- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 21 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants are employed by each department of the Scottish Executive.
Answer
The full-time equivalent of permanent staff employed in the main departments between 1 June 1997 in the Scottish Office and 1 February 2000 in the Scottish Executive are set out in the attached table.In the past three years, the definition of the core Scottish Executive (Scottish Office) has changed with movements of responsibilities into and out of the Office/Executive. The figures shown below have been backdated as far as possible for comparison purposes. Therefore, the Scottish Courts Administration and Parole Board staff (135 staff at February 2000) have been included within the core Office/Executive throughout the period, although the actual transfer of staff took place in July 1999.
| | 1/4/97 | 1/6/97 | 1/4/98 | 1/4/99 | 1/2/2000 |
| Scottish Office/Executive | 3,611.2 | 3,556.5 | 3,570.3 | 3,677.6 | 3,926.0 |
| Crown Office | 1,104.0 | 1,072.7 | 1,112.0 | 1,084.0 | 1,089.7 |
| Scottish Courts Service | 816.0 | 819.4 | 828.0 | 833.0 | 854.4 |
| Scottish Prison Service | 4,510.0 | 4,359.7 | 4,723.0 | 4,824.0 | 4,824.0 |
| Agencies | | | | | |
| Fisheries Research Services | 205.9 | 227.9 | 227.0 | 256.5 | 257.9 |
| Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency | 254.0 | 257.0 | 255.6 | 274.9 | 274.5 |
| Scottish Agricultural Science Agency | 123.0 | 122.7 | 121.0 | 114.3 | 127.4 |
| Scottish Public Pensions Agency | 153.1 | 151.1 | 143.5 | 139.5 | 152.6 |
| Historic Scotland | 587.0 | 603.4 | 626.8 | 622.3 | 630.8 |
| Student Awards Agency for Scotland | 120.3 | 124.2 | 125.8 | 126.8 | 122.8 |
| Others (inc. Associated Depts.) | | | | | |
| National Archives of Scotland | 119.1 | 120.2 | 112.9 | 114.2 | 119.2 |
| General Register Office | 206.8 | 205.8 | 202.4 | 214.4 | 235.4 |
| Registers of Scotland | 1,063.0 | 1,044.7 | 1045.0 | 1,057.0 | 1,268.8 |
76 staff have transferred to the Scotland Office since its formation.It should be noted that although a number of staff from other public sector organisations are on loan/secondment to the Executive, they remain employees of the parent organisation.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 15 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will quantify the impact on the number of school pupils admitted to further or higher education this year of any difficulties with the examination marking process.
Answer
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service announced on 13 September that the number of Scottish students entering UK higher education institutions is 3.3% higher than this time last year. Information on admissions to further education colleges is not collected centrally, but I understand that they have agreed not to withdraw conditional offers of places from applicants whose results were incomplete or are subject to appeal.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 15 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has been given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority regarding the ability of the SQA to discharge efficiently its functions in relation to this year's examinations and whether any of this information has been inaccurate.
Answer
Since March the Scottish Executive has received information and reassurances from the Scottish Qualifications Authority about every stage of the examination system, in response to concerns we had raised. The extent to which this information was inaccurate will be revealed by the independent inquiry which I have commissioned.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 15 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of any additional costs which will be incurred by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) or itself arising from the situation in relation to this year's Scottish examinations; whether it has received from the SQA an estimate of any such costs; whether it will place its estimate of these costs in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, and whether it will include within this estimate details of any additional costs covering (a) overtime paid to staff, (b) costs of recruitment, (c) payment to additional workers, (d) any payments of higher rates to markers if this has been necessary because of any shortage of markers, (e) any hire of extra premises including any use of an indoor bowling club and (f) any additional costs in relation to handling of appeals including remarking of papers.
Answer
Officials are discussing with SQA their resource needs. In addition, there may be expenditure implications that flow from inquiries that are underway. Estimates of any additional costs will be notified to Parliament in the usual way.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 15 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it or any person or body acting on its behalf sought to influence statements by Professor Lindsay Paterson of Edinburgh University regarding the examination system.
Answer
No. A Scottish Executive official contacted Professor Lindsay Paterson on 11 August to ask him to assist in resolving the difficulties by sharing with the Executive the evidence of problems with the production of this year's exam results which he had referred to in interviews. Professor Paterson declined, and I am not aware of any further contact by or on behalf of the Executive.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 14 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it or anyone acting on its behalf approached the bodies in England responsible for awarding 'A' level results to ask whether the English bodies would delay release of their results and, if so, who made the approach, on what date, and what response was received, and whether it consulted Her Majesty's Government before any such approach was made.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 14 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Qualifications Authority used probationary teachers as markers for this years exams, whether it approved such measures, when it became aware of whether such measures were being taken and whether it considers that such measures should not be taken in future years.
Answer
The recruitment of markers is an operational issue for the Scottish Qualifications Authority and does not require approval by the Scottish Executive. As I said in my statement on 6 September, I was informed by SQA that they have now identified eight probationary teachers who were used as markers this year. The normal quality assurance checks had been applied to their work before the issue of examination results and this resulted in the performance of all of the markers being placed in the top two categories of quality used by SQA. I received all of that information last week. The independent inquiry which I have commissioned will look at recruitment of markers and will make recommendations about how procedures should operate in future.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 14 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the statement on 20 August 2000 by the Deputy Minister for Children and Education on the BBC Radio Scotland programme Eye to Eye that necessary resources would be made available applies only to this year's situation in relation to examinations or also for subsequent years.
Answer
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) have been offered additional resources to ensure the efficient running of the awards system on several occasions over the past year. The Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning and I have asked our officials to discuss with SQA urgently their resource needs both for this and subsequent years.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Donald Dewar on 13 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review and reallocate subject areas of ministerial responsibility in the light of the division between existing departments of responsibility for matters arising from the examination marking process.
Answer
I shall consider all aspects of the relationship between Ministers and the SQA in the light of the review of the authority which was announced on 6 September.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 12 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it approved a reduction in the rate of remuneration paid to examination markers or, if this was a matter for which the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) were responsible, whether it was aware of a decision of the SQA to make such a reduction; whether it expressed concern to the SQA about the impact such a decision might have and whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre all documents relating to a decision on this matter which were passed between it and the SQA.
Answer
The payment of markers is an operational matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. There is no requirement for approval by the Scottish Executive and no documents dealing specifically with this matter passed between the Executive and SQA.
