Independent Schools’ VAT Liability (Impact on State Schools)

Part of General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 6 March 2025.

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Photo of Jenny Gilruth Jenny Gilruth Scottish National Party

The increased funding to which the member alludes was included in the Scottish Government’s budget. 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.