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I do not want to be rude, but I think that you need to get real. Young people, parents and teachers are anxious now. They are expressing concern because they feel that they have missed out on education and that clear messaging is not coming from the Government about what will happen with exams. You said that there are plans in the background for additional catch-up, but we do not know anything about them or what they would involve in detail.

From your answer, it seems that zero additional pounds are going in to facilitate exams taking place and the putting in place of sensible precautions. It just seems like a repeat of what we have seen over the past two years, whereby exams and education have not really been a priority.

I have a final question. What additional resource and support are going in to help teachers to take part in the education reform process? They have been pulling out all the stops to keep our young people in classrooms and they are doing the very best that they can do in difficult circumstances. What additional resource are you putting in place to free them up to meaningfully participate in that process?

Cabinet secretary, in response to Fergus Ewing’s question on rural funding, you mentioned the change to using the data on low-income families as a measure for the attainment funding. Will consideration be given to extending that approach to pupil equity funding? I have raised the issue before, but I am concerned that a small number of schools—predominantly smaller rural schools—do not get any pupil equity funding.

To be frank, I find that answer very disappointing, because it is well established that there is often stigma attached to being poor in rural communities, where that poverty is often much more visible. Various poverty campaigners recognise that. I am sad to hear you say that free school meal uptake is the same in rural areas, because many people do not think that that is the case.

How much additional money has been allocated in the budget to guarantee that this year’s examinations will take place?

People will find that answer strange—particularly people in education, who will expect you to be pulling out all the stops this year after the disruption in the past two years. Measures that have been suggested to me include acquiring additional community spaces to allow greater social distancing should they be required at the time, taking on more invigilators, and putting in place one-to-one catch-up support and tutoring for young people who have missed out on a considerable amount of learning. Surely that seems sensible, and just telling them what the questions will be is not a substitute for what they have missed out on.

All of that sounds like it is too little too late. There has been a tweet about some parts of the exam process while you hold back other information that parents, teachers and young people are looking for. I think that people will judge that for themselves—

So, the answer is that zero additional resource is going in to support schools in ensuring that exams take place.

Karen Watt.

Yes, that is starting to answer my question. As someone who represents a constituency in the south of Scotland, I am pleased that you are looking at a specific programme there, but I still have concerns. You used the word “predominantly” when you were talking about the institutions that get support. I look at the Crichton campus in Dumfries and I see the University of the West of Scotland and the University of Glasgow, which are typically more urban based or new institutions. What more support can be provided to them? My particular concern, which is probably broader than just about rural areas, is that, while we continue with a model whereby institutions are funded by fees only to provide courses, it is difficult to see how those outreach campuses can be fully supported and how students who are learning remotely can get the support that they need, particularly off the back of the pandemic, when broader issues around mental health, student support and wider wellbeing have been identified. Anything you can add on that would be helpful.

Is it right to say that you sign off on those places and provide the funding?

You agree that with them, though, as part of the overall package—is that correct?