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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.

Ministers met with stakeholders from the agricultural, food and drink, research and eNGO sectors on 27 March to discuss their views on the use of gene edited crops and products in Scotland. Stakeholders were invited to give their views on the potential impact of gene editing on crop yields, food security and future sustainability of production in response to changing climate and pest and pathogen pressure. Stakeholders also shared their views on how regulatory regimes for gene editing in other jurisdictions might affect, or are already affecting, their sectors, including potential operational and reputational impacts arising from differences in approach. Ministers are taking into account this evidence from stakeholders, alongside developments in the EU, as they consider the Scottish Government’s position.

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.

It is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council to allocate funding to individual institutions, including whether there is a need to apply any conditions as part of this process.

The member may be interested to know that the Scottish Funding Council wrote to the Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee on 20 March outlining the conditions applied to the liquidity support for the University of Dundee. A link to the letter is as follows:

Letter from the Scottish Funding Council to the Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee on 20 March 2025

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

Aviation and airspace remains a reserved matter for the UK government, however I am aware that Officials in Scottish Government are engaging with the Ministry for Justice on no fly-zone regulations across prisons and considerations are ongoing about extending them to Scotland.

SPS are continuing to implement both physical and targeted reactive measures that will negate the threat presented by drones as well as collaborating with Police Scotland, His Majesty’s Prison Service, Northern Ireland Prison Service and Irish Prison Service, to adopt a multi-nation approach to share best practice and response tactics in response to the threat presented by drone activity in and around our prisons.

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.

Whilst the issue raised is a commercial matter for Wood Group and any prospective partner, the Scottish Government and Enterprise Agencies aim to work with businesses in Scotland, domestic and overseas owned, to ensure Scottish operations are not only secured here but opportunities for growth are pursued.

Growing the economy has been identified as one of the Scottish Government’s four strategic priorities. Our approach to growing Scotland’s economy requires balance. It is important that we focus on both strengthening Scotland’s domestic industries and ensuring our economy is open and internationally focused.

It must also be noted that the powers required to legislate in respect of company acquisition between private sector organisations are reserved to the UK Parliament.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6O-04558 on 23 April 2025. All answers to Oral Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Official Report: search what was said in Parliament | Scottish Parliament Website

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.

The Scottish Government is providing £23.4 million of funding, in 2025-26 to the Regional Transport Partnerships and their local authority partners through the Active Travel People and Place programme. One of the key areas of investment in this programme is Schools and Young People, which targets investment in behaviour change initiatives to encourage more children and young people to use active travel as a way of travelling to school. The aim of this programme is to make sustainable travel choices the most desirable way to travel for young people and families by providing the necessary interventions and adaptations that make active travel more attractive.