Pam Duncan-Glancy
Independent · Scotland
“I know that because I have been all the people I have described. They live in fear every single day, worrying about what new limit someone else will put on their life and what little power they will have to change it. They live every single day without choice at all.”
“It is the lack of support, and the lack of options, that makes me feel like I cannot go on. Disabled people do not have real choices in life. There will be countless disabled people in our constituencies tonight who have not had the choice to have a shower in weeks.”
“During the pandemic, my husband and I were so scared of other people’s power over our lives— lives that we could see others devaluing daily— that we wrote letters to each other making it clear that we wanted to be resuscitated.”
“From fighting to go to the same nursery as my sister to delaying university for two years because I could not get a care package, and from fighting to be allowed to travel on the same bus as my husband to fighting to get a bathroom adapted so that I could have a shower, absolutely everything that I have has been a fight.”
“The bill will not only put sick and disabled people at a risk that cannot be mitigated in one bill or by one policy, including the risk from coercion, but will serve to reinforce the internalised ableism that we live with every day of our lives, and legitimise the view that a life such as ours—a life of dependence and, often, pain—is not…”
“I, too, thank Liam McArthur for the way in which he has engaged on the bill and with me. Last week, we considered the specifics of what the bill would mean in real life. For 25 hours, we heard personal reflections and experiences as well as some of the difficulties in the detail.”
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“It was a fantastic opportunity for me to meet teachers and to listen to the training that they have been provided with through the module, which has been done in conjunction with the TIE campaign and broader work that has been undertaken in Germany. I very much commend it to members if they are interested in engaging on the work that is being undertaken in our schools. As I said, I look forward to engaging with ADES on these issues later today.”
“I very much recognise the concern that Ms Duncan-Glancy has raised about misogyny in our schools. We know that that is an emerging challenge. She talked about the importance of online influencers, and some of the behaviour in Scottish schools research that the Government published in November 2023 highlighted those issues more broadly. I was in Cathkin high school, which I think might be the member’s former school. I can see that she is shaking her head; I think she must have visited it recently, then. I was there to launch the new Digital Discourse Initiative, which has been led by the Time for Inclusive Education campaign. That resource really helps to support teaching staff to respond to these instances.”
“Without statutory backing for measures such as the gender-based violence guidance or the Equally Safe at School programme, schools cannot reach the people they need to reach, and the implementation of those measures is limited. What new, additional and concrete steps will the Government now take to ensure that every school is an equally safe environment for girls and young women? Jenny Gilruth: The member mentioned a range of issues. I will try to touch on them, but I am cognisant of the time. As of January, 133 schools were registered for the Equally Safe at School programme, which I spoke about in my previous answer. We are also working with the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland to increase uptake. I am meeting ADES later today, and I will raise the point with it directly.”
“The cabinet secretary mentioned the “Behaviour and Relationships in Schools” action plan, but I do not think that it is enough. Research by Zero Tolerance last November highlighted that boys are absorbing incel attitudes and are copying influencers such as Andrew Tate. Things are getting worse, as we have seen from the latest data. Girls and women should feel safe at school, but it is not just a secondary school problem—it is also happening in primary school. In facing that, schools are being asked to respond without the tools that they need. The Government’s updated action plan says that it has not even defined the problem yet.”
“Today, Scottish Labour will support the bill at stage 1. 16:03”
“I am disappointed that we received the Government’s response to the bill only yesterday, which has given us limited time to engage with it, but I encourage the Government to engage with Liz Smith on that matter, because it cannot ride two horses. It cannot, on the one hand, say that it supports outdoor education in principle, as it does in its response, while, on the other hand, saying that it is not prepared to engage meaningfully on what that will cost. I hope that the engagement between Liz Smith and the Government will continue. I agree with the committee and others that the funding will need careful consideration if the bill is to enable every pupil to access residential outdoor education. I hope that, at stage 2, members across the Parliament will work to address the concerns that have been raised.”
“Scottish Labour will therefore continue to work with Liz Smith and others to amend the bill at stage 2 to ensure that provisions are inclusive of all young people, including those with additional support needs. That could include ensuring that there are adequate accessible facilities and transport, that support staff are available to help and that there is time to plan the adaptations that are required to support pupils with additional support needs. On funding, we agree with the committee that clearer commitments are needed, and we agree with the NASUWT that “a substantial injection of cash” will be required to make outdoor education genuinely accessible for pupils with ASN. We recognise COSLA’s concerns about the availability of funding for local government.”
