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On 30 October 2023, the Scottish Government announced the following 10 successful Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) Phase 3 projects:

1. Hazlehead Academy (Aberdeen City)

2. Mull Campus (Argyll and Bute)

3. Lochies ASN School (Clackmannanshire)

4. Lenzie Academy (East Dunbartonshire)

5. Carrongrange ASN School extension (Falkirk)

6. Forres Academy (Moray)

7. Chryston High School extension (North Lanarkshire)

8. Kirkwall ASN Centre (Orkney)

9. Brae Campus (Shetland)

10. Riverside and Letham Primary School (West Lothian)

Every local authority which has submitted a bid through the LEIP has been awarded funding for a project in Phases 1, 2 or 3.

The £2bn LEIP is being delivered in partnership with local authorities and will benefit tens of thousands of pupils across Scotland.

The proportion of schools in “good” or “satisfactory” condition in Scotland has increased from 61% in April 2007 to almost 91% in April 2023, and LEIP investment will build on this progress.

I am clear that everyone involved with the education system must redouble efforts to ensure children and young people are fully engaged in their learning, in line with education authorities’ responsibilities to follow up and monitor and manage absence.

The Scottish Government has provided national guidance to local authorities and schools – Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1: Promoting and Managing School Attendance. The guidance focusses on engagement and motivation, including for those at risk of poor attendance. It also sets out follow up actions when a pupil is absent from school.

I have also asked Education Scotland to undertake work to better understand the current barriers and challenges experienced by schools, children and young people and their families which influence school attendance. Education Scotland published this report, “Improving Attendance: Understanding the Issues,” on 28 November 2023. In addition, Education Scotland will work with Directors of Education to take forward improvement on attendance as a priority.

The findings from the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR), published in November 2023, provide evidence- on the extent to which pupils are disengaging from learning. Officials are considering these findings and Education Scotland’s work as part of the joint Scottish Government and COSLA action plan on relationships and behaviour, which will be published in the spring.

The Scottish Government is also working with Education Scotland, COSLA and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES), to agree meaningful, measurable outcomes in response to the education asks within The Promise.

This aims to improve the experience, achievement, attendance, engagement in learning and attainment of those with care experience and their transition from education.

The Scottish Government has faced its most challenging budgetary settlement since devolution began – a settlement which has not been inflation-proofed, and which has subsequently required difficult decisions to be made, due to the pressures on our public services. Mindful of our missions and priorities for Scotland, we have had to prioritise legal and contractual obligations in determining how to deploy this budget across Education and Skills priorities. Our children, young people, families and learners of all ages continue to be a key priority for this Government and we will continue to focus on our three central missions of equality, opportunity, and community.

We remain committed to supporting a high quality post-school education, research and skills system with over £2.4 billion investment. This includes honouring this government’s commitment to free tuition and a £2,400 increase in student financial support for higher education students from the next academic year.

We have also made clear our commitment to reform our lifelong education and skills system. This is demonstrated within our 2023-24 Programme for Government where we committed to lead the development of a new funding model for Post-School education provision.

We look forward to receiving the subsequent reports where NUS will set out their roadmap towards an education system that’s collectively shaped by students’ views, values and ambitions which we hope will offer some robust proposals, including funding suggestions to drive forward our commitment to reforming the post-16 landscape.

The Scottish Government does not collect data on CAMHS appointment costs across NHS boards centrally.

Every presentation to CAMHS is treated differently depending on the individual needs of the young person. It may involve a multidisciplinary response involving a range of specialists. Therefore the cost per appointment will vary depending on the range of professionals involved and the needs of the child or young person.

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) NHS Scotland national service specification outlines provisions young people and their families can expect from the NHS.

Every death in custody is tragic and a matter for concern. We will carefully consider the findings of this report. The health and wellbeing of all those in custody is a priority for this Government and we continue to work with partners to ensure their safety.

Regarding drug use in custody, the Scottish Government funds a variety of programmes aimed at encouraging recovery. This includes the Prison Recovery Project, which supports access to recovery options and choice in prison, as well as creating links to the community and the Prison to Rehab pathway, which enables individuals to access residential rehabilitation on release from prison.

More broadly, the Scottish Government is supporting a range of actions in relation to deaths in custody: the Scottish Prison Service recently completed a thorough review of their Death in Prison Learning Audit and Review process, designed to improve their support for vulnerable people in their care; His Majesty’s Inspectorate of the Constabulary Scotland has undertaken joint healthcare inspections of police custody facilities, working with Healthcare Improvement Scotland to ensure that health issues are fully considered; and the Mental Welfare Commission recently concluded pilot work to develop a new investigatory system for those who died while subject to an order under mental health legislation.

The Lord Advocate is constitutionally responsible for the investigation of sudden, unexpected and suspicious deaths in Scotland. Any conclusions reached or recommendations made at the end of a Fatal Accident Inquiry are a matter for the Sheriff who has heard all the evidence.

The Just Transition Fund has allocated £75 million to date, supporting projects and communities across the North East and Moray to create jobs, support innovation, and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.

The Scottish Government does not provide direct funding to Inclusion Glasgow.

Further to question S6W-21835, I can confirm that no further working groups have been established since October 2023 within the Education and Skills portfolio.

I can confirm that all of the working groups listed in that answer are still active. However please note, one additional group was missed in the original PQ response. Therefore the current active working groups are as follows:

The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) engage regularly with colleges, which, are key anchors for the transition to Net Zero, acting as both community enablers and demonstration hubs in cities and regions.

SFC’s College Infrastructure Strategy , published in November 2022, describes the Scottish Funding Council’s approach to determining future investment in Scotland’s college estate and other college infrastructure. The strategy sets out the collective approach between SFC and colleges to develop an Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) for Scotland’s colleges. The plan, which will cover the period from 2024-34, will identify infrastructure investment need including investment for net zero.

Open general export licences (OGELs) are reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government does not hold data or information on OGELs.

In a wider context, the First Minister has recently asked the Prime Minister for a ban on licencing of arms exports from the UK to Israel, which would also extend to any relevant products currently manufactured in Scotland.

The UK Government publishes statistics on strategic export licences at: Strategic export controls: licensing data annual reports - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) However, these data sets do not identify where the licenced items are produced.