Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for ��˿�� to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-30065

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what data is available on the retention rates of young people in (a) employment and (b) education after completing the Young Person's Guarantee.

The Young Person’s Guarantee Implementation Progress Report (July 2021) and Update Report (March 2023) both highlight progress made over the 2 years. The links for these reports can be found below.

The Scottish Government publishes quarterly statistics on its devolved employability services which can be found at the link below.

These statistics show that through the No One Left Behind approach, 12,204 (35%) participants aged under 25 have entered employment, with 6,599 (19%) entering Further or Higher education and 5,350 (15%) gaining a qualification.

From April 2023 the Young Person’s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities. We therefore do not hold data on retention rates of young people completing the Young Person’s Guarantee.

Question reference: S6W-30066

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Young Person's Guarantee budget is currently allocated to rural and remote areas, and what strategies are in place to ensure equitable access in these areas.

Funding for the Young Person’s Guarantee was allocated through Further Education, Higher Education, the third sector and Developing the Young Workforce. For the employability element of the Young Person’s Guarantee, funding was allocated through Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs) which then distributed funding based on local context and needs. We do not hold a breakdown of allocation to rural and remote areas.

From April 2023 the Young Person’s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.

Question reference: S6W-30071

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it addresses any disparities in access to digital resources and support for young people participating in the Young Person’s Guarantee.

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing digital participation and ensuring that all of Scotland is able to enjoy the social, cultural and economic benefits of the internet. Connecting Scotland is a Scottish Government programme, delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO). It has provided internet-enabled devices, connectivity and digital skills support to people who are digitally excluded.

From April 2023 the Young Person’s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.

Question reference: S6W-30062

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the current budget allocation is for the Young Person's Guarantee in 2024-25, and how this compares with each year since its introduction.

The Scottish Government committed £60 million to the Young Person’s Guarantee in 2020/21, £70 million in 2021-22, and £45 million in 2022-23.

Funding for 2020-21 and 2021-22 came from UK Government Consequentials. From April 2023 the Young Person’s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.

Question reference: S6W-30063

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many young people with additional support needs have been supported through the Young Person's Guarantee in each of the last three years.

Question reference: S6W-30067

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how the success of the Young Person's Guarantee is evaluated, and what criteria are used to measure its effectiveness.

The Young Person’s Guarantee Measurement and Evaluation Framework was published in February 2022. This set out the approach envisaged at the time to monitor and evaluate the progress with the Guarantee, including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and a planned Implementation Evaluation. The framework is available at: .

The Young Person’s Guarantee Implementation Progress Report (July 2021) and Update Report (March 2023) both highlight progress made over the 2 years. The reports also summarised developments at the time in relation to KPIs identified in the monitoring and evaluation framework. These reports can be found at:

The Scottish Government published the Implementation Evaluation of No One Left Behind & the Young Person's Guarantee in August 2023. This evaluation considered progress in implementation and delivery, the experiences of service providers and service users, barriers and enablers to implementation and identified lessons from early delivery.

The Implementation Evaluation of No One Left Behind & the Young Person's Guarantee is available at:

From April 2023 the Young Person’s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.

Question reference: S6W-30069

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects on the participation rates of different demographic groups in the Young Person’s Guarantee, and how any such data is used to address any disparities.

The Scottish Government collect data on all 16-19 year olds through the Skills Development Scotland’s Annual Participation Measure and publish Labour Market Statistics for 16-24 year olds.

Data will continue to inform our approach to policy-making.

Question reference: S6O-03806

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting childcare providers.

Question reference: S6W-29734

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met developers regarding the Bankton junction on the A1 in East Lothian.

Question reference: S6W-28910

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its final settlement terms were for the case of McMaster & Others and MacKay & Others (Gov ref LIT/11764/AT).