Chamber and committees

Officials last met Scottish Ministers to discuss the Ferry Freight Fares Review on 29 March 2018.

Further details will be made available once conclusions have been reached and decisions made and I look forward to engaging with the member and other colleagues across the Chamber on the needs of communities served by Scotland's ferry services.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18399 on 5 September 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

The Scottish Ministerial Code states that Ministers must not ordinarily divulge either the source or content of legal advice. I am able to confirm on this occasion that the Scottish Government has taken appropriate legal advice on this matter.

As set out in the joint statement with the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, the SNSAs, in common with virtually all aspects of the Scottish curriculum and its delivery, are not provided for in legislation. This means that they cannot be seen as compulsory, but also that there cannot be a legal right for parents to withdraw their children from the assessments, or indeed any other part of the school curriculum (with the exception of some parts of religious observance and instruction).

The Scottish Government and ADES see the assessments as an integral part of everyday learning for children and young people in P1, P4, P7 and S3. It has however been the case since the introduction of SNSAs that a child should not undertake an assessment when it would not in their best interests to do so. It is for teachers, in discussion with parents, to determine when that is the case. For example, guidance issued to all schools in November 2016 makes clear that those who work with children and young people with complex additional support needs will use their knowledge and understanding of the individual child and their needs, strengths and challenges, to reach a decision, with parents, on whether or not the use of standardised assessment is appropriate.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18399 on 5 September 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

This information remains accurate. As set out in the joint statement with ADES, the SNSAs, in common with virtually all aspects of the Scottish curriculum and its delivery, are not provided for in legislation. This means that they cannot be seen as compulsory, but also that there cannot be a legal right for parents to withdraw their children from the assessments, or indeed any other part of the school curriculum (with the exception of some parts of religious observance and instruction). In practice however, if parents or carers have any particular concerns about their child’s participation in the SNSAs, they should discuss this with their school with a view to reaching agreement on whether the child will undertake the assessments, as they would for any other aspect of learning, teaching and assessment.

The student loan repayment threshold in Scotland and Northern Ireland is currently £18,330. The threshold rate in England and Wales is £25,000. Information on the full terms and condition of student loans, including the varying interest rates applied across the UK, can be found on the Student Loans Company website ( https://www.slc.co.uk/ )

We are unable to say with certainty what the threshold will be elsewhere in the UK in April 2021, however based on current forecasts and policy positions the thresholds are estimated to be as follows:

Scotland: £25,000

England: £27,020

Northern Ireland: £20,095

Wales: £27,020

The student loan repayment threshold rate for Scottish borrowers will be £18,935 in April 2019. As it rises each year in April in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI) as of March in the previous year, we are unable to say for certain, at this time, what the threshold rate will be in April 2020. However, based on current forecasting, the threshold will be £19,520.

a) We estimate that a graduate earning £22,000 in 2016-17 would have paid £407 in 2016-17 and £431 in 2017-18.

b) We estimate that a graduate earning £25,000 in 2016-17 would have paid £677 in 2016-17 and £707 in 2017-18.

(Assumes earnings rose in 2017-18 in line with average earnings).