“Natalie Don-Innes: I absolutely concur with Ms Duncan-Glancy. There is currently very limited capacity across outdoor education centres in Scotland to host young people with complex additional support needs. Of course, we want to see that capacity grow, but the bill as it stands does not solve that problem. What would the member say to that? Pam Duncan-Glancy: I welcome the minister’s intervention. I would encourage her to seek solutions to those problems using the levers that are at her and the Government’s disposal, and to work with members across the chamber to amend the bill at stage 2 to make it work. I agree with the EIS, which said that, for inclusion to be meaningful, adequate staffing and support must be in place. That is true both in and out of the classroom. Anything less locks young people out of sharing in vital experiences.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: Please remember always to speak through the chair. Pam Duncan-Glancy: Not only is there space, but there must be space for us to work with trade unions as the bill proceeds to stage 2, so that we take teachers, staff and their representative organisations with us. Scottish Labour will work with members at stage 2 on amendments to ensure that implementation is consistent with staff and teacher workloads and wellbeing and that the changes are delivered with them and not to them. We are also keen to ensure that existing inequalities are addressed and not embedded, particularly for young people with additional support needs, who stand to benefit most if we get this right. Right now, too many pupils with additional support needs miss out on residential opportunities.”
“We know that we will need the staff in schools, the teachers and the changes to infrastructure that we have heard about this afternoon. At the moment, many staff volunteer their time to accompany trips, doing that unpaid, often during weekends or evenings, and on top of already difficult workloads. During committee scrutiny of the bill, the Educational Institute of Scotland warned that no teacher should be compelled to attend overnight stays away from home as part of their contracted hours. If that becomes a statutory duty, expectations in that regard could change. So, as the bill goes through its next stages in Parliament, we must remember the context for schools and staff. Carol Mochan: I value your point about teachers. Do you think that there is space to work with trade unions as the bill goes through stage 2?”
“Children also told us that residential experiences feel fun and freeing but that it is not fair that some children can go when others cannot. That is the crux of what we are discussing today. Providing every pupil with the opportunity to benefit from the kind of learning and personal growth that outdoor residential education brings will need action on some challenges, including those of funding, staffing, accessibility and capacity. I have heard from the member in charge a willingness to engage seriously on those issues. There is a question about equity of access and the need to ensure that children with additional support needs and those whose families are struggling financially are not left behind. There is also a question of how we can ensure there is the capacity to do that.”
“Residential outdoor education has real and lasting benefits. Pupils who take part gain resilience, confidence and social and leadership skills. It offers learning that cannot be replicated in a classroom and that is, for many young people, genuinely transformative. The benefits of residential outdoor education are well evidenced and understood, and, as children themselves told the Education, Children and Young People Committee, those experiences matter. They told us that residential experiences help them to overcome fears, build friendships and develop independence. Teachers and school staff told us how those trips improve their relationships with pupils and give them an insight into young people’s potential. For some children, that is the moment when they begin to believe in themselves.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of Scottish Labour and to offer our party’s support for the Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill at stage 1. I thank Liz Smith for introducing the bill and for the way in which she has engaged with others, including me. I and Scottish Labour agree with the widely held belief that residential outdoor education holds enormous value for young people, teachers and the communities that they come from. For that reason, we will support the bill today. The truth is that, for too many young people and especially those who come from low-income backgrounds or have additional support needs, access to high-quality residential outdoor education is out of reach. It is, at best, patchy and can be totally unavailable. The bill tries to change that, and, for that reason, we welcome it.”
“Will the First Minister step in and help to protect that vital service, to ensure that those who rely on it are not abandoned?”
“I start by thanking Christina McKelvie for the warmth and kindness that she showed me as a newbie in my early days in the Parliament. I will be forever grateful for her kindness and warmth. I, too, offer my condolences to Keith Brown and to all those who loved Christina. Glasgow’s integration joint board is planning to axe its supported living service as part of efforts to plug its £42.5 million funding gap. The service is used by nearly 40 people across the city, including people living with dementia. The decision will reportedly save £2.8 million, but staff have warned that mainstream provision will simply not meet the complex needs of those affected. One woman said that she will no longer be able to live the life that she has now if the support is taken away.”
