 Ysgrîr Ysgawdd y Bunach eich ffhrwnt wedi'i cwestiynau ei wneud o q prideid o dbenfaedd ganabytwys. Mae Cynp pores unigau ar y newid i bryd fel yw'r real evenuoeddodau i'ch ddigadol ar cyceliad faliad a'i ystifell yn hynny. Haidd voluntarily o dda iを ddim bydd ymhydrigau a boid wrth cofabellol wrth colliwr. Ysgrîr Ysgawd, dderbyneddo, mynd y troedd lu ddoddiach vibrations mewn ei forgotw bank wisdom щu которую ergylt ar hyn cyflidau unigfaith. universities of any delays in marking assessments? Although immigration arrangements are fully reserved, it is vital that Scotland attracts and retains talented people to study and work here without undue barriers, as well as the Scottish Government welcomed the launch of the graduate visa. We continue to engage with the UK Government in ways to improve the system so that it reflects our specific economic, demographic and social needs. On industrial action, I am, of course, concerned about any adverse impact on students, but I know that our universities are putting in place appropriate mitigations to minimise disruption to studies. I would expect this to include mitigations for international students. Those are being worked up currently. While matters concerning pay and working conditions are for universities to determine on a UK-wide basis, I would encourage Scottish university employers and trade unions to engage in constructive and meaningful dialogue in pursuit of a resolution. I thank the minister for that response. He will be aware that the current marking assessment boycott is part of over four years of industrial action, including strikes by UCU members, because their pay and conditions continue to degrade. They know that their actions will affect students, but staff employment conditions are students' learning conditions, and the deterioration of one is bad for the other. Ensuring that quality and timely administration of degrees, including for international students, is the responsibility of university management. Can the minister outline what further engagement is planned, to ensure that management responds to staff concerns about making their lives livable, whether he considers intimidation with financial penalties appropriate, and what further, what more the Scottish Government can do to ensure that international students on visas are not adversely affected? You will allow me a moment to answer that in some detail. Universities are autonomous institutions and, as such, matters concerning pay and working conditions are for them to determine in consultation with trade unions. However, I have met university leaders and will be meeting UCU in coming weeks, and I am encouraging all concern to get back around the table, because industrial action benefits no one, least of all the students. Regarding the possibility of institutions imposing financial penalties on those staff involved in the marking boycott, I would expect fair work principles to be applied, and I was pleased to see Queen Margaret University step back from their initial stance in this regard. In response to concerns over the impact on international students, the Scottish Funding Council and Quality Students Agency have indicated that there is scope for the marking boycott to affect aspects of international students' studies. I understand that there are circumstances in which students can apply to extend their student visa, but there is a cost associated with that. Universities are, I know, taking steps to mitigate the impact of a boycott, particularly in four-year students, but clearly all of that will be best avoided. Again, I encourage both sides to resume discussions. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to help educate children and young people about any dangers of online pornography. Through the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence secondary school pupils learn about the damaging and exploitative aspects of pornography and how it can negatively affect mental health and healthier relationships. People learn about this topic as part of their learning in relationships, sexual health and parenthood education. Pauli McNeill. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. She might be aware that early this month, the Children's Commissioner for England published a second report on the impact of pornography in children. The report focuses on the harms that children face from accessing violent pornography and how that might influence their own harmful sexual behaviour, which is why regulation online is so critical to protect children and young people. I agree with the Children's Commissioner for England that no child should be able to access or watch pornography, but the report found that one victim said that their abuser made references to things that he had seen on porn. Two young girls said that they felt that they had been treated like porn stars by their abuser. I previously mentioned this in the chamber about the lack of data that there is in Scotland. As the cabinet secretary, does she think that it is really important to collect this type of data and that the new Children's Commissioner for Scotland should consider the collection of this data a priority? I thank the member for her question. I think that she raises a really important matter. I am not cited on this specific report that she has mentioned in relation to the Children's Commissioner for England. I will certainly be appraised of that following portfolio questions because I think that it is hugely important. We do have a granular understanding of the challenge in Scotland. Of course, in relation to the point that she makes around regulation, the regulation of the internet is a reserved matter and falls to the UK Government. Of course, we have been engaging with the UK Government on the online safety bill, which looks at bringing in additional measures to protect vulnerable children online. More broadly, I think that the member makes that a very valid point. I look forward, of course, to working with the new Children's Commissioner who will take up posts later this year. Question 3, Stuart McMillan. Thank you, Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to better support teachers and educators who work with learners with ADHD. Presiding Officer, we want all children and young people, including those who have ADHD, to get the support needed to reach their full potential. We work closely with partners, including Education Scotland, to ensure that teaching staff have access to a range of free professional learning and developmental resources. That includes free learning modules for practitioners available via the open university on inclusive practice. On 30 November last year, we published our updated additional support for learning action plan, which outlines further work that we will take in this area to ensure that teaching staff continue to receive training to support all children with additional support