Chamber and committees

I am delighted to be able to say that on Monday 19 March, Wendy Alexander, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning announced a £19.5 million package of new support measures for further education students. The new measures will improve levels of support for thousands of further education students from autumn 2001, particularly those from low income families and will for the first time create a level playing field for students on FE and HE courses.

The national guidelines on Local Economic Forums have been published today on the Scottish Executive website. The guidelines have been issued following consultation with a wide range of interests. The Local Economic Forums are the main response to the ELL Committee inquiry into local economic development and I expect them to create a simpler, more cohesive structure for local economic development in Scotland.Copies of the national guidelines have been lodged with the Parliament's Reference Centre.

On Monday we announced an extra £2.5 million to boost the delivery of information technology skills. This money will kick start the delivery of IT qualifications within our national adult training programme and fund a further 1,350 IT training places for unemployed people.

The remaining commitment from Review of Enterprise Networks is to produce a Strategy for Enterprise. Consequently, today I have published A Smart, Successful Scotland - Ambitions for the Enterprise Networks which provides a clear sense of direction and identifiable priorities for the networks.It is a comprehensive statement of what the Scottish Executive expects from the Enterprise Networks. It sets out the foundation for sustained improvement economic performance in Scotland focusing on the challenges of raising productivity, encouraging entrepreneurship, raising skill levels and connecting Scotland globally.It is available today on the Scottish Executive website and in the Scottish Parliament's Reference Centre.

The Scottish Executive wrote to Directors of Education, College Principals and other heads of centres on 18 December inviting them to identify candidates whose appeal results continue to give serious grounds for concern and to submit details of these on a proforma to the Appeals Review Team by 10 January. These will be cases, primarily at Higher, where there is a major discrepancy between the centre's estimate and the final award, where a result is very significant for the individual and the centre finds the award very hard to understand, or where there is an apparent significant inconsistency in the results received within a centre.For every subject, a review team will be established. Each team will be made up of at least three experienced, good quality markers who did not serve on Examining Teams this year.Each team will be briefed by the Principal Assessor and given a copy of the marking instructions used in the summer. For each case, the team will review the candidate's examination script, and the evidence submitted by the presenting centre. The teams will write a report on each case. Where the team agrees with the original decision to reject the appeal, the report will explain the reasons for that decision. In cases where the review team disagrees with the original decision, the Principal Assessor will be asked to reconsider that decision. If the Principal Assessor agrees to change the original decision, a report will be prepared by the review team explaining why the grade was increased. If the Principal Assessor disagrees with the review team, the case will be decided by an Adjudication Panel.The adjudication panel will consist of three independent members. It will act as follows.Where the original appeal result is confirmed, the adjudication panel will send the report to the centre, and confirm the original result.Where it is agreed to change the original result, the adjudicators will request that SQA confirm that new result and send a report to the centre explaining the change.Where the Principal Assessor and the review team fail to agree, the adjudicators will make a final recommendation of award to SQA, who will be asked to confirm any new result. The adjudication panel will also report the outcome, with explanation, to the centre. The adjudication panel will also provide a report on each subject to the SQA Chief Executive, summarising the outcomes of all reviews in that subject, and making any general recommendations, or raising any issues that have emerged.The intended sequence of events is as follows. It is hoped to conclude the process quickly, but this is dependent on the number of cases that have to be reviewed

Stage 1	Cases to be submitted to Appeals Review Team using the supplied proforma by Directors of Education on behalf of local authority schools, and by College Principals and heads of other centres directly. Nil returns required.Identification of individuals for subject review teams.
Stage 2	Appeals Review Team acknowledges receipt of cases and assemble "evidence pack". Subject review teams set up. Subject review teams briefed by Principal Assessor.
Stage 3	Subject review teams examine cases. Write report for each case either agreeing or disagreeing with original decision. Where teams disagree with original decision, Principal Assessor provides a report.
Stage 4	Adjudication panel receives report of subject review team for each case (and, where there is disagreement, report of Principal Assessor). Adjudication panel sign off every case and adjudicate where there is disagreement. SQA implement necessary changes. Adjudication panel prepare short report for each subject.

The Equality Strategy sets out how the Executive will tackle the barriers of prejudice and discrimination and address structural inequalities between groups. These principles underpin our drive for social justice.

The Executive's spending plans for the next three years include additional funding each year for the support of students in higher and further education, rising to £50 million extra in 2003-04. I am today pleased to announce the detail of how we intend to make use of those additional resources for those students studying in higher education. I have arranged for the Scottish Parliament Information Centre to receive detailed information on the new package.

From 2001-02, we intend to introduce for young Scottish students studying in Scotland a package of bursaries and additional loans targeted at those from low-incomes, as set out in the consultation document. We also intend to introduce the new Mature Students' Bursary Fund. We expect that up to 45% of students may benefit from a larger overall package of funding as a result of these measures. We also intend to take forward the proposal to target better the availability of loan support, by reducing the minimum loan available to higher income families.

We have reviewed the higher education means test. We will increase by more than 12% the threshold below which all income is disregarded. This will help thousands of low and middle-income families, by taking them out of the means test altogether or reducing the contribution they are expected to make. We will double the reduction in the contribution disregard allowed for each dependant child still at home to £150. A further change will raise from £1,025 to £4,000 the income students receive from scholarships which will be disregarded. A range of other measures will modernise, simplify and promote greater alignment with the arrangements for further education students. We intend to consult on possible further changes for 2002-03 onwards.

I am also delighted to announce a new Schools Meals Grant, payable in respect of the children of those higher education students who are in receipt of the Dependant's Grant from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. This new grant will be of particular help to students entering higher education after being in receipt of benefits, but will be available to all low income students with children. It will be worth between £245 and £265 per child.

We will also give further consideration to the provision of additional support for Scottish students studying elsewhere in the UK, with a view to consulting on a package for introduction in 2002-03. From next year, raising the income threshold for the means test will exempt more of these students from paying means-tested fees to their host institution.

I will be making a further announcement at a later date on improvements to further education support from 2001 onwards, with a view to promoting greater alignment between the two systems.

On 17 September I launched the Executive's publicity campaign, to encourage uptake of influenza vaccination in 2000-01 - press release 2476/2000 refers.In addition, in recognition of the additional workload on general practices and to encourage uptake of vaccination in the community, the Executive has agreed a remuneration package for GPs with representatives of the British Medical Association in Scotland.We have also set GPs an uptake target of 60% for those aged 65 years and over.

The Scottish Executive is committed to ensuring that the views of local communities and individuals are sought as a matter of course as part of our aims to deliver a modern, patient-centred NHS.

NHS Trusts are aware that they should take into account the views of patients, staff and the public about any proposals such as the introduction of car park charging before final decisions are taken.

Measures include guidance to schools on the curriculum, practical training for young people through work experience programmes, and a range of enterprise education initiatives in schools. The Careers Service offers impartial information, advice and guidance on careers, education opportunities, job vacancies, and work-based training such as Skillseekers and Modern Apprenticeships.