“With so many pieces of proposed legislation, the Scottish Government has either been incompetent, as with the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill; has dropped promised legislation, as with the proposed human rights bill and learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence bill; or has rushed bills through Parliament, and it feels like that is the case with the Education (Scotland)”
“Does the member agree that the Government is perhaps counting its chickens here? We have been asked to give it powers to appoint to a board that has not yet been agreed and when we do not yet know what the representation of, for example, trade unions will be on it. That has not gone through due parliamentary process, and that process is crucial to gather the sort of respect and trust that the new qualifications body will require. Miles Briggs: I absolutely agree.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the contribution that the cultural sector makes to Glasgow and the west of Scotland’s economy. (S6O-04480)”
“Urgent Question 17:09 Fatal Accident Inquiry (Response)”
“The use of hotel-like accommodation for children in temporary accommodation carries a huge risk of breaching children’s rights under the UNCRC, but it is also a failure of our moral duty to children across Scotland. I note that there are UNCRC-related stage 2 amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill that would require relevant bodies to have regard to the rights of the child in dealing with cases of homelessness. I hope that the minister will support them tomorrow. Scottish Labour wants everyone to live in a warm, safe, accessible and affordable home. That means driving up the supply of housing across all tenures and ensuring that children in Scotland are placed in safe and secure homes that take account of their rights, including those under the UNCRC. I hope that, at decision time, Parliament will support our calls to do that.”
“The city of Glasgow alone has more children in temporary accommodation than the whole of Wales does—let that sink in. Ultimately, children in the region that I represent, and across Scotland, are being failed. There is no excuse and no explanation for the amount of children in temporary accommodation. Although I am pleased that most members engaged with the seriousness of the issue, I have to say that I am a little disappointed that some members chose to list Government actions—or the lack thereof—that have so far failed, instead of setting out how they could get serious about addressing this housing crisis of the Government’s making. We must act quickly to move children to secure, safe and affordable homes.”
“There is much evidence on the link between poor housing and negative educational experiences, which is why it is the case that we should move children who are living in temporary accommodation into secure housing not only because it will improve their life chances today but because every one of the 10,000 children in Scotland who are in temporary accommodation will otherwise be held back in future. That issue is keenly felt by my constituents in the Glasgow region. A recent letter from Glasgow City Council to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee revealed that, as of February this year, 3,503 children were living in temporary accommodation in Glasgow. That is more than the number of children who were stuck in temporary accommodation across the whole of Wales in December.”
“Pupil absence rates are stubbornly high for many, and the Government must consider that that issue could be exacerbated for children who are living in temporary accommodation. The quality of temporary accommodation has been highlighted as a significant factor in young people and children’s distress at home and in school. The Shelter Scotland report concluded that “Noise and inadequate sleep in temporary accommodation negatively impact on children’s academic performance and concentration.” The report also found that instability affected teenagers’ eligibility for education maintenance allowance, which further exacerbates concerns.”
“Every day that a child spends in temporary accommodation is a day too long and is a day that holds back their education and their opportunities. Shelter Scotland’s report lays bare the impact of that. The logistics that children and their parents face when their housing is not near the children’s school include long commutes and the associated financial burdens, lateness and increased stress. The disruption to school attendance, social connections and emotional stability that comes with frequent relocation, which Willie Coffey spoke passionately about, sees many children have trouble adjusting to new schools and losing access to friends, networks, preferred resources and activities.”
“The UNCRC provides children with rights to have their best interests considered when decisions about them are being taken, including the right to life and the ability to develop, the right to school, the right to protection from violence in all forms and the right to play and rest. It is a huge concern that the Shelter report highlights that those rights are being breached. One such right that has had attention from members across the chamber today is in article 28, which states that every child has the right to an education. Given its wide-ranging impact, it is no surprise that many members spoke about that today. The instability and uncertainty that come with living in temporary accommodation have significant impacts on a child’s education and development, and, ultimately, on their life chances.”
“Shelter Scotland’s recent report on children’s experiences in temporary accommodation, which is a painful reminder, as Foysol Choudhury rightly called it, and a damning report, as Graham Simpson correctly stated, sets out the intolerable real-life consequences of those alarming statistics for some of the most marginalised and disadvantaged children in our society. Many members share those concerns and mentioned that today. The UNCRC sets out what we and they— children across Scotland—should expect. That the UN has commented on how bad things are must be a wake-up call, as Willie Rennie said. I agree with Martin Whitfield that the situation represents a failure.”
