To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to the almost 13,000 children who leave primary school each year unable to read, write or count.

We know from the Scottish Survey of Achievement that the majority of children develop a good grounding in literacy skills in early primary. However, a minority do not and we are determined that everything that needs to be done to support them is done.

Curriculum for Excellence is designed to help drive up standards and literacy and numeracy is at its heart. It provides schools and teachers with the framework within which they can develop appropriate assessments in order to recognise and assist pupils with a range of literacy and numeracy support needs. For the first time, literacy and numeracy are the responsibility of all teachers. We expect all local authorities to have effective literacy and numeracy strategies in place and to develop and provide professional development programmes to support their strategies.

In addition, the new Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy will sample and assess progress in numeracy and literacy skills in alternate years at P4, P7 and S2 beginning with numeracy in May this year.