Chamber and committees

The family income ceiling for student bursaries, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland, is being reviewed as part of the Review of Funding for Learners. An announcement on any increase in the ceiling will be made in due course.

The review, which is being undertaken in close consultation with relevant stakeholders, will support the delivery of the Executive’s Lifelong Learning Strategy - Life Through Learning; Learning Through Life. Further details onthe review are available on:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ELLD/FoL/00017431/page677853067.aspx.

As outlined in Building a Better Scotland,the Scottish Executive has set aside a total of £706 million for 2003-06 to regenerate our communities. A significant proportion of this funding will be allocated, through Communities Scotland, to local partnerships and will be targeted on the most disadvantaged and vulnerable areas throughout Scotland.In addition, the enterprise networks have a specific range of programmes aimed at assisting people into work. The networks are also committed to supporting the formation and growth of businesses which create new jobs and contribute to the reduction of overall unemployment.

The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland recognised the importance of all communities and areas of Scotland both contributing to and benefiting from economic growth. To achieve this objective the Executive’s economic development policies embrace many different forms of intervention. These include the promotion of enterprise within areas of economic disadvantage, employment creation, the provision of advice and assistance to help people find work, and investment in the improvement of transport infrastructure.In addition, programmes such as Regional Selective Assistance play a key role in regional policy, in particular reducing regional disparities by encouraging investment and employment creation in the assisted areas.

The Executive’s response to Determined to Succeed: A Review of Enterprise in Education (DtS) sets out our strategy for expanding the provision of Enterprise in Education (E in E). It puts local authorities (LAs) at the heart of delivery and, consequently, as the recipients of the majority of the £42 million funding we have committed over the Spending Review 2002 period. The Executive will work with each LA to develop an E in E plan detailing how DtS will be delivered locally, and we have recruited specialist staff - with experience of education and business - to help in this process.The timing of LA E in E plans is the subject of a series of discussions my officials are undertaking with LA Directors of Education; they will have met all directors in the next few weeks. Additionally, against the background of our wish to encourage creativity in delivery, we have set aside a limited fund to support LAs wishing to develop innovative projects. LAs will also have access to a dedicated website outlining the products and services currently available to support enterprising and entrepreneurial activities. Our strategy does not envisage pilot projects, save for those LAs wishing to propose for funding under the innovation fund.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1763 today. 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/search_wa.

I expect the first meeting of the Lifelong Learning Forum to take place later this year. The forum will provide the opportunity to bring together the key stakeholders in lifelong learning to discuss areas of mutual interest. I will announce information on the role and structure of the forum later this year.

The eligibility criteria for student bursaries, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland, are being reviewed as part of the Review of Funding for Learners. An announcement on changes to the eligibility criteria will be made in due course.

The review, which is being undertaken in close consultation with relevant stakeholders, will support the delivery of the Executive’s Lifelong Learning Strategy - Life Through Learning; Learning Through Life. Further details on the review are available on:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ELLD/FoL/00017431/page677853067.aspx.

The introduction of the successor to the Individual Learning Account scheme is targeted for mid-2004 with BLA pilots due to be introduced from autumn 2003.

The news release concerned lottery funding for sports facilities in general. The Executive will continue to work with sportscotland to complete a programme of new and refurbished sports facilities, including swimming pools, across the country.Decisions on the location of swimming pools in secondary schools are matters for education authorities in light of facilities available within the local community.

As outlined in the Global Connections Strategy, the Executive recognises the need to provide opportunity for all parts of Scotland. Scottish Development International is therefore charged with creating sustainable employment across a wide range of areas in sectors such as business and customer services at the same time as pursuing more specialist jobs in "knowledge intensive" functions such as research, design and development.Scottish Development International provides client companies with a range of location options that meet their needs. However, the location at which an investment is made is ultimately a decision to be made by the company concerned and attemptsto persuade companies to locate in specific areas could provecounter-productive.