“I was pleased to hear that members from across the chamber, including Meghan Gallacher, the minister and others, support the need to act and bring in Awaab’s law. I hope that members will support the amendments on the issue to the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which are in Mark Griffin’s name. I agree with Willie Rennie that the Government could inject urgency in addressing the issue and that supporting those amendments could indicate that. The number of people who are in temporary accommodation placements that have been in breach of the unsuitable accommodation order reached 7,400 in 2023-24, which was an increase of 41 per cent, or 2,160, on the previous year.”
“It is a privilege to close today’s debate on behalf of the Scottish Labour Party. I will start where Maggie Chapman and others started, by thanking Shelter Scotland for all its work on the issue. Today, as we are having the debate, 15,000 children are homeless, as Jeremy Balfour reminded us, and 10,360 children are living in temporary accommodation across Scotland. At the start of the debate, my colleague Mark Griffin and others set out the dark reality of the situation every day for children and those who are closest to them. We heard from members across the chamber about the intolerable conditions that children find themselves in. As many said, we have also been devastated by the tragedy of the death of Awaab Ishak.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support cultural activities for children and young people in Glasgow. (S6O-04444)”
“Pam Duncan-Glancy is correct that there is an unacceptable problem here, and the Government, in conjunction with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, is committed to working on it.”
“Does the minister really think that the work on support staff is done? Graeme Dey: When we look at the seriousness of the findings of the GMB and Unison in that area, we see that self-evidently it is not. When that work is linked to our own research, it shows that there remain issues of unacceptable behaviour to which support staff are exposed. That is one reason why the first priority of the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills in responding to BISSR was to provide £900,000 of funding to local authorities to procure and provide professional learning for the support staff workforce to improve skill levels and respond to distressed behaviour in school.”
“Pam Duncan-Glancy: I hosted a round table with support staff in Parliament last month, and their experience was shocking; some had lifelong scars, some experienced misogynistic abuse and others were going to work wearing panic alarms. For most, it has become part of the job to expect violence. However, they do not get the support or information that they need to address the issue or help their young people. That is completely unacceptable. According to the Government’s additional support for learning action plan, a review of how teachers and support staff roles interact and complement each other is complete. That is not reflected in reality—support staff say that they do not get access to the same information that all staff get—nor is it reflected in the conclusion that Audit Scotland came to.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the experience of support staff in schools. (S6O-04429) The Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans (Graeme Dey): School support staff across Scotland play an incredibly important role, and I am keen to put on record our thanks to them for all that they do. Our behaviour in Scottish schools research includes the experience of support staff. In 2023, we also commissioned Education Scotland to lead the pupil support staff engagement programme, which gathered the views of 2,500 support staff on issues including workforce development and deployment. We have committed to undertaking the next wave of BISSR before the end of the action plan period in 2027, and the experiences of support staff will absolutely be included in that.”
“I, too, express my solidarity with the communities of Dundee and the staff at the university, who will face significant heartache after yesterday’s news. The minister has said multiple times this afternoon that he will consider anything that comes forward, and that he will look to the SFC and the institution to see what they will do. What exactly is the Government going to do? Graeme Dey: The Government has already provided the SFC with £15 million to help universities such as the University of Dundee. I again point out that the Labour Party failed to support that move. The Presiding Officer: That concludes the urgent question. Business Motion 17:26”
“As I outlined in my response to Ms Nicoll, that budget includes £186.5 million for increasing teacher numbers to 2023 levels and an extra £29 million for additional support needs in our schools to help with, for example, the recruitment of additional support needs teachers, which of course can help to respond to some of the challenges that the member has set out. I do not understand how, on the one hand, the member can come to the chamber today and praise the additionality that is coming to the Scottish Government while, on the other, her party can decide not to vote in favour of the Scottish Government budget, which delivers on the challenge set out in the NASUWT report. Religious Observance Opt-out (Schools) 3.”
“The UK Government has increased funding for the Department for Education by much more than what the VAT policy is raising, which means that Scotland is getting Barnett consequentials that are worth more than just the VAT policy. This week, the NASUWT published research showing worrying increases in incidents of violence in school and highlighting that 62 per cent of respondents were not aware of the Government’s national plan in that respect. Given that, will the cabinet secretary use some of the increased funding to implement commitments set out in her national action plan? Jenny Gilruth: The increased funding to which the member alludes was included in the Scottish Government’s budget.”
