Students aged 18 to 29 (as of 17 May 2021) are currently being invited to register for their coronavirus vaccine: Registering for a coronavirus vaccine | The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine (nhsinform.scot) . The registration service is available for 2 weeks, from 24 May until 4 June 2021. Vaccination appointments will start from mid-June and aim to conclude well before the start of the new term. Alerts and information will be received digitally, rather than through the post. Students who are aged 30 and over will still receive their appointment in a blue envelope in the post as per their age cohort.

All eligible students who do not have access to the internet or a smartphone, can still register by calling the national COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013. People can opt to have their future appointment sent to them by SMS text, email or letter.

Most students will receive their vaccine appointment during the summer holidays. If students are registered with a GP practice near their term-time address, the appointment will be at a vaccine clinic near there. However, if they are living elsewhere in Scotland over the summer, they can call the phone line to get moved to a clinic near their summer location.

If they wish to change the date, time and local location (they are not moving away to be in another Scottish health board area for the summer), they can do this online here: Rearrange or opt-out of your vaccination appointment | The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine (nhsinform.scot) .

Following exam changes in 2020, the Scottish Government asked the Scottish Funding Council to fund additional places in Scotland’s universities in AY 2020-21. These places will continue to be funded in AY 2021-22 along with further additional places for affected 2020 students starting their studies in AY
‎ 2021-22.

Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) data covering the 2021 cycle, published in February, shows that, in total across all domiciles, there were 132,960 applicants making 310,190 applications for a Scottish University by the January deadline.

The following link provides further details, including specific domicile groupings:

https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-releases/applicant-releases-2021/2021-cycle-applicant-figures-january-deadline

The Scottish Funding Council continues to work closely with the Universities to determine their AY 2021-22 requirement as definitive student numbers will not be known until courses start.

Employment Support Allowance (ESA) is a UK wide benefit reserved to the UK Government. Guidance from the Department for Work and Pensions requires that GPs provide fit notes, as evidence of the advice the ESA applicant has been given about their fitness for work, and these are provided free of charge. These requirements do not apply where further non-mandatory evidence is sought to support a claim. The Scottish Government has not made any representations to the UK Government on this specific matter.

In January 2021, the then Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport accepted the NHS Lanarkshire’s recommendation of Wester Moffat as the preferred site option for a new University Hospital Monklands. NHS Lanarkshire is currently preparing an Outline Business Case which will then be submitted to Scottish Government for consideration.

We have published robust guidance on ventilation in schools which has been developed collaboratively with stakeholders, including the Scottish Heads of Property Services Network, and has incorporated the latest SAGE and Health and Safety Executive expert advice and practical user feedback.

To date, the Scottish Government has committed over £400 million over 2020-21 and 2021-22 to support education recovery. With £90 million committed to support local authorities in implementing protection measures, such as increased ventilation, to ensure schools are safe, open and welcoming, in line with schools guidance.

The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to the use of animals in scientific procedures which is a matter reserved to the UK Government.

University entry requirements vary among universities and between subject, and also vary over time as demand for particular subjects and courses increases or decreases. As autonomous bodies universities are responsible for their own policies and procedures, including setting entry requirements for each course they offer.

Following exam changes in 2020, the Scottish Government asked the Scottish Funding Council to fund additional places in Scotland’s universities in AY 2020-21. These places will continue to be funded in AY 2021-22 along with further additional places for affected 2020 students starting their studies in AY 2021-22.

With the exception of the controlled subjects (i.e. medicine, pre-registration nursing and midwifery education, dentistry and initial teacher education), the Scottish Government does not direct individual institutions on the number of funded places to make available for eligible students.

Minimum entry requirements (access thresholds) for SIMD20 students have been set by all Scottish universities and were published for the very first time in 2019 (for AY 2020-21 entrants).

All of Scotland’s higher education institutions (excluding The Open University in Scotland as it has a different admissions system) have committed to guaranteeing an offer of an undergraduate place at university to care-experienced applicants who meet minimum entry requirements. This was effective from autumn 2019 for learners entering university in autumn 2020.

We remain absolutely committed to the principle that access to education should be based on the ability to learn and not the ability to pay. Every child growing up in Scotland, regardless of their background, should have an equal chance of attending university and participating in higher education.

The establishment of the Site Recovery Group was one of the recommendations from the report of the Buchanan and St Ambrose Independent Review, and we welcome the Group's report.

North Lanarkshire Council has assured us that it is taking action as quickly as possible to resolve the issues raised by the Chair within the Group’s report.

As it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage their school estate, any further questions on this matter should be put to the Council directly.

The UK government`s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is responsible for the delivery of driving tests in Scotland, however the Scottish government works closely with the DVSA to ensure that waiting times to access a driving test are minimised as much as possible. In collaboration with the DVSA we secured delegated authority earlier this year for some transport operators and the emergency services to undertake driving tests for their own staff, thereby reducing the numbers of people awaiting tests at DVSA test centres. In advance of driving tests resuming when Scotland moved to Protection Level 3 on 26 April 2021, we engaged with DVSA on their remobilisation plans and the development of communications materials to ensure that candidates were “test ready” when they presented for a test. We continue to meet regularly with the DVSA to discuss ways in which we can expedite access to driving tests.

In December 2020, the Scottish Government were delighted to announce that Liberton High School would be included within Phase 2 of the £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme.

We remain committed to this funding commitment and expect Phase 2 projects, including the replacement for Liberton High School, to be completed by December 2025.