needs, including those with ADHD. Stuart McMillan. I thank the cabinet secretary for that reply, and I must recognise that Scotland's teaching staff are committed to providing all children and young people in their care with the support they need to succeed. It hasn't brought to my attention on too many occasions where, for a variety of reasons, that has not been to the parent's satisfaction. Can the cabinet secretary therefore indicate whether the Scottish Government will consider publishing updated guidance for teachers and educators for how best to support children and young people with ADHD, including those without a diagnosis but presenting with ADHD symptoms? As Stuart McMillan has outlined, in our model of additional support for learning, support in school does not require a formal diagnosis of a particular condition, but I recognise that a diagnosis can help families and also our young people to understand better how they can deal with and respond to additional support needs. More broadly, there are other professionals who work in our education sector who are not teachers who can help to provide specialism in that regard, too. We have committed through our additional support for learning action plan to build on and develop a suite of resources that are already available to meet the needs of children and young people. As part of that work, the project board subgroup on training and resources will consider how to improve the support for neurodiverse learners, including those with ADHD. A number of supplementaries. I want to get them all in. They will need to be reasonably brief, as will the responses. First, Daniel Johnson. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I remind the chamber that I am the vice chair of the ADHD Foundation, and I have an ADHD diagnosis myself. However, there are many as one in five children in the classroom having a neurodevelopmental disorder. I think that it is not, shouldn't be an optional, that teachers must all have training in how to teach children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Can the cabinet secretary confirm to me what conversations she has had with the General Teaching Council of Scotland to incorporate that in the initial teacher education? I thank the member for his question. More broadly, the issue was raised over the weekend with me directly by a number of teaching unions. I recognise some of the challenges in our classrooms at the current time. I think that it is worth putting on record the increase that we have seen in Scotland schools in relation to the number of pupils with additional support needs. I think that since 2010, we have had an increase of over 30 per cent, which is quite substantive. In the last year alone, we have had an increase of over 8,000 pupils recorded as having an additional support need. It is crucial that our teaching staff have that professional support that the member spoke to. Of course, the GTCS has a crucial role to play in that regard. The GTCS has a requirement of 35 hours for teachers to complete professional development within the year. It is at the teachers discretion where that focus is on, but I very much take the member's point in relation to working with the GTCS on that issue, particularly noting the increase that we have seen nationally in recent years in relation to the number of additional support needs in our schools. In February, members of the Education, Children and Young People's Committee MSPs were told that the provision for young disabled people when they were moved on to from school is a national disgrace. They were also told that for young people transitioning out of school, it is a messy and terrifying place out there at the moment, particularly given the lack of co-ordinated plans. So can I ask the minister, with our college and university sectors strapped for cash, what action is the SNP Government taking to support the individuals with ASN attending university and colleges? I thank the member for her question. I am not going to answer on the specifics of university and colleges, because the question today was very much focused on school education, although I will be happy to write to the member in relation to that transition period. I recognise that being a challenge potentially with some young people. What I would say in relation to school education is that we have co-ordinated support plan CSPs that follow or should follow a young person, for example, as a transition from primary to secondary. It is really imperative that we, in government, work with our partners in the university sector and also in colleges to ensure that that co-ordinated support plan is followed through, and I would be more than happy to write to the member with some additional information in relation to higher education on that specific point. I am very grateful, Deputy Presiding Officer. The questions today have ranged from ADHD to ASN, but to go back to the original question about ADHD, which is a disability, article 23 of the UNCRC on which evidence is being taken today gives a right to special care and education for children with a disability. Can the Scottish Government explain how they are meeting that requirement for special care and education with the support that are being given to ADHD sufferers? I thank the member for his question. Of course, we have the highest record of support staff in our schools at the current time, which gives a response to the member's question directly in 2022. For example, we have 307 additional pupil support assistants that were recruited. That builds on the increase of over 1,000 from the previous year, bringing the total number of pupil support staff in Scotland to 16,606. Of course, that is a direct result of continued investment from this Government, but I recognise the member's point more broadly. We will need to go further. We will need to ensure that the increase in additional support needs in our schools is adequately supported in our classrooms. I committed over the weekend to working with the teaching unions on this very issue and, of course, to the member's colleagues on working directly with the GTS for Scotland on the professional requirements for teachers as they undergo teacher training. Deputy Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government where we will provide an update on its plans to work at universal free school meals. We remain committed to the expansion of free school meals in primary and special schools, as described in our programme for government. All primary schools in primary schools pupils, in primary schools 1 to 5, children in funded early learning and child care and eligible pupils in primary 6 through to S6, can benefit from free school meals in Scotland, the most generous provision of anywhere in the UK, and saving parents around £400 per eligible child per year. Our additional investment announced in December 2022 will continue to fund