Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S4W-18558

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it defines "any realistic scenario" in the context of the white paper on independence.

Question reference: S4W-18140

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 6 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many articulating students there are, broken down by institution.

Information on articulating students is collected by the Higher Education Statistics Authority from each Higher Education Institution (HEI) as part of their regular statistical return. The following table shows the information relating to Scottish HEIs for year 2011-12.

In December 2012, The Scottish Government announced an additional £10 million of funding for 2013-14 to pay for additional HEI places including more than 1,000 for young people moving on from college to university.

UK-domiciled first degree students at the Scottish higher education institutions, 2011-12 (1)

Institution by articulation status

Type of Articulating Student (2):

Not articulating

Not known

HN obtained at an FEC

HN obtained at an at an

HEI(including UHI)

Institution	HNC obtained	HND obtained	Total	HNC obtained	HND obtained	Total
Aberdeen, University of	10	45	55	35	45	85	8,345	315	8,805
Abertay Dundee, University of	260	310	570	55	10	65	3,060	145	3,840
Dundee, University of	175	85	260	5	-	5	7,975	395	8,640
Edinburgh Napier University	660	720	1,380	150	145	295	7,090	450	9,210
Edinburgh, University of	20	-	20	-	-	-	13,970	200	14,190
Glasgow Caledonian University	295	600	895	30	30	55	3,290	7,440	11,685
Glasgow School of Art	-	5	5	-	-	-	1,045	10	1,060
Glasgow, University of	-	-	-	-	20	20	10,275	3,930	14,225
Heriot-Watt University	100	30	130	160	5	165	4,200	45	4,540
Open University in Scotland	375	195	570	5	25	35	7,405	2,280	10,285
Queen Margaret	90	70	155	-	-	-	2,235	25	2,415

Type of Articulating Student (2):

Not articulating

Not known

HN obtained at an FEC

HN obtained at an at an

HEI(including UHI)

Institution	HNC obtained	HND obtained	Total	HNC obtained	HND obtained	