Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is working with Public Health Scotland and NHS Boards, including NHS Tayside and NHS Grampian, to improve childhood vaccination uptake. Nationally, the five-year Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) Framework sets out priorities to increase uptake, reduce inequalities and minimise the burden of vaccine-preventable disease. Public Health Scotland also holds regular liaison meetings with NHS Boards to review local data, share learning and discuss quality improvement activity. Boards continue to implement measures based on local need, including reminder and recall arrangements, flexible appointments and community-based delivery, supported through existing national improvement arrangements.

Maree Todd: The Scottish Government expects educational establishments for all age groups to follow Public Health Scotland’s Health Protection Guidance to minimise the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, including measles.

Any measles outbreak in Scotland is managed through established local and national public health response arrangements. Where a suspected or confirmed case is identified in an educational setting, the relevant NHS Board, supported by Public Health Scotland, will provide advice and support on outbreak management, including public health actions as required.

Colleges and universities, as autonomous institutions, are responsible for their own operational arrangements for responding to incidents and reporting suspected cases of notifiable diseases.

The Scottish Government continues to promote uptake of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Information on vaccinations and the importance of keeping vaccinations up to date is available through NHS Inform, Parent Club and Student Information Scotland. This includes advice on vaccines offered at secondary school, checking MMR vaccination status and arranging vaccination appointments through local GP practices.

Long-term declines in uptake are seen across immunisations across the UK 4-nations and beyond, with Scotland comparing favourably. The reasons are multifaceted and include attitudinal and behavioural, as well as structural, and are described here: Understanding and Addressing Declines in Childhood Immunisations - Understanding and Addressing Declines in Childhood Immunisations - Publications - Public Health Scotland

Immunisation uptake varies by NHS Board, local authority and a range of demographic factors, including deprivation, ethnicity, sex and urban-rurality, reflecting a range of interrelated demographic, behavioural and structural factors. In January 2026, the second MMR dose was brought forward from 3 years 4 months to 18 months, creating more opportunities for vaccination before school age. Ongoing improvement activity includes implementation of the five-year Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) framework and regular engagement between Public Health Scotland and NHS Boards.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Public Health Scotland (PHS) also does not hold or publish information on the number of MMR or MMRV catch-up vaccination invitations issued, subsequent vaccination following invitation or local uptake targets. NHS Boards will use local management information to support operation planning in their area but this not routinely collected or published at a national level.

The 5-year Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) framework sets out priorities to improve uptake, reduce inequalities and reduce disease burden. To support the delivery of this, national indicators are under development. Bi-monthly Board liaison calls between PHS and NHS Boards provide an opportunity to discuss local data and operational issues.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Scottish Government does not hold this data centrally. It is published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) and is publicly available through the PHS Vaccination Surveillance Dashboard.

There are currently no plans to convene a meeting on measles preparedness.

The Scottish Government continues to monitor the situation with Public Health Scotland, NHS Boards and other relevant partners. Should circumstances indicate that additional national coordination is required, appropriate arrangements will be put in place and follow the Management of Public Health Incident Guidance.

Part (a): In February 2024, the Scottish Government launched a 'Call for Proposals' process (see website page https://www.gov.scot/publications/call-proposals-inclusive-education-programme/), which invited qualified organisations to submit proposals for the competitive award of grants supporting the design, implementation and management of the Scottish Government’s International Development Inclusive Education Programme in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia.

An internal Scottish Government panel, together with input from Zambia's Ministry of Education on behalf of all three partner countries, scored the applications. The highest-scoring proposals led to a grant award to Link Education International (for Strand 1, which became the RISE project), and OXFAM GB (for Strand 2, which become the GIRLS project).

Part (b)

RISE Project: The lead implementing organisation is Link Education International, who implement the project through three local organisations: Link Community Development Malawi, Chance for Childhood in Rwanda, and School to School Zambia.

GIRLS Project: The lead implementing organisation is Oxfam GB, who implement the project through three local organisations: Concerned Youth Organisation in Malawi, Young Women’s Christian Association in Rwanda and Young Women’s Christian Association in Zambia.

