Meeting of the Parliament 20 January 2026
I thank colleagues for explaining their amendments. The two amendments in this group revisit proposals that were previously brought forward at stage 2, and which the Education, Children and Young People Committee resisted at that juncture.
Amendment 75, from Miles Briggs, is similar to an amendment that was lodged by Willie Rennie at stage 2, concerning an industry-led board to oversee apprenticeships. Amendment 75 would effectively reinstate the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board—otherwise known as SAAB. I put on record the great work that SAAB has done for many years. I am grateful for the engagement that I have had with it since my appointment, on the bill and other matters.
However, the bill already establishes an apprenticeship committee within the Scottish Funding Council that is expected to lead on some of the responsibilities of SAAB. Recreating an additional board with overlapping responsibilities would clutter the system at a time when we are trying to simplify it. It would duplicate roles and introduce unnecessary complexity without delivering added value to the system. The bill, as amended at stage 2, also formalises and strengthens the role of employers in the system.
Those changes will ensure that employers continue to be central to apprenticeship delivery, but in a way that fits coherently with the new governance arrangements, rather than creating unnecessary parallel structures.