the expansion of free school meals for all in primary 6 and 7 in receipt of the Scottish child payment. That will be the next step in fulfilling our commitment to universal provision in primary schools. Can I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer? Three weeks ago, the minister said that SNP was committed to plot pilot free school meals for secondary schools. However, First Minister and Deputy First Minister have suggested that it should be a targeted approach would be better. Can the cabinet secretary clear up the confusion and confirm whether the SNP Government is committed to pilot universal free school meals for secondary schools and if so, when will it start? I thank the member for his question. As he alluded to, I think only three weeks ago this was raised in the chamber. We are very much still committed to that secondary school pilot. It is important that we roll out that pilot to learn from how it might operate in the future. We are very much also, as I intimated in my initial response to the member, committed to universal provision in primary school. Yes, that is being phased out in a process that looks at in primary 6 and 7, adhering to looking at the Scottish child payment as a requirement. However, we remain committed to universal roll-out in primary and to the secondary pilot that the member mentions. Thank you. At the Food for Thought parliamentary reception last week, the young people made really clear that hunger does not end at the primary school gate, so this pilot scheme for secondary is very important. Can I ask the cabinet secretary what is this Government will take to ensure that young people are involved in co-designing the pilot scheme and the on-going roll-out of universal free school meals? I thank the member for her question. I was not in Parliament last Thursday. However, I saw from social media that it was well attended and I very much look forward to working with the member on this issue. We have discussed it at the previous portfolio questions to her specific point on co-design. I think that she makes a very valid contribution. I will be more than happy to meet the member on this. I have not yet met officials to talk to some of the proposals in relation to the secondary school pilot and how that might be administered in the future, but I will be more than happy to engage with the member on this really important issue for our young people and, of course, with our young people directly on the roll-out itself. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote modern apprenticeships to the institutions in Motherwall and Wishaw. Skills Development Scotland provides an all-age career service in every local authority, highlighting the options available to people across Scotland, including modern apprenticeships. It undertakes further activity, together with employers, to highlight the importance of modern apprenticeships, particularly through Scottish apprenticeship week. Developing the young workforce also facilitates engagement between employers and schools to highlight vocational pathways and support young people to transition into work. I met young people on work experience, our recent DYW Lanarkshire visit to innovate homes in Wishaw, in the member's constituency, to observe this first hand. I was very impressed by what I found. Thank you very much. Today I was delighted to attend the skills demonstration outside Hosebys Scottish traditional building forum. I tried my hand at some slate cutting, I do not think it is a say that in my future, but seeing the young people engaging in those endeavours was very exciting. I understand that the initiative is not yet rolled out across the country. Does the minister agree that supporting those heritage skills workshops through local schools is vital to promoting rewarding careers and delivering on the objectives of developing the young workforce? I also tried the slate cutting and I have to admit that the results are sitting in my office, not in public view. The Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee is right to highlight the importance of ensuring that we have the right traditional skills available to sustain our historic environment and progress our journey to net zero. Historic Environment Scotland continues to champion traditional skills and our working with stakeholders to address traditional skill gaps to help ensure Scotland's historic buildings can thrive as part of the country's sustainable future. The role of colleges in all of this will be essential, as will be the partnership working that I indicated. Modern apprenticeships are essential to training and upskilling our workforce. Many constituents across my region will be very concerned about the sector's future and viability. Last week, the Scottish Training Federation said that Scottish Government delays in setting its skills and employability budgets this year is having a devastating impact on training providers. Many staff have been made redundant and several are on the brink of closure. If that comes to pass, that will have a devastating impact on my region, including that of Motherwell and Wishaw. Minister, that is a matter of urgency. When will this Government get its act together and support this industry? When will those budgets be confirmed? A typically positive contribution from the Conservatives. We have been focused on delivering more than 25,000 apprenticeships around that. Skills Development Scotland has, as part of that process, as some have not been taken up, been redistributing within that, as we speak. In terms of the budget, that is a matter that has been worked on just now, and we will provide further detail in due course. Outside parliamentary, there is a construction and traditional skills demonstration, where young people from the industry are delivering mini-master classes to school pupils. I spoke with students who emphasised the importance of industry-based courses at colleges and universities across Scotland. They highlighted how important skill-based labour courses are to our heritage sector and how positively they can contribute to industry recruitment overall. Can the minister advise how the withdrawal in funding to university and colleges is expected to impact those essential industry-based courses? That betrays the lack of understanding of what the £46 million was for. It was for transition funding. The teaching grant remained at the same level as last year. I recognise that we still present challenges for some of our colleges and universities, but I know that they are committed to preserving some of those skills in partnership with the heritage agencies. To ask the Scottish Government what impact the withdrawal of £46 million of funding for colleges and universities has on their ability to deliver courses. The removal of the £46 million does not impact the core teaching fund allocated to colleges and universities for academic year 