- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it prepared detailed proposals to service the existing loan debt of Scotland-domiciled graduates by meeting their annual loan repayments as long as they are resident in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Governmenthas not prepared detailed proposals but is currently examining options for servicingthis loan debt.In
Principles andPriorities: The Government’s Programme for Scotland the Scottish Governmentset out plans to consult to seek the views of stakeholders on measures to tacklegraduate debt. We will set out details of our proposals as part of that consultationexercise.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/09/05093403/4.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult students and student organisations on their reactions to its decision not to proceed with the pledge to service the existing loan debt for Scotland-domiciled graduates by meeting their annual loan repayments as long as they are resident in Scotland.
Answer
We plan to conducta consultation next year to seek the views of stakeholders, including students andstudent organisations, on measures to tackle graduate debt.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any proposals it drafted to service the existing loan debt of Scotland-domiciled graduates by meeting their annual loan repayments as long as they are resident in Scotland.
Answer
I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-6513 on 28 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available through the strategic spending review to invest in specific projects to widen access to further and higher education.
Answer
The government willwork closely with the funding council and institutions in the months ahead to decidehow the £5.24 billion allocated to further and higher education over the spendingreview period can be most effectively used. Decisions on investment in specificprojects to widen access to further and higher education remain the responsibilityof the Scottish Funding Council.
The government has made specific an additional investment of £38 million over the Spending Review periodto support part-time students. This support will enable students who face very specificcost related barriers to higher education to embark on their studies. This is verymuch in line with the government’s policy to ensure that participation in highereducation is based on the ability to succeed rather than the ability to pay.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the details of its proposed Scottish futures trust.
Answer
I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-5903 on 7 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 12 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for (a) maintaining existing and (b) building new sports facilities in the Grampian area to accommodate teams that use the area as a training base leading up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Answer
It is a statutoryresponsibility for local authorities to provide adequate sports facilities for itsresidents including on-going maintenance and repair. Our National and Regional SportsFacilities Strategy aims to provide world class training and competition facilitiesacross Scotland. Aberdeen will receive £7 million from this programme for the development of the ChrisAnderson Stadium.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the funding for Scottish universities is relative to that of universities in England as a result of Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007.
Answer
The Departmentfor Innovation, Universities and Skills has not yet published specific spendingplans for universities over the period of the 2007 spending review.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has conducted any research on how not providing the additional funding for universities requested by Universities Scotland may affect the performance of Scottish universities in the Research Assessment Exercise.
Answer
No such research hasbeen conducted. The performance of Scottish universities in the current ResearchAssessment Exercise (RAE) will not be affected as the research activity which underpinsRAE 2008 submissions will be completed before the start of the next Spending Reviewperiod.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation was carried out with trade unions prior to its decision not to provide the additional funding for universities requested by Universities Scotland.
Answer
In the lead up tothe strategic spending review the government held meetings with the Universityand College Union and the Scottish TUC. University funding was covered at thesemeetings within a wider range of topics. The government also carefullyconsidered spending review advice from the University and College Union.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has conducted any research on how not providing the additional funding for universities requested by Universities Scotland may affect commercialisation of research.
Answer
No such research hasbeen conducted. The allocation of funding for universities is a matter for the ScottishFunding Council. We will work closely with the Scottish Funding Council and theuniversities over the coming months to determine how our investment in higher educationcan be used most effectively across the full range of our priorities.
