- Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 22 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to fund fourth year tuition fees for students from other parts of the UK studying at Scottish universities.
Answer
As announced on 29 March, students from other parts of the UK who take a 4 year course at a Scottish institution, which is a year longer than the rest of the UK, will have their fees paid in the final year. This will apply to those entering courses from 2001 and we are discussing the funding of this with the other UK Departments. The actual cost for these first students will not fall until 2004-05 when they reach their fourth year.
- Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 20 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-1312 by Henry McLeish on 9 March 2000, whether it will list all the meetings it has had with the Department of Social Security regarding the recommendations of the Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance.
Answer
The Executive has met with representatives of the Department for Social Security and the other UK Education Departments on three occasions since January this year to discuss the interface between the student support system and the benefit system. The dates were 29 February, 28 March and 27 April. The next meeting is due to take place on 20 June.
- Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 15 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to give additional funding to branches of the Citi'ens' Advice Bureau.
Answer
Decisions on support funding for Citizen's Advice Bureaux are for local authorities to make in light of their assessment of local needs and priorities.
- Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 8 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reduce the number of stations on the Perth to Inverness railway line.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been raised through fines as a result of the speed cameras on the A90 Forfar bypass.
Answer
Since March 1999, £183,360 has been collected from fixed penalties issued by the police as a result of the speed cameras on the A90 Forfar bypass. It is not possible to provide figures for other fines and conditional offers imposed because of detection by these cameras.
- Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 25 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the policy commitments it has made which involve money from the New Opportunities Fund specifying, in each case, the exact amount involved.
Answer
In accordance with the Government's policy directions in August 1998, the New Opportunities Fund is supporting the following initiatives in Scotland:
- Healthy Living Centres £34.5 million
- Out of School Hours Activities:
Childcare Programme £25.3 million Learning (including summer schools) £23.6 million- ICT training: teachers/ school librarians £23.23 million
Public library staff £ 2.37 million
- Digitisation of Educational & Learning Materials £50.00 million (for UK)
A second group of initiatives, was announced by the Government in autumn 1998, for which they issued policy directions in April 1999. The Scottish share of these initiatives will be:- Cancer prevention, detection, treatment and care £17.25 million
- Green spaces and sustainable communities, £14.38 million
(including £10.78 million for Scottish Land Fund)
Community access to lifelong learning (CALL) £23.00 million
- Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 12 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what training do (a) Procurator Fiscals and (b) temporary Sheriffs receive in crash scene interpretation and whether any changes are proposed.
Answer
Procurators Fiscal have the benefit of a wide training calendar at both national and regional level. Matters relating to road traffic accidents are addressed from time to time in the training programme and, especially at regional level, there are opportunities to learn from experts in accident investigation.
Crash scene interpretation is a complex science and it would, of course, be unsafe for Procurators Fiscal to rely on their own limited training and skills in the matter. In relation to crash scene interpretation, as in relation to other subject areas requiring specialist knowledge and experience, Procurators Fiscal make extensive use of specialist advice from properly qualified experts.
The use of temporary Sheriffs has been suspended since 11 November 1999.
- Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 3 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated number of graduates is who will make a contribution towards the Graduate Endowment in each of the first five academic years of its collection.
Answer
It is proposed the student support and the Graduate Endowment scheme will apply to Scottish domiciled (and EU) students entering higher education in Scotland in 2001-02 onwards. Liability to contribute will commence on graduation and collection is income contingent.
Based on current numbers of graduates and taking into account exempted groups (such as mature students), the estimated numbers of graduates who will become liable to make a contribution towards the student support and the Graduate Endowment scheme in the first five financial years of its collection are given below.
2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-9 |
5,500 | 15,500 | 15,500 | 15,500 | 15,500 |
The actual numbers contributing in each year will depend on a) changes in the size of the student population; b) the proportion of people taking degrees, HNC/HNDs, in exempt categories; c) graduate earnings which will effect the rate of repayment and d) the total amount of loan taken out by students.
- Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated income is from the Graduate Endowment in each of the first five years of its collection.
Answer
It is proposed the student support and the Graduate Endowment scheme will apply to Scottish domiciled (and EU) students entering higher education in Scotland in 2001-02 onwards. Liability to make a contribution will commence on graduation and collection will be income contingent.
Based on the numbers of students liable to make a contribution it is estimated that, when fully operational, £16 million would be contributed to the Scottish Budget each year in resource accounting terms. The actual numbers and level of contribution in each year will depend on a) changes in the size of the student population; b) the proportion of people taking degrees, HNC/HNDs, in exempt categories; c) graduate earnings which will effect the rate of repayment and d) and the total amount of loan taken out by students.Modelling on the flow of income is to being undertaken. The treatment of income in terms of the Scottish Budget will require to be agreed with the National Audit Office.
- Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the implications of the European Convention on Human Rights in relation to the payment of fourth year tuition fees by students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland studying at Scottish universities.
Answer
While this is a matter for the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, the Executive seeks appropriate advice on the legality of its own actions.