23-24, which has been maintained at the same level as academic year 22-23, despite the very challenging financial environment. I hear Mr Kerr chonddering from my sedentary position, but, as he heard at the education committee yesterday, it was for transition purposes, some of which I identified at the committee. Despite the minister's answer, principal and CEO of City of College Glasgow, Paul Little, has said that the loss of the £26 million from the college sector's budget has further compounded significant financial pressures and forced them to compulsory redundancies. Having visited the college, I have been impressed with them, but I am deeply troubled that budget cuts are leading to over 100 staff losing their jobs, and I have been flooded with letters with one constituent saying, I urge you to intervene on this matter and to investigate your funding, has not been made available to avoid this redundancy situation by colleagues who deserve better treatment than this. Will the minister offer some support and tell us what support the Government will provide to colleges being forced to consider redundancies? You really do marvel at the brass neck editories and all of this. Never mind imposing a damage in Brexit on the UK, which was particularly harmed by the university sector, or the impact of the less-for-asked and quasi-quartent trash in the UK. Minister, could I ask you to resume your seat? We have got through portfolio questions so far, with the questions being asked and the questions being responded to without the heckling. If we could resist from the heckling, we will get through all of the supplementary questions as well. Minister, resume. I was going to make the point that just this lunch time, my friend Liz Smith, was taking those very benches calling on this Government to take a lower tax approach, which would have meant money being reduced, the money that was available for our public services. You cannot have it both ways, but this is a serious matter. In relation to the colleges, we are actively engaged with them, working on flexibilities and other measures that would help to alleviate the challenges that they face and improve the situation for them. I have a number of supplementaries. I do not suspect that I will get through all of them, but I am going to try and do my best. Firstly, Willie Rennie, briefly. The minister knows that there is incredulity and frustration in both the college and university sector, that the first step that the minister took was to cut £46 million from their funding. That will not help them to transition to the new future that the minister wants to see. If new funds become available, can he confirm that this will be his first and top priority for investment? Minister, as I said at the committee yesterday from my perspective, and we have already indicated that we would look to address that going forward, if an improvement in the funding situation became available, then working with colleges and universities, of course that would be a priority for the education portfolio. The minister confirmed this week that the funding had been reallocated to account for the pay deal that reached with school teachers. Does the minister accept that the reversal of promised funding combined with more than 10 years of real-terms cuts to the sector is limiting their ability to offer a fair pay deal to staff, and does he accept that teaching staff in all phases of education should be properly remunerated for their work? I do believe that education staff would be properly remunerated for their work, but here we go again. I said this about the Conservatives. Even more so the Labour party cannot spend the same money twice. If you want to spend it on one thing, if you want to spend it on something else, then fine, you need to tell us where it came from. Sorry, the Labour benches need to tell us where it's come from, but I do want to correct one small point, Presiding Officer, a point of fact. Since 2012-13, college resource budgets have increased by £168 million in cash terms. Very grateful, Presiding Officer. In its latest account, the principle of North East Scotland College warned, if the college is required to reduce costs further, student experiences and outcomes will suffer significantly. Did the minister consider the impact on Nescol of withdrawing the £46 million, and what does he predict the impact will be on their ability to deliver? Of course, we were aware that there would be an adverse impact over the withdrawal of those funding because of the transition measures that they were going to fund, but that was not a decision taken lightly. In many ways, there was no decision. The money had to be found. I find that regrettable and disappointed that we had to do it, but if Mr Kerr was aware of the conversations that started to happen with all colleges, that would include North East College, we are looking actively at what we can do going forward to give them the sustainable future that they require. To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting local authorities to ensure that school children from disadvantaged communities have access to after-school clubs and other activities outside the school term. Since 2021, we have invested £25 million in summer holiday programmes that provided activities, food and childcare. Our priority now is to take the next steps in building a system of school-age childcare, providing year-round childcare support for families on low incomes to support sustainable employment. To do that, we are targeting our £15 million investment this year towards community-based projects that will deliver year-round childcare and activities. We are rightly focusing on delivering lasting change for those families and communities who need support the most. I thank the minister for that answer. In my Stirling constituency, there are currently gaps in after-school club provision. Can the minister advise how support from the Scottish Government could assist local authorities in identifying those gaps and how it would go about applying for that support? The Children's Scotland Act 1995 requires local authorities to consult with parents about their out-of-school care and school-age childcare needs every two years and to plan and publish whether and how they will provide that appropriate childcare taking account of those responses. Local authorities should therefore have access to appropriate information relevant to their local communities. The approach that we are taking, however, building a system of school-age childcare is person-centred and place-based, including engaging local communities to support the design and delivery of services initially through our early adopter areas. We will share those findings as well as identifying new early adopter areas this year. That concludes portfolio questions. I will pause to allow front bench to change before we move on to the next item of business.