Education and SDS respectively. To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the outcomes will be of the proposed summit on tackling violence in schools, which was announced by the Education Secretary on 24 May. Planning for engagement and the summit on relationships and behaviours is currently underway. I intend that the summit will be held as soon as it is practical, noting that we are just three weeks away from the end of the summer term. The summit will focus on practical support at classroom, school and local authority level to make a difference on this issue. It will hear from young people, parents and carers, schools, local councils and unions to discuss how to tackle the issues. The findings of the summit will form parts of the broader evidence base being considered, of course, by the Scottish advisory group on relationships and behaviour in schools. I am disappointed by that answer, because it is two weeks since the commitment was made to set a date for a summit and we still do not have a date. I thought that we had all agreed in this chamber in all the parties that this was a matter of grave importance and urgency. It does not seem to be very much of that from the answer that the Cabinet Secretary just gave. I hope that she will not hide behind the actions or inaction of her officials. I say to the Cabinet Secretary in all sincerity, please do not let down our teachers, please do not let down our pupils, please do not let down our parents. Do something. When will the Cabinet Secretary commit to tell us when the summit, the date that the summit is being held? I thank the member for his question. I am proud to follow questions beginning. The member asked me about the Haverd review, which, of course, will publish in the next few weeks. I am very conscious that, in the last two weeks, we have spent a considerable amount of time—two weeks ago now—debating behaviour. Last week, we debated the national discussion. In two weeks' time, we will debate the Haverd review. We also had yesterday the publication of the Wither's review. There are lots of different things happening in government and I am not necessarily sure that the member's question is fair in that respect. What I have committed to is action before the end of this parliamentary session. That is hugely important. To that end, I have convened—and I will convene rather—a headteacher taskforce to consider the specific issue of consequences and exclusion. I have also asked Education Scotland to work with every local council to identify good practice in the meantime, so that those finances can be discussed as part of the summit and shared across the country. I will be more than happy to update the member in the next session, before the end of this parliamentary session, or before the end of the summer term, with a date for the summit itself. I am very cognisant. The member makes a number of comments about teachers. I do not know whether he speaks to teachers regularly. This time of year is very stressful in schools. It is hugely important that we remember that the system is now— Mr Kerr, you have asked your question. Let the cabinet secretary respond and let the cabinet secretary please bring your response to a conclusion quite quickly. Thank you, Presiding Officer. In attempting to answer the question, what I was trying to outline to Mr Kerr is that schools are overloaded with lots of things happening at this current time. I do not want to add to that burden. I have outlined some of the reports that are coming to fruition in my response to Mr Kerr and to Mr Halcro Johnston. I am hearing the member commenting from his entry position, Presiding Officer. Can you resume your seat, please, cabinet secretary? Mr Kerr, I have warned you before. You can ask the questions. You do not then provide a running commentary on the responses. Cabinet secretary, I have also appealed for shorter responses to the questions. I am now going to ask for supplementary briefly from Willie Rennie. The cabinet secretary will have read in the national discussion report last week about major concerns about the prevalence of harassment, discrimination, bullying and violence in schools across Scotland. The situation is urgent. She talked before about bringing forward perhaps the survey that is due to report in the autumn. Has she had any success in being able to expedite that? I thank the member for his question. I think that he refers to the behaviour in Scottish school research because of the way in which that evidence is gathered in relation to qualitative and quantitative data. Apparently, according to my officials, I am not able to bring that forward. I have tested this with him and I actually did that before the debate we held two weeks ago. What I am keen to do, though, is hold this convention of head teachers before the end of this term, so in the next three weeks to talk to the specific issue in relation to exclusion, because I think that there is a challenge here at the current time. The member has given some of the challenge from the national discussion report that we discussed last week. Of course, we will have the Hayward review coming forward in a couple of weeks' time, which will look at the qualifications right across the piece. I am very mindful that the system has a number of different reports coming to fruition at the current time. I take Mr Kerr's point and Mr Rennie's in relation to urgency. I commit to Parliament to do just that in relation to bringing head teachers together on this issue before the end of term, but I am not going to overload schools with that before the end of their summer term. What I will do, though, is undertake to give Parliament an update before the end of term, with a commitment to a date for the summit. To ask the Scottish Government how secondary school pupils in Aberdeen will be supported through the launch of ABZ Campus. I welcome