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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 7 August 2025
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Displaying 1423 contributions

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Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Miles Briggs

The Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board is to be shut down, but we have no details of what will replace it. It has a key function in looking at the skills that we should be developing and having a voice about those.

The problem on the table is that we have 25,000 apprenticeships when 40,000 could have been delivered. Focusing on why that is, and the resources needed, seems to have caused a completely new restructuring, which will not necessarily help to deliver a solution to the problem of resourcing for apprenticeship places.

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Miles Briggs

I want to go back to the question about annual reporting on the financial sustainability of the higher education sector. For clarification, is it correct that you have received the information about new financial forecasts that you have been awaiting?

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Miles Briggs

Mr Yeates, do you have anything to add in answer to that range of questions?

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Miles Briggs

You said that you have been at SAAS for two and a half years. Do you fear that things will be lost in translation? We are hearing that none of this work is happening. I am not sure that I have heard a commitment on where the responsibility will sit鈥攚ill it sit with the board or with a subsection of the board? You are doing a lot of important work, which could potentially be lost.

There is also the 10-year projection鈥攚e do not have time to wait 10 years for the system to deliver for our economy. It should already be delivering.

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Miles Briggs

I will bring in Ms Topley in relation to the concerns about the winding up of SAAB, which I also raised with the previous panel. The bill does not provide detail on what will replace it; that is all up for discussion. I have concerns about that. A lot of people who submitted evidence to the committee said that we could lose a lot of good value by doing that. What are your views on the questions that I have put? Is there another way of preserving what has been going on and improving the provision of advice? We are all acutely aware of what is needed in relation to the skills shortages, but the bill will not necessarily be the answer to that problem鈥攊t might simply shift organisational responsibility.

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Miles Briggs

The apprenticeship board.

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Miles Briggs

I fully understand your internal processes. However, we are currently in a very different space, with lots of different organisations, including Edinburgh university here in my region, coming forward with major cuts to their institutions and job losses. That information needs to get to us almost live so that politicians and all of us can scrutinise that situation.

I want to move on to governance questions. Responses to the call for views highlighted a lack of clarity on the proposals on board reappointments, on the skills and experience of council members, and on co-opting provisions. Can you outline further details around that and around the setting up of that, which you have said is planned?

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Education (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Miles Briggs

I agree that it is not about every single complaint being investigated. The petitioners would certainly point out serious complaints that have not been investigated. As an Edinburgh MSP, I am concerned about Edinburgh schools, but this is not just an Edinburgh issue鈥攊t is an issue across Scotland.

I hope that, at stage 3, there will be a workable way of giving the inspectorate a new opportunity to hear concerns and decide which ones it should take forward under the complaints procedure. That is why I have tried to keep the amendments open for the inspectorate to be able to do that. I am happy to hear the cabinet secretary鈥檚 view on the matter. The petitioners have a specific ask, and the amendments are just one step towards improving the whistleblowing and safeguarding culture in Scotland.

I move amendment 157.

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Education (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Miles Briggs

Like other members, I am very sympathetic to what Pam Duncan-Glancy is trying to achieve. However, I am not quite sure where she has got the six-month period from. I do not know what the cabinet secretary will say in her closing remarks, but perhaps something could be considered on the time period for serving on the board or having a refresh. Given the need to move the new organisation forward, I am slightly concerned about the six-month period creating uncertainty.

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Miles Briggs

The bill has no targets or minimum levels of rights, either for apprentices or for employers. Is that something that your members have highlighted and fed back to you on?