“There are real challenges in Scotland’s schools at the current time, and it would be far more beneficial for Scotland’s children and young people if parties were able to work together to respond to the challenges. I heard Pam Duncan-Glancy complain about resources. I remind her that she and her party chose to abstain on the motion on the Scottish Government’s budget, which provided for— [Interruption.]—an extra £29 million of investment for additional support needs. If she wants to come to the chamber and complain about resourcing, she might want to change her vote in the future to support for extra investment in order to ensure that it goes to those who need it most. Forth Valley College Skills Transition Centre 5.”
“Today’s Audit Scotland report said of the Government’s project board that it has made “limited progress” and that the action plan “does not address resourcing issues”. Predictably, the cabinet secretary has just passed the buck to local authorities; however, on that, the report said that funding allocations “for councils do not reflect the ASL legislation, the presumption of mainstreaming and the continued growth in recorded additional support needs.” What on earth is the cabinet secretary and her team doing, and when she will take responsibility for dismally failing Scotland’s children with additional support needs? Jenny Gilruth: I regret the tone of that question.”
“Instead of using the opportunity of the budget, with the biggest settlement since devolution, to transform Scotland’s public services, the SNP has squandered it to correct its worst mistakes. The budget will pass today—that has been obvious for months—and, because we want the money to get to the front line, we will not stand in its way, but nor will we endorse it. Scottish Labour is clear that a new direction is necessary to properly deliver the change that Scotland needs, and we are ready to deliver it. 17:11”
“Given the lack of progress on public service reform, it is hard to see how the budget will change the direction for them. Although the Government was dragged kicking and screaming to finally reverse its nearly £200 million cut to the affordable housing supply programme, funding for affordable house building has still fallen in real terms by nearly £160 million since 2022-23. Those cuts are having devastating impacts on the lives of thousands of people in Glasgow. In 2022, more than 60,000 people were on housing waiting lists—the equivalent of 10 applicants for every home that was let during the previous year. Record numbers of children are in temporary accommodation, and 56 people tragically died while they were homeless in Glasgow last year. Not a single public service is better off on the Government’s watch.”
“On the SNP Government’s watch, Scotland’s young people are being failed. Everything in the education system proves that, and it is going in the wrong direction. The budget is a tragic missed opportunity for them. I will use the short time that I have left to talk about the experiences of people in Glasgow and disabled people in Scotland—groups who are being badly let down by the Government. A recent survey by Glasgow Disability Alliance found that 89 per cent of its disabled members could not access healthcare appointments or healthcare that met their needs, and that 67 per cent could not access social care that met their needs. The botched National Care Service (Scotland) Bill has not delivered a single additional hour of social care for those people.”
“Today, a report showed that the number of full- time places in Scottish colleges has plummeted by more than 8,000 in a year, which takes the number of places to the lowest level in nine years. Despite colleges asking time and again for real funding flexibility so that they can deliver agile and responsive courses, they have faced inaction on the funding model and decades of budget cuts. Student need is rising in colleges and universities, but funding has been reduced for mental health and student support, and institutions are having to rob one budget to pay for another. Retention is down, and it is worse for the poorest students. Progress on widening access has plateaued, and we do not know whether life chances are being improved because, conveniently, the Government collects data on entry only, not student experience or destination.”
“The Government’s back-and-forth with local authorities on teacher numbers has let them down, too. Rather than use the opportunity of an extra £5.2 billion from the Labour Government to deliver a properly resourced work plan for schools that recognises workload, fills vacancies in key subjects and geographies and gives newly qualified teachers jobs, the Scottish Government has presided over insecurity and uncertainty, with the back-to-the-future ambition of back-to-2023 teaching number levels. It is no wonder that the Educational Institute of Scotland said at the weekend that the SNP is in a “visionless vacuum” on education. Despite claiming that colleges and universities are crucial to economic growth, the SNP has failed to change direction with its budget, handing them continued real-terms cuts, which is having real-life consequences.”