the launch of the local authority-led ABZ Campus in Aberdeen City. The ABZ Campus will aim to broaden the curriculum options for pupils in S4 to S6 and give them access to a range of learning options, which are directly linked to growth sectors. The pupils have been supported throughout the application process, and through the free bus travel that is available to under 22s, I have had the opportunity to visit the campus ahead of the launch. I am very pleased to note the partnership approach that is taken through this initiative, including the involvement of employers through DYW north-east. I welcome the opportunity that this creates to help young people to develop their vocational and technical skills, preparing them for the next step in their during-native fulfilling and rewarding careers. The ABZ Campus is offering a diverse range of courses across areas such as engineering and construction to science and social subjects and dance and drama, and I hope that everyone will join with me in wishing those involved every success as they embark on this exciting new chapter. You have explained some cabinet secretary, but I ask how it is expected that this innovative idea will offer new benefits and enhancements to the young folk in Aberdeen. I thank the member for her question. I am very pleased to welcome the commitment to the ABZ campus, which is being led by the local authority and a number of different partners. I would join my colleague in wishing the young people of Aberdeen every success as they take part in this new learning opportunity. I look forward to seeing the positive impacts, and certainly as cabinet secretary, I will be looking to consider any lessons that we might be able to learn from the new partnership approach, particularly as we take forward the outcomes from the Hayward review, as I have alluded to in response to other members this afternoon. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any discussions that it has had with Renfrewshire Council regarding Dargavo primary school. The Scottish Government is taking seriously the capacity issues at Dargavo primary school, and we continue to have regular discussions with Renfrewshire council about the primary school. The previous cabinet secretary for education and skills met representatives from the primary school and from the parent council with Neil Bibby, and also with Natalie Dawn as MSPs. I am told constructive discussions. I committed in the chamber last week to do likewise and to take forward these issues. SNP Renfrewshire council built a school that is half the size that it needs to be. This catastrophic and wholly avoidable blunder risks harming pupils' education, and it will cost taxpayers £75 million to put right, but parents tell me that they have lost all confidence in the council, and they fear that the council's £75 million plan is flawed and risks repeating the past mistakes. What does the cabinet secretary intend to do to ensure that the council listens to parents and does not waste even more public money? I thank the member for his question. I recognise that it is a very serious issue, and I do not shy away from that as cabinet secretary. Of course, the local authority has a key role to play in that regard, and I have not yet met the parents and carers, so I am keen to hear from them directly. I am told that the council has continued to engage with the parent council and has also created a dedicated web page and an email address for any public queries, but I think that it will be remiss of me to comment further at this time without meeting with the parents who have been affected by what is, I think, a very serious situation. Dargavale parents have expressed no confidence in Renfrewshire council, the chief executive and director of education. Given that, would the minister agree with me that the review initiated and paid for by Renfrewshire council cannot possibly command public confidence? I thank the member for his question. I know that Renfrewshire council admitted that they made an error when determining pupil numbers for the new school back in 2017, and at that time they apologised to parents and carers for significantly miscalculating the projected pupil role. I am not going to comment on the authenticity of the independent review thus far. I am keen to meet with the member and, of course, the parents who have been affected by this and to discuss that matter in more detail. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to fund skill-based courses and apprenticeship that led to professional qualifications. The Scottish Government has agreed the Skills Development Scotland budget for 23-24, and SDS has completed contact awards to support up to 25,500 new modern apprenticeship starts in 23-24. That will include modern apprenticeships and craft roles. Thank you for that answer. Skill-based labour courses positively contribute to industry recruitment. A recent report published by the CIPD found that the biggest gaps in the recruitment are in technical, vocational and specialist skills. It also finds that bringing employers and the education system closer together can result in benefits for young people as well as the organisation involved. What assessment has the Scottish Government made on the reduction of skills-based courses on the recruitment of new workers in the vital industry? Investing in skills across people's lifetimes is absolutely critical to our future productivity and success as the economy and labour market continues to evolve over the coming decades. That is underlined by our commitment to a skilled workforce set out within the national strategy for economic transformation. Our priority now is to ensure that apprenticeships are of high quality and lead to sustainable employment opportunities, including those craft roles. My understanding is that Lancer, in my constituency, currently helps to provide modern