An appraisal using Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) is required when government funding, support or approval is sought for justified proposals to change the transport system. There is no minimum benefit to cost ratio threshold set within STAG. STAG ensures that the contribution of transport improvements to the economy is fully assessed alongside contributions and impacts on the environment, accessibility and social inclusion, safety, and integration. Approval for funding is based on the assessment of the proposal across all five STAG criteria.

Staffing numbers for colleges and universities for the academic year 2007-08 will become available in January 2009.

Further to the answer to question S3W-13919 on 16 June 2008, the number of staff at Scottish higher education institutions and colleges during the past three academic years broken down by employment function is shown in the following table.

Number of Staff at Scottish Institutions

Academic Year	HEIs		Colleges
	Academic Staff	Non-Academic Staff	Teaching Staff	Non-Teaching Staff
2006-07	16,360	21,935	12,695	8,891
2005-06	16,020	21,845	12,781	8,723
2004-05	15,310	21,690	13,170	8,445

Sources: HESA, excluding “atypical” staff; Scottish Funding Council.

Data for 2007-08 will become available in January 2009.

This information is not held centrally. It is a matter for Network Rail.

We have no plans to change how discretionary funds are distributed. The funds for higher education have now been allocated for academic year 2008-09. These funds are continually monitored and the guidance is updated on an annual basis. This allows us to regularly introduce any changes or improvements to the way the funds are allocated or the guidance underlying them.

The information sent to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland on 6 June comprises a guidance document which provides general advice to administrators of the discretionary funds. As these funds are discretionary, it is up to each individual institution to decide how best to manage and distribute the funds available to them. The Higher Education and Learner Support Division provides general guidance on administration and disbursement of the funds and also notification of any changes to the funds through an annual update of this document. We also advise each institution of the allocation of discretionary funds that they will receive for the forthcoming academic year.

A copy of the Guidance document and the allocations for academic year 2008-09 can be accessed via the SAAS website at http://www.saas.gov.uk/student_support/other_funding.htm#discretionary.

The amount advanced in new student loans through the Student Loans Company and the amounts received in repayment have been published on 12 June 2008 at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Lifelong-learning/PubStudentLoansHE.

The relevant figures are reproduced in the following table.

Financial Year	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08*
Amount lent (£ million)	199.8	197.6	212.8
Amount repaid (£ million)	49.8	51.5	59.0

Source: Student Loans Company.

Note: *2007-08 are provisional figures

I have explained in the answer to S3W-13951 on 18 June 2008, how much it costs the Scottish Government to lend each pound of student loan. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The planned efficiency savings of £2.156 million in 2008-09, £4.265 million in 2009-10 and £6.327 million in 2010-11 have already been factored and redistributed into the relevant budgets as part of last year’s spending review. These efficiencies have contributed to new investments set out in the Scottish budget for student support including: additional support for part-time students; abolishing the graduate endowment fee; and £30 million to aid the transition from loans to grants in 2010-11.

The direct DEL cost of making loans, known as the student loans subsidy, is 31p per £1 loaned, comprising the interest subsidy rate of 18.2p and the write-off rate of 12.8p.

All institutions within Scotland are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (and as amended in 2005) and as such they are required to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that students with disabilities are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students. This can include providing, within reason, equipment, services, appropriate access to buildings and that adjustments are made to teaching practices and assessments.

An individual can apply to any college or university in Scotland to undertake a course at further or higher education level as long as they meet the course entry requirements. Entry requirements vary depending on the nature and level of the course, however, they are normally based on the qualifications and experiences of the individual. The location of an institution is just one of the many considerations individuals take into account when choosing where to study.

Attendance fees to undertake a further or higher education course at a college or university within Scotland are dependent upon the residency of the individual. An individual who is studying full time, who is ordinarily resident in Scotland and meets the residency criteria will have their fees paid for by either the Student Awards Agency for Scotland if they are undertaking a higher education course or by the Scottish Funding Council if they are undertaking a further education course.

For a student studying part time or on a distance learning course at a Scottish college or university the student’s fees can be waived if they are on a low income or receiving certain benefits, for example Disability Living Allowance, and the course they are studying qualifies for fee waiver from the Scottish Funding Council.