Part c). As set out in the answer to S7W-01962 on 20 August 2026, to date Oxfam GB has been paid £2,052,862, and Link Education International has been paid £3,086,573. The partner organisations working with each project are listed below, with estimate amounts paid to each for the purposes of implementing the contract, to date since commencement of the projects

1. RISE project

Link Education International (grant-holder): £211,885

Link Community Development Malawi: £937,901

Chance for Childhood Rwanda: £949,875

School to School Zambia: £986,912

2. GIRLS project

Oxfam £922,871

Concerned Youth Organisation Malawi: £285,000

Young Women’s Christian Association in Rwanda: £600,957

Young Women’s Christian Association in Zambia: £244,034

Part d). The following outputs and outcomes were set for delivery partners at the commencement of the programme, as set out in the logical framework documents maintained by each project, with targets set for each project.

1. RISE project outcomes

1.Access, enrolment and attendance: Children with disabilities attend school regularly

2.Retention: Children with disabilities, particularly girls, are retained throughout the course of the programme

3.Perception: There is a positive change in the perception of children with disabilities, particularly girls, and their families

4.Wellbeing: Children with disabilities, particularly girls, have more confidence

2. RISE outputs

1.Children with disabilities' access to screening, assessment, referrals and assistive devices is available and improved

2.Inclusive education is included in the day to day operations of schools

3.Community and school staff are orientated to CWD safety and wellbeing needs

3. GIRLS project outcomes

1.Increased provision of scholarships and other supportive interventions to remove barriers for young women to access and complete secondary education and transition from secondary to tertiary education and TVET.

2.Increased girls and women’s enrolment, retention, participation and performance in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

4. GIRLS project outputs

1.Increased bursaries to girls and young women at secondary education, tertiary and TVET institutions, within the impact areas.

2.Improved access to schools by girls and other vulnerable children, within the project localities.

3.Improved access to safe learning environments at secondary, TVET, and tertiary schools and safe working environment for targeted female learners

4.Increased knowledge of STEM and TVET opportunities for targeted girls and young women localities.

5.Improved provision and access to counselling, career guidance, mentorship and role models for program participants

6.Improved capacity of teachers in pedagogy, STEM and TVET, within the project impact schools

Part e)

The outputs and outcomes are expected to be achieved by the end of the programme, and will be assessed through project monitoring and evaluation activities.

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.

Part (a) In relation to expenditure on programme delivery, administration, monitoring and evaluation and other overhead costs, the following proportions and values apply concerning the project to date. These are estimates relating to approximately £3m of spend for Link Education International (RISE project) and approximately £2m of expenditure for OXFAM GB (GIRLS project) incurred to date.

A. Programme Delivery

1.RISE project: 69%of budget spent on programme outputs and delivery: £1,888,000 to date

2.GIRLS project: 68% of budget spent on programme outputs and delivery: £1,234,712

B. Administration

1.RISE project: 14% of budget spent on management, technical leadership and reporting: £741,000 to date

2.GIRLS project: 29% of budget spent on administrative costs: £528,418 to date.

C. Monitoring and Evaluation

1.RISE project: Approximately 12% of budget spent on Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning: £324,000 to date

2.GIRLS project: Approximately 1.6% of budget spent on Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning: £29,973 to date

D. Other overhead costs

1.RISE project: Approximately 5% of budget spent on equipment, safeguarding and other overhead costs: £139,000

2.GIRLS project: Approximately 0.75%% of budget spent on other overhead costs, including equipment: £13,572

Part (b)
The number of children and young people which have been directly supported since the programme's commencement:

A. Enrolment

1.RISE project: Link Education International, with its partners in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia, have screened around 360,000 children with disabilities or additional needs prior to enrolment in school. The project has also provided around 1,000 assistive devices to children with disabilities, and has supported communities, teachers and parents to engage and support those children.

2.GIRLS project: Oxfam, with its partners in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia, have supported 3,523 scholarships for girls from marginalised backgrounds to enrol in secondary school and TVET courses.

B, C, D.

Concerning attendance, retention and educational attainment: For both the RISE and GIRLS projects, midline assessments are planned for 2027 to assess the effect of both projects in improving attendance and retention, and for GIRLS only, the effect of the project on improving performance.