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Section 14(3) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 provides that education authorities have a duty to continue to provide education for a child or young person during a period of exclusion from school.

The Scottish Government’s refreshed guidance “Included, Engaged and Involved Part 2: A Positive Approach to Preventing and Managing School Exclusions” provides guidance on key legislation relating to exclusion and advice on the appropriate provision of education during a period of exclusion from school.

Support is provided to schools and local authorities by Education Scotland, who help to promote and embed the approaches set out in the refreshed guidance. Education Scotland also provides support and advice through a range of national networks for third sector groups who are working to improve the educational outcomes for learners at risk of being excluded.

More broadly it is a clear principle within Curriculum for Excellence that learning and teaching should support the needs of all learners through personalised and targeted support where it is required. This would include learners who are excluded from school.

Statistics on the number of exclusions since 2006-7 are published on the Scottish Government website here:

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/12/7925/321888

Since 2010-11 the Scottish Government has collected data on exclusions biennially. Statistics on exclusions covering academic year 2016-17 will be published as part of the 2017 edition of the Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland bulletin.

I wrote to all local authorities on 24 June 2017 to seek assurances about external cladding systems used in school buildings. As we are still awaiting response, I will respond in full after recess.

This data has only been available for looked after children since 2009-10 - it is published in the annual Education Outcomes for Looked After Children official statistics release.

Furthermore, there are two populations of looked after children for the purposes of this publication. We normally focus on children who were looked after for the whole year in which they left school rather than those who were looked after for only part of the year - this is the basis of the headline figures in the publication, so are presented here.

The overall attendance figures come from Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland.

Data on attendance is now published biennially.

These figures are also duplicated in the background note for clarity.

When the first payment was made in 2015 it was anticipated that the change process would be completed within a 2 year time frame. This has not proved possible because of the extent of the work that was required to inform the development of a model.

It has taken SPS longer than anticipated and at this point in time, we anticipate that the final delivery of the model is still some 2 years off.

SPS has been very clear that the payments that have been made to frontline Prison Officers are connected to their continuing engagement with the process of transformational change. These payments are made in recognition that the effect of that change will be disproportionally felt by that staff group.

This information is not held by the Scottish Government. Each local authority should be contacted for this information.

The Scottish Government has only been collecting information on the numbers of building warrants granted and completion certificates accepted since 2009-10. This information is provided by local authority in the following tables.

This information is not held by the Scottish Government. Each local authority should be contacted for this information.

This information is not held by the Scottish Government. Each local authority should be contacted for this information.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has been clear that the payments that have been made to Prison Officers are connected to their continuing engagement with the process of transformational change. This change will deliver a new operating model which it is anticipated will see Prison Officers recognised as Justice Professionals.

The reform underway within SPS will require greater flexibility from frontline Prison Officers and a willingness to acquire new specialist skills and undertake new training and qualifications. The payments are being made in recognition that the effect of that change will be disproportionally felt by that staff group.