Chamber and committees

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Executive provides guidance to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) on the strategic priorities for the further education sector, including support for students with special educational needs. Specific guidance was recently issued on the focus of the £4.5 million provided to take forward the inclusiveness agenda for students with additional support needs in the further education sector, as set out in the recommendations of the Beattie Committee.Under the funding methodology for colleges used by SFEFC, colleges receive additional funding in respect of students who either require to attend a special programme or who require additional support to undertake a mainstream course.SOED Circular (FE) 1/94 describes the circumstances in which a college may claim additional funding for students with special educational needs. It also sets out what a college is expected to provide for that student. In particular, that a Personal Learning Support Plan (PLSP) must exist for each student and be available for audit. The PLSP provides an assessment of a student's needs and attainments, together with an educational programme and record of support measures.Colleges can also look to the four ACCESS Centres in Scotland, based at Aberdeen, Motherwell and Stevenson Colleges, and the University of Dundee, for training, guidance and information, as well as support for students with a physical or sensory disability or learning difficulty.

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Executive holds regular meetings with the Scottish Further Education Funding Council, to monitor its performance in taking forward Executive priorities, as set out in Ministerial Guidance. This includes the support colleges give to students with special educational needs.Further education colleges are required to submit student activity data to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) each year. This will include information about students with special educational needs for whom a college is claiming additional funding. The council will check returns and visit a number of colleges each year, including to check the existence and nature of Personal Learning Support Plans for students with a physical or sensory disability or learning difficulty.SFEFC is shortly to publish its revised Quality Framework, which will apply to colleges in academic year 2001-02. The framework includes quality indicators relating to facilities that colleges have in place to support access (including access for people with disabilities) and arrangements for students with learning difficulties and disabilities (which covers a range of issues from identification of needs to staff development and individualised curricula).

Through the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992, further education colleges are required to have regard to the requirements of persons over school age with learning difficulties. Scottish Ministers provide guidance to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) on the priorities for the further education sector, including issues related to disadvantaged groups. The Scottish Executive has recently issued guidance on the focus of the £4.5 million provided to take forward the inclusiveness agenda for students with additional support needs in the further education sector, as set out in the Beattie Committee recommendations. The use of the funding provided to SFEFC to address these priorities is monitored through regular meetings with the Executive.Although neither the Scottish Executive nor the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) currently set targets for further education colleges for any category of student, including those with special educational needs, SFEFC plans to review how it can effectively and relevantly measure progress towards social inclusion. This will enable it to consider appropriate future targets for widening participation.

It is anticipated that the Scottish Regulations equivalent to section 37 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 will come into force in the autumn.

It is anticipated the equivalent Scottish regulations will go out to formal consultation by the end of June.

The Scottish Breast Screening Development Task Group's Report was received on 6 April. A copy of the report has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no. 13559) and will be placed on the SHOW website.

A joint informal consultation paper Disability Discrimination Act 1995: The Government's Proposals for Taxis was issued in July 1997.

Support is available to rural businesses affected by the foot and mouth outbreak through the Small Business Gateway which has a number of outlets in Ayrshire. The Gateway is the focal point for the provision of information and advice. Direct access to business advisers will also be available to provide advice on cashflow, debt management, alternative markets and survival. The business rate hardship package extends to South, East and North Ayrshire.