Chamber and committees

Issues relating to thecurriculum offered by further education colleges are a matter for their boardsof management and for the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC),which has overall responsibility for ensuring the adequate and efficientprovision of further education in Scotland. Ministers fully support the work being undertaken throughoutthe sector aimed at ensuring the provision of further education in a way whichprovides the maximum value for the record sums being invested in the sector.That includes the current consideration by the Glasgow colleges and SFEFC ofboth curriculum and estates configuration.

The Scottish Executive is committed to a world class further education sector which deliversthe maximum value for the record levels of funding now being invested. We lookto the colleges’ boards of management to work together, where possible, to identifyareas where efficiencies can be secured and further education delivered in themost rational way, to the ultimate benefit of the students and communitiesserved by the colleges. It is encouraging that discussions are continuingbetween Glasgow’s five city centre colleges on their future estatesconfiguration, but I am not aware that a proposal to merge the colleges hasemerged from these discussions.

The Scottish Executive and the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) are engagedin regular dialogue on a wide range of issues and developments across thefurther education sector in Scotland. Part of that dialogue involves the provision ofinformation and advice by SFEFC to ministers, including on a recent request bythe boards of Glasgow College of Building and Printing and Glasgow College ofFood Technology that ministers approve the merger of the colleges.

I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:

The current aim, subject toplanning permission being granted at Low Moss and Addiewell and to thenecessary financial provision being approved, is for the building of theproposed new prisons to commence in 2005.

National ServicesDivision has had informal discussions with NHS Greater Glasgow and has beenassured that the board’s plans will take account of their potential impact onthe national services provided at the Queen Mother’s Hospital.

National ServicesDivision has not yet made a formal response to the consultation document, butintends to do so within the timeframe set for the consultation process.

The national services whichNational Services Division funds at the hospitals on the Yorkhill site whichare relevant to the review of maternity services are:

Paediatric Cardiac Surgeryand Interventional Cardiology

Newborn Screening

Extra Corporeal MembraneOxygenisation

Paediatric RenalTransplantation

Transport of Critically IllChildren

Interventional Fetal Therapy.

Information onthis point will be contained in National Services Division’s formal response tothe consultation process.

I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

High prisoner numbers arebeing tackled through record levels of investment by SPS in existing and newprisons. SPS is implementing development plans at four prisons to provide newand refurbished prisoner accommodation. The proposed new prisons at Low Mossand Addiewell will significantly increase the available prisoner accommodationin Scotland.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:

As I said in November weanticipate that slopping out can be ended about a year after the completion of the second of the two new prisons announced by the Executive as part of itsdecisions on the prison estates review.