52,700 young Scots economically inactive, Swinney told

It comes after the Scottish Government said it could no longer afford to provide universal free school meals to all primary pupils, with the scheme only being extended to P6 and P7 pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, published in June, showed one in 10 of Scotland’s 16- to 24-year-olds were considered economically inactive.

The data does not include those who are full time education.

Mr Ross raised alarm at the figures during First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) where he accused the Scottish Government of abandoning its Young Persons Guarantee.

The initiative aims to provide those in the 16 to 24 age bracket with an opportunity to access work, training or volunteering.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross. (Image: PA) (Image: PA) It was developed to mitigate the social and economic impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on young Scots.

Mr Swinney, who served as education secretary between 2016 and 2021, faced strong criticism over the prospects for young people after school.

He told Mr Ross he did not know the number of young people who were considered economically inactive.

Mr Ross, who grilled the First Minister at his penultimate FMQs as Scottish Tory leader, said: “Why should the First Minister know that? Because it is one in 10 of 16 to 24-year-olds and it is the highest number ever on record.

“The highest number ever – I would have thought the First Minister would know that.”

Asked if the Young Person’s Guarantee was “yet another SNP broken promise”.

He said: “No, what it is, is we take ideas and projects and we make them available right across the country.”

“We applied that across the country. That’s the right thing to do.

“The problem with the statistics that Douglas Ross puts to me of course, is that in the most recent economic inactivity that’s available, there was a significant fall in economic inactivity in Scotland and an increase in economic participation.

“Now these are challenging issues and the work of tackling economic inactivity is fundamental to encouraging economic participation but it commands the focus of government to make sure that we maximise the number of people taking part in the labour market and participating in Scotland’s economy.”

He said a record number of young Scots were in education, including those from the most deprived backgrounds.

Mr Swinney also faced scrutiny from the Scottish Tory leader after an OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – report published earlier this week said there were “multiple barriers” to developing skills in Scotland.

Mr Ross said the report card “was damaging” after OECD branded the link between skills policies and economic development as “weak”.

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Mr Swinney replied: “I don’t agree with that conclusion.”

The Scottish Tory leader said: “In their 2021 manifesto, the SNP pledged a Young Person’s Guarantee to ensure that everyone between 16 and 24 would have the opportunity of education, training or a job.

“Yet official figures show that 52,700 Scots aged 16 to 24 are economically inactive and not in education. That is one in 10 – and the highest figure since records began.

“It’s clear that the Young Person’s Guarantee is just another broken SNP promise.

“This week’s OECD report – which the First Minister appears not to have read – is damning on the SNP’s record on preparing young people for the workplace.”

He added: “Under the SNP, we have a skills strategy that does not help people to get jobs, an education reform agenda that doesn’t lead to any reforms, colleges that are bust and a Young Person’s Guarantee that doesn’t guarantee anything.

“How is John Swinney the First Minister going to do a better job on any of this than John Swinney the Education Secretary?”

Concluding the battle between the party leaders, Mr Swinney took aim at the outgoing Scottish Tory boss’ time in the job.

Stating he would “take no lessons” from Mr Ross, he added: “His record is one of absolute abject economic failure.”

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the NHS was suffering from a “doom loop of delays” after staff absences due to sickness amounted to 15.3 million hours in the last year.

Mr Sarwar raised concerns of a damaging cycle after he said many health workers were too sick to work, meaning there was a shortage of staff to treat those who need it.

He said the figure was the equivalent of 640,000 days lost in the NHS while “one in six Scots are on an NHS waiting list.”

Mr Swinney said it was “in the interests of the National Health Service for individuals who are their employees to be treated timeously, as it is in all walks of life, so people can get back to their work.”

But he said the health service was facing “legitimate challenges” following the pandemic.

Mr Swinney also criticised the “perpetuation of austerity” as he challenged Mr Sarwar to put pressure on the UK Labour Government to make more money available.

Mr Swinney insisted: “We’re getting austerity under the Labour Party as we speak.

“My message to Mr Sarwar is if he wants to help the situation, he should say to the UK masters ‘end the austerity’.”