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Bursaries for independent schools are a matter for the proprietors of each institution, as each independent school is a private company. It is for the school itself to administer and provide bursaries for pupils to attend their establishment.

We continue to engage with the UK Government on this matter. My officials have been assured by the UK Government that their mailbox for school enquiries remains open. We have provided this to all Scottish independent schools, should they wish to contact them.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-36866 on 6 May 2025. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-36866 on 6 May 2025. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The list of public appointments by public body, which was published on 25 March 2025, is an exhaustive list of Ministerial regulated public appointments. Ministerial regulated public appointments are those governed by the Ethical Standards Commissioner and the Code of Practice for Public Appointments (2022). The Code requires publication.

The list covers daily rate and/or total remuneration and time commitment. It is intended to be updated regularly so that it reflects recently made appointments. It was corrected on 25 March 2025 following the identification of errors.

Details added to the spreadsheet should be correct at the point of the appointment commencing. These details may change over time and become out of date. A process is underway to update the spreadsheet to ensure accuracy, including rectification of any other errors identified, and it will be re-published when complete.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) reports that the 2024-25 flu season in Scotland had the highest number of flu cases reported in recent years. Flu case numbers reached their highest levels between week 50 of 2024 and week 1 of 2025, and remained high in weeks 2 and 3 of 2025 as well. England, Wales and Northern Ireland also reported peak levels of infection around December 2024. While flu cases often rise over the festive period, this sustained high level of infection in the community was unusual compared to previous seasons.

As expected with the high levels of flu circulating during the early part of the winter season, proportionate numbers of flu-related hospital admissions followed in late December and early January, with deaths rising briefly thereafter. Epidemiological information on respiratory infection activity across Scotland can be found here.

PHS are currently undertaking a series of analyses of the flu season, including mortality rates.

Whilst high numbers of flu cases were reported over the winter season, there was no evidence to suggest that this season's flu caused more severe illness than in previous years or led to unexpectedly high rates of hospitalisation or a proportionally greater number of deaths.

A recent Eurosurveillance paper analysing the 2024-25 season, along with interim vaccine effectiveness (VE) data from the UK and Europe and including Scotland’s hospital data, showed that flu vaccines provided similar levels of protection against severe influenza disease in hospital settings as in previous years. VE against influenza A in hospitals ranged from 33% to 56%, and VE against influenza B was higher at 58%.

PHS continues to analyse data from the current and historical seasons to understand whether particular groups are more at risk for severe outcomes, with the goal of ensuring that appropriate public health action is taken as warranted.

In order to protect people and the NHS this coming winter it will be critical to maximise uptake across all eligible groups. The Scottish Government urges all those who are eligible to come forward in winter 2025 to receive their flu vaccine. We will continue to work with PHS and other partners within the Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme to look at ways to improve uptake across the board.

It is essential as we move towards the establishment of Qualifications Scotland that the education system and wider public have confidence and trust in the qualifications body in Scotland.

Operational responsibility for the qualifications, such as the marking of assignments and associated quality assurance processes, is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). The Scottish Government has received reassurance that no young people will be disadvantaged by the sharing of annotated assignment materials. It is also important to reassure learners that materials did not relate to exams in any way and were shared after learners’ assignments had been submitted. SQA has advised that it is taking actions forward to enhance and strengthen their quality assurance measures for markers for National 5 History and ensure that the integrity and standards of their qualifications are being maintained.

The governance model for the new qualifications body will ensure the knowledge and experience of learners, teachers and practitioners are central to decisions taken in relation to qualifications and assessment matters, driving greater transparency and accountability.

The Scottish Government does not collate data on the number of people who have cited ADHD as part of their defence.

Having ADHD would not amount to a defence in law to a criminal charge, though it might be something a defence solicitor presents in mitigation on behalf of a client with ADHD.

The information held on the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Services (SCTS) live operational case management systems is structured to support the processing of court business, rather than for statistical reporting or research purposes. SCTS and their staff provide administrative support to the Scottish courts, tribunals and their judiciary and rely on information provided by justice partners to consider any adjustment that may be required to facilitate a court hearing.

Information on the number of violent incidents involving pupils is not held centrally.

Some information is available on physical assaults have either resulted in, or contributed to, the exclusion of a pupil. The latest data available is for school year 2022-23.

Table 1 shows those exclusions from school in 2022-23 which included the reasons of physical assault. It should be noted that each exclusion can include more than one reason.

Table 1: Reasons for exclusion from school, 2022-23

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all young people have access to education and the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Schools and Local Authorities are responsible for admissions to school and therefore can allow pupils to rejoin school if there are sufficient places available on a case-by-case basis.

We continue to work closely with education authorities to ensure that young people have the opportunity to undertake the learner pathway that best matches their abilities and aspirations. We keep all aspects of education policy under review to better support young people’s engagement with education.

There is currently no standard dataset covering the number of people being prescribed medication for ADHD in Scotland, and consequently the Scottish Government does not hold figures for this year or for previous years.