Chamber and committees

The Franchise Agreement (Schedule 1.4) mandates ScotRail to use “all reasonable endeavours” to maintain a minimum staffing level for every train service of two members of staff.

It is for ScotRail to determine, in consultation with staff whether and how many additional resources are required to ensure that all passenger services run with at least one additional staff member on-board.

Transport Scotland continues to work with ScotRail to ensure compliance with the contractual obligations. We understand that ScotRail has recruited 20 additional Ticket examiners since December 2016.

On board train staff will assist passengers who have booked in advance to board or alight at unstaffed stations. This service is provided by ScotRail, and all other train companies, as a condition of their operating licence issued by the Office of Road & Rail. ScotRail also aim to provide assistance to those who need help when travelling on the rail network whether this has been booked in advance or not.

Transport Scotland monitors compliance of ScotRail obligations through the franchise contract agreement and can escalate any concerns around delivery with the Office of Road & Rail if required.

The Cadet Experience is not being rolled out in Scottish schools. Instead community based Cadet Linked Detachments are working with a number of schools to deliver learning which supports Curriculum for Excellence, rather than following the UK Government model of Cadet Units ‘hosted’ in schools.

The Scottish Government has not been made aware of any reported sexual assaults of cadets while in the MoD’s care.

Scottish Government officials are working with Education Scotland on developing the detail of the PSE review and the associated timescales. This includes consideration of the Scottish Parliament's Education and Skills Committee report on personal and social education and I expect to publish the detail of the proposed review during the summer.

Where a local authority and schools are working with community based Cadet Linked Detachments to deliver learning which supports Curriculum for Excellence, we would expect the authority and schools to make parents, staff and children and young people aware of that activity, just as they provide other information about the curriculum in the school and other school related activities.

The Scottish Government has no information on Scottish schools reporting bullying to the MoD in the CCF or Linked Detachment Groups. Matters relating to defence are reserved to the UK Parliament. We would expect any instance of bullying in a Scottish school to be addressed appropriately and handled according to the school’s and local authority’s policy and procedures relating to bullying. All Cadet staff in Scotland are required to be members of the PVG scheme run by Disclosure Scotland. The Army Cadets, Sea Cadets and Air Training Corps all have safeguarding and/or child protection policies which are available to view online.

Education Scotland published benchmark guidance earlier in 2017 which provides clarity on the national standards expected in each curriculum area and at each Curriculum for Excellence level in Scotland. The guidance affirms that teaching of STEM subjects in Scottish schools is designed to help develop the skills and attitudes young people will require to be scientifically-literate citizens as well as to participate successfully in the labour market. For example, pupils are required to demonstrate an understanding of the moral and ethical implications of scientific developments. Schools are encouraged to make use of external partnerships with employers and others to ensure STEM learning in schools is stimulating, inspiring and relevant. It is up to teachers and local authorities to use their professional judgement to decide which external partnerships to build and how to use them to support their young people gain the skills, capability and confidence they need.

The establishment of a Strategic board to increase collaboration between the enterprise and skills agencies in order to deliver inclusive economic growth has no bearing on universities’ autonomy or the academic freedom of their staff, to which the Scottish Government is wholly committed.

The Scottish Funding Council will remain accountable to Scottish Ministers. The SFC, in common with the other agencies, will retain its own board which will continue to perform its duties in line with its Ministerial letter of guidance and legislative requirements. The role of the Strategic Board will be to establish increased collaboration between the agencies in order to deliver inclusive economic growth.

The SFC, in common with the other agencies, will retain its own board which will continue to perform its duties in line with its Ministerial letter of guidance and legislative requirements. The role of the Strategic board will be to establish increased collaboration between the agencies in order to deliver inclusive economic growth.