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I appreciate that, convener.

With regard to this strategic change, I heard that colleges were considering using the funding to offer voluntary redundancy packages, if necessary. In the absence of that, some colleges have now pursued compulsory redundancies. What is the cabinet secretary’s response to that?

I do. The evidence does not support the Government’s claim that the poverty-related attainment gap was narrowing before the pandemic. Indeed, the trend in national 5s and highers from 2016 to 2019 was that the gap was increasing, and it is now wider than it was in 2016. Can the cabinet secretary explain that, and will she fulfil the commitment to close the gap by 2026?

Would you accept that the gap was increasing between 2016 and 2019?

That is correct. Sorry.

Good morning, cabinet secretary. Congratulations on taking up your post, and welcome. I wish a good morning to the officials, as well.

In a similar vein, regarding the teachers’ pay settlement, the Government’s reply to the committee last year said:

“We’ve listened to feedback from headteachers about seeking longer term certainty over PEF so, for the first time, we have managed to secure PEF allocations for four years.”

However, the Scottish Government’s evidence to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee yesterday called that into question. The committee heard that, far from continued certainty, some pupil equity funding will be clawed back to pay for the teachers’ deal. Is that the case?

My understanding is that approximately £30 million of the money will be reprofiled to go towards the £80 million that the Government said that it would need to find.

Does that include in this financial year?

Thank you.

You also mentioned the additionality that is attached to PEF—you said that schools and local authorities had considered that PEF was additional spending. The report on how that funding has been used was published late last night. There is very little in it about the detail that was asked for on additionality. Are you aware of any local circumstances in which PEF is being used to backfill current core costs?

Thank you.

It was the three years previous to 2019 that I quoted figures on.