Chamber and committees

At 11 January 2012, the average number of calendar days between SAAS receiving a top-up loan application and the issuing of the next award notice was 38 days.

This average includes time required to secure from the student any required supporting information, usually on household income, not supplied with the top-up loan application.

The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) processes the application for student support and pays student bursaries and tuition fees. The Student Loan Company (SLC) manages the student loan account and issues student loan payments on behalf of SAAS.

1. Loans withheld due to failure to enrol.

It is likely that these applicants have either failed to achieve the qualifications required to meet a conditional offer or have decided not to attend.

At 30 November 2011, there were 8,492 student finance applicants in academic year 2011-12 who were not paid because an attendance confirmation was not received by the SLC from the Higher Education Institution.

2. Loans withheld due to failure to provide a valid National Insurance Number.

At 8 January 2012, there are 163 student finance applicants in academic year 2011-12 who have not been paid due to either failure to provide a valid national insurance number or provision of an invalid national insurance number.

The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) has met the Guarantee to students that applications received by the 30 June (exceptionally extended to 5 July in 2011) would be processed by course start dates. Autumn start courses can start as early as 1 August and as late as mid October.

Applications continue to be received on a daily basis and SAAS continues to process new applications, including those for January and April start courses, and re-process existing awards as additional information is received. SAAS moved to processing incoming applications on a daily basis from the end of October.

The Scottish Government has made clear that to carry out a business and regulatory impact assessment (BRIA) for the public health supplement, which impacts on just 0.1% of commercial premises in Scotland would be disproportionate.

Reform of empty property relief is aimed at incentivising empty property back into economic use.

The savings from reform of empty property relief will generate estimated savings of around £18 million a year, which is a modest saving compared to the total annual cost of the relief which even after reform is still estimated to be around £144 million by the end of this Spending Review period. Accordingly there no plans for a BRIA to be conducted for reform of empty property relief.

The Scottish Government did not use advertising features to promote the First Minister’s recent visit to China.

NHS boards are responsible for determining maternity services, including those for home births, to meet the needs of the populations for which they are responsible. These are developed in the context of their own service strategies, provided these strategies are consistent with national policy and guidance.

The Scottish Government’s Refreshed Framework for Maternity Care outlines the services we expect to be in place for women and babies in NHS Scotland, including the option of home birth, and we expect NHS boards to ensure that capacity stays in line with demand.

Yes.

Spending on the NorthLink contract has increased from £29.2 million in 2007-08 to £38.9 million in 2011-12, an increase of almost £10 million. The “clawback” returned to Transport Scotland from NorthLink Ferries under the terms of its contract to run the Northern Isles ferry services is not being used to fund the Road Equivalent Tariff.

The recently published Scottish Ferry Services – Draft Plan for Consultation makes clear our intention to roll out RET in the Northern Isles in the longer term.

None. In the last five full financial years, £168.5 million of grant, net of clawback, has been paid for the delivery of ferry services to the Northern Isles, against a budget of £160.6 million.

The 6.5% fares increase for subsidised ferry services provided by NorthLink Ferries Ltd, CalMac Ferries Ltd and Argyll Ferries Ltd was not based solely on inflation indices.

The decision was taken in order to protect these essential ferry services. Since 2007, ferry fares have risen largely in line with inflation. However, due to the cuts imposed on the Scottish Government’s budget by the UK Government, the Scottish Ministers have had to take difficult decisions in order to defend routes and services.

The 6.5% increase is 2% above the Consumer Price Index measure of inflation in May 2011, the reference month set out in the contract between the Scottish Ministers and NorthLink Ferries Ltd. It is 1.3% above the Retail Price Index measure of inflation in the month prior to mministers’ decision.

During the lifetime of the current NorthLink contract to date, fares have risen by 14.9% whilst operating costs have increased 26% and the Scottish Government’s subsidy has gone up 28.3%. Fuel costs alone have risen by almost 60%.