apprenticeships and other training in a range of areas that promote traditional and rural skills. Can I ask the minister what level of support the Scottish Government has provided in Lancer in recent years? Scottish Government and our agencies continue to engage with key stakeholders, including Lancer. Scottish Government is committed to promoting inclusive growth and creating opportunities for all to ensure a vibrant, sustainable and productive rural economy, including through apprenticeships. I would be happy to ask the relevant minister to write to the member with further detail on the support for Lancer. Traditional skills-based apprenticeships are vital to supporting a just transition, and I know from meeting with apprentices that there is a perceived stigma associated with doing an apprenticeship. As opposed to going to university, the lack of parity between post-school learning pathways is clearly reflected in the Wither's review. Does the minister accept the finding of the report that there is not a parity of esteem, and what action will she take to rectify that? Absolutely. We thank James Wethers for his thorough and comprehensive review, which provides critical and compelling insights into the current delivery landscape. The review highlights challenges within the current system and makes recommendations on how it should change to ensure that it is fit for the future. We have heard loud and clear the calls for significant reform and will not shy away from decisions that will deliver better services for learners and employers. However, decisions about reform of public bodies cannot be taken lightly, and we will need to consider the practicalities of implementing its recommendations with the affected bodies, unions and legal professionals to inform our next steps. To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the City of Edinburgh Council with the Trinity Academy redevelopment. All local authorities in Scotland have a statutory responsibility to manage and maintain their school estates. However, through the £2 billion learning estate investment programme, the Scottish Government will provide significant financial support to the City of Edinburgh Council for the Corry Community High School, Libertyn High School and Westerhales Education Centre projects. Those are identified by the council as its priority projects for investment. Scottish Government funding through the learning estate investment programme is intended to augment, not to replace local authorities own investment in their school estate. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer and recognise the Scottish Government's strong record in investing in our school estate, particularly since 2007. The capital investment that has been put into Trinity Academy already at the Bangham facility has made a tremendous difference for the school and for the wider community, but the next phase of redevelopment will provide a new community campus with much-needed contemporary learning and teaching space for a 1,200 student role in an area of growing population in our capital city. Therefore, I ask the Scottish Government to continue to support the City of Edinburgh Council through its schools for the future programme, and that Trinity Academy's redevelopment is completed as part of that as practically achievable as possible. We will continue to support the City of Edinburgh Council through both the previous schools for the future programme and the current learning estate investment programme that I alluded to in my initial response. Through schools for the future City of Edinburgh Council received funding of £63.8 million towards its four priority school projects. As mentioned, we are providing additional financial support through the leap funding for a further three projects. To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprentices working in construction from the 2017 and 2018 cohorts are still in training. As of 31 May 2023, there are 28 apprentices out of 801 from the 2017 cohort and 205 apprentices out of 862 from the 2018 cohort that remain in training. I thank the minister for that answer, but construction apprenticeships are meant to take four years. The information that is just provided demonstrates that for those in the 17 and 18 cohorts, the apprenticeship is lasting up to five or six years. In my discussions with the CITB, their concern is that the changes to the assessment required by the SQA in 2016 has had a detrimental impact on the ability of those apprentices to complete their training on time. Will the minister commit to looking at implementing a temporary PDA in line with electrical apprenticeships? Will she also review the assessment that was implemented? Will she meet the CITB to come up to a satisfactory arrangement on those measures? The challenge is experienced with the 2017, 2018 and 2019 construction apprentice cohort completing their apprenticeships are being carefully monitored. As the member has rightly noted, those delays are related to changes in the qualification assessment introduced in 2017, the knock-on effect on college capacity to deliver those changes and the impact of Covid-19. Work has been undertaken by partners to address and reduce this backlog. We have seen some improvement, but that is not progressing as quickly as it should be, and the Scottish Government is continuing to work closely with all agencies to improve the rate of completion while maintaining the quality of the apprenticeship. I also understand that Mr Day is alive to the need to address this backlog and has had useful dialogue with CITB and is seeking to meet with SQA to explore solutions for clearing this. Question 8 is in the name of James Dornan. It does not appear to use with us, so that concludes portfolio questions. There will be a brief pause before we move on to the next item of business to allow the front benches to change.