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The Scottish Government does not receive data from Local Authorities on the inclusion of accessible or inclusive equipment in play parks renewed using the renewal funding. As noted in the answer to S6W-38036 on
13 June 2025, Local Authorities report annually every April on their play park renewals carried out as a result of the Scottish Government’s £60m play park renewal funding.

As noted in the answer to S6W-38037 on 13 June 2025 the Scottish Government has chaired quarterly network meetings of Local Authority play park leads. The network allows Local Authorities to provide updates and how funding is being used and to share best practice and common issues.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government collects and publishes data on the total number of diversion from prosecution cases commenced for people aged under 18, this is published in the .

Over the past five years a total of 3,444 diversion from prosecution cases were started for individuals under 18. However, information on the specific alleged offence in each case is not available.

Local authorities are supported in fulfilling their duties under the 2004 Act through the statutory code of practice on additional support for learning.

In instances where parents/carers are concerned that education authorities may not be fulfilling their duties under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, there are a range of dispute resolution mechanisms available under the 2004 Act. These include mediation, independent adjudication, and referral to the Additional Support Needs Tribunal.

Under section 70 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 any interested party can make a reference to the Scottish Ministers that a responsible body (the managers of a school or education establishment, an education authority or other persons) has failed to discharge a duty imposed on them by or for the purposes of any enactment relating to education.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38037 on xxxxxxx which provides detail on the COSLA scoping study undertaken in 2022. Local authorities have a general responsibility to maintain play parks that serve their communities and this investment provides a boost in funding to accelerate local plans and improve play experiences for all children in Scotland. The reporting by Local Authorities agreed with COSLA does not include data on the condition of play parks before or after renewals. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The £60 million play park renewal funding is allocated to local authorities to use across their whole play estate. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them based on local needs and priorities. The Scottish Government recognise that the extent of renewal and refurbishment will be influenced by local plans and investment priorities and engagement with children and young people.

The Scottish Government does not hold data centrally on the geographic and socio-economic spread of play parks within local authority estates.

The Scottish Government works closely with Local Authorities on the delivery of the renewal programme and use of the funding through the annual reporting process and the quarterly network meetings referenced in S6W-38037. As agreed with COSLA at the start of the funding programme in 2021, Local Authorities are not required to report any such issues.

Local Authorities have the statutory responsibility for education therefore the Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Local authorities may hold this information.

As part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to invest in access to school counselling services, since 2021 local authorities have reported on key measures of their service delivery. A summary of these reports can be found at:

Scottish Government does not collect the information on the number of children and young people in receipt of home education.

Local authorities hold responsibility for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children being home educated, and that the education they are receiving is suitable for their age and ability. In line with the Scottish Government's home education guidance, it is recommended that local authorities should make contact on an annual basis with those families who are known to be home educating within that local authority area.

As part of the update to this guidance, Scottish Government will work with local authority partners to consider options for collecting an aggregate number of children and young people home educating in their area.

I refer the member to S6W-38037.

The £60m Scottish Government funding for play park renewals was distributed among the 32 local authorities based on population of 0-14 year olds and rurality. In the first year, the formula was:

1.95% on population 0-14

2.5% on rurality

From 2022/23, the formula was:

1.93% on population 0-14

2.7% on rurality

Information on Ministerial engagements is routinely published on the Scottish Government website and can be found at: . The engagements for May 2025 will be published three months in arrears, in line with the .