“The Government committed to assessing teacher hours for ASN and was due to publish proposals for support assistance accreditation and registration in 2023, but, unsurprisingly, no update has been provided on either. In a round table with support staff last week, I learned that they are being badly failed by the Government. They are not invited to attend team around the child meetings. They experience daily violence, which, they said, they have now “come to expect”, and there is no consistent process in place for them to report or deal with incidents. Although the number of pupils with ASN has risen hugely, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition has found that, over the past decade, the Government has presided over a funding cut of 33.9 per cent per pupil with additional support needs.”
“Rachael Hamilton: Will Pam Duncan-Glancy take an intervention? Pam Duncan-Glancy: I am happy to take an intervention. Rachael Hamilton: I completely agree with Pam Duncan-Glancy’s comments about the state of education under the SNP Government. However, will she abstain on the budget, or, if she is so disgusted with it, will she vote with the Scottish Conservatives against it tonight? Pam Duncan-Glancy: My party and I will not stand in the way of £5.2 billion extra for public services across Scotland, but nor will we endorse the Government’s failing agenda. The parents of pupils with additional support needs are left fighting day and night for the support that they need, with data showing that applications to the ASN tribunal are up by 67 per cent. Staff are not getting support, either.”
“Today’s report shows that attainment is down; the proportion of pupils leaving school with a nat five is down; the proportion of pupils leaving school with a higher is down; the proportion of pupils going on to positive destinations is down; the number of pupils leaving school with no qualifications at all is up; and, at every single level, the gap between pupils from the most and least deprived areas has widened. Despite the efforts of staff in schools and the fact that 50 per cent of local authority spending goes to education, it is clearer than ever that the SNP Government is not improving outcomes for Scotland’s young people. The picture for pupils with additional support needs is particularly shocking. They are less likely to achieve curriculum for excellence levels or go on to positive destinations.”
“The UK Labour Government delivered record investment for Scotland with the largest block grant in the history of devolution, which has resulted in £5.2 billion being available for the SNP Government to spend. However, after the appalling education statistics today, do not ask me to sit here and endorse this Government’s failed approach. Despite a record settlement, the budget delivers no change in direction, as the current state of Scotland’s education system shows starkly.”
“Graeme Dey: I think that I am right in saying that Colleges Scotland welcomes the reforms because it sees the opportunity that arises from them to produce a system that may well benefit the colleges in some instances but, more than anything, because the reforms will benefit learners. I have to be clear that we will have a continuing mixed apprenticeship offer that will involve the private training providers. Colleges Scotland welcomes what we propose, and I am committed to working with it and with others to sharpen up the model. There is an opportunity for colleges to step forward, because, although they do not currently occupy the apprenticeship landscape, they can provide the holistic wraparound support that our apprentices are entitled to expect from the system.”
“Yesterday, Colleges Scotland told the Education, Children and Young People Committee that “Colleges are vital anchor institutions that are dedicated to delivering skills training and providing education at all stages of life and in our communities.” I think that that is vital to our future. It also said: “To keep doing that, colleges need their Government to deliver reform to deliver the agile and flexible system that their learners need and that employers want, to improve collaborations with both schools and industry.” The bill proposes structural reform, but what will the minister do to deliver the real reform that colleges need?”
“I move amendment S6M-16330.3, to leave out from “, which is” to end and insert: “; commends Scotland’s teachers and schools for their work; notes that the poverty-related attainment gap has not improved in P1 and is the widest it has ever been at Higher level; further notes that the Scottish Government’s failure to plan for the school workforce has meant that teachers are often overworked and children are unsupported; expresses its disappointment at what it sees as the Scottish National Party’s broken promise of rolling out free school meals to all P6 and P7 pupils; believes that education should set young people on the path to opportunities for their future and can help lift people out of poverty; understands that ‘Scotland’s colleges play a particularly important role in supporting learners from more deprived communities to access learning’, as described by Audit Scotland, but that the ‘financial health of the sector has deteriorated since 2021-22’; welcomes that 100,000 people in Scotland have already received a pay rise thanks to the UK Labour administration’s New Deal for Working People; acknowledges recent analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on the extent of child poverty in Scotland, which observed deficiencies in the key data used to calculate poverty rates and found that ‘we will need to go further to reach the 2030-31 targets’, and calls on the Scottish Government to work with the UK Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that accurate data is available for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and other organisations to accurately assess the extent of child poverty in Scotland and the impact of policy interventions on it.” 15:43”