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The Scottish Government does not currently provide dedicated funding to organisations and services providing post-diagnostic support for adults with ADHD.

However, we know that ADHD often co-occurs with autism. Accordingly, through the Adult Autism Support Fund, we are funding 14 organisations that are providing post-diagnostic support to autistic adults, some of whom will also have ADHD. One organisation, Lochaber Hope in the Highland council area, specifically provides online workshops on Autism and ADHD, as well as a Neurodivergent group for women and non-binary people.

We are also working to ensure that local diagnostic pathways for adults adopt a stepped care model and a neurodevelopmental approach, inclusive of ADHD.

The Scottish Government has provided funding to National implementation Team (NAIT) to support the Health and Social Care Partnerships to develop action plans to introduce adult neurodevelopmental pathways. NAIT will also provide ADHD professional learning workshops and establish adult neurodevelopmental professional networks.

The number of FTE teachers for the 2025-26 school year will be confirmed following publication of the 2025 teacher census results.

Data on teacher numbers and characteristics are collected in the annual teacher census, conducted in September of each year.

Headline figures are published the following December as part of ‘Summary statistics for schools in Scotland’: https://www.gov.scot/collections/school-education-statistics/#summarystatisticsforschoolsinscotland

The Scottish Government is taking a range of actions to encourage the employment of people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence in the public sector, including investment of up to £90 million in employability services in the 2024-25 financial year.

We are delivering all-age, person-centred, tailored employability services to those further from the labour market, including people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence, and those with health conditions, through locally designed services such as No One Left Behind.

Under No One Left Behind, participants can access person-centred support to gain employment, which includes roles within the public sector. From summer 2025 all local employability partnerships will have an enhanced specialist employability offer which may be beneficial for those with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence.

We are also undertaking work internally to encourage the employment of people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence within the Scottish Government as a public sector body.

The Scottish Government launched its Diversity and Inclusion Employer Strategy in April 2024. This sets out how the organisation will make further progress towards our employer equality outcomes. It is complemented by an action plan for 2024 - 2027 setting out what we will do to achieve this, and when we will do it. Improving the experience of disabled applicants and employees is an integral part of this plan, and employees who are neurodivergent, are autistic and/or have learning disabilities are a central focus of our activity.

Scottish Government do not hold an estimate of the number of full-time equivalent nurses there will be in 2025-26.

Student number targets are set after extensive engagement with key stakeholders to provide stability across partners including higher education institutes.

Nursing Students graduate after 3 years, some take 4 or even 5 years, and as with all educational courses there is some attrition which makes it difficult to forecast the exact numbers of graduates.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving attendance in Scottish schools. Last year, we requested that Education Scotland undertake a “deep dive” to support greater understanding of the issue and the reasons for it.

Within the resulting report, five recommendations were identified. Education Scotland and Scottish Government officials have been working together to support the implementation of the recommendations. An online package of support, designed in collaboration with local authorities and schools, has been published.

Education Scotland are working with local authorities to improve attendance through both universal supports and through a bespoke support package using Quality Improvement Methodology. The first cohort of the ‘Improving Attendance Quality Improvement Programme’ will run from October to January.

Our commitment to delivering these recommendations is set out in ‘The National Action Plan on Relationships and Behaviour: 2024 – 2027 (The Joint Action Plan, 2024)’. This includes actions to review and revise national guidance on attendance This will enable refreshed guidance to be produced.

In recognition of the challenge of persistent absence, HM Chief Inspector for Education has also been asked with addressing this during school inspections and to identify successful approaches which can be shared more widely.

The full costs of the procurement for the seven vessels as part of the Small Vessels Replacement Programme are estimated to be around £175 million including the provision of harbour upgrades and shore power connections.

The split cannot be given at this time given the live procurement of the programme and will only be known following the successful completion of the procurement exercise, anticipated March 2025.

The Scottish Government wants all children and young people to get the support that they need to reach their full learning potential and to do so it is important that pupils not only attend school but that they engage in their learning.

The Scottish Government is clear that parents and carers have a role to play in supporting young people to attend school. We recognise that parents have a legal duty to ensure that their child attends school. Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1, our national guidance on attendance, encourages education authorities and schools to engage with children, young people and families to support improved attendance and reduce absence. We know engagement with children, young people and families to understand and address barriers to regular attendance is the most effective way of addressing this issue.

The Scottish Government has been working intensely to address concerns about the impact of the pandemic on attendance. Education Scotland are working to deliver enhanced support for schools and local authorities in monitoring and tracking absence, to develop policy at school and local authority level to support improvements in attendance, and to provide practical support for local authorities who need it. The Scottish Government has also strengthened our understanding of the issue, through increased analysis of attendance data, such as the data on persistent absence published in March 2024. The Interim Chief Inspector has been tasked with ensuring persistent absence is addressed in every school inspection, and identifying successful approaches which can be shared more widely.

We are considering the findings on attendance within the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research and Education Scotland’s report ‘Improving Attendance: Understanding the Issues,” as part of the joint Scottish Government and COSLA action plan on relationships and behaviour, which published on 15 August.

The Scottish Government is already engaged in work to educate communities and businesses to recognise and support people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence.

The differentminds website (Different Minds | Autism Scotland) was launched in 2020 to provide clearer information on autism. It aims to deliver a better understanding of autism and dispel myths surrounding it, leading to greater acceptance and increased awareness. The site and its resources have been co-produced with autistic people.

The Scottish Government also funds an organisation called Into Work, through the Autistic Adult Support Fund. This helps various organisations throughout the country to educate employers and offer support on how to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people or those with a long term health condition. Autistic people and their support needs have been both highlighted and supported by Into Work.

We are taking forward the Review of Supported Employment within Scotland (2021). This recommended that work continues to support the professionalisation of the supported employment workforce, including ensuring it is well equipped to provide appropriate support to people with learning disabilities.

The Scottish Government have not met with NHS Lanarkshire to discuss the prevention of Mpox. However, Public Health Scotland, who are leading on planning and preparedness in Scotland, are working closely with public health colleagues across the UK, as well as NHS Boards in Scotland, to monitor the situation and prepare for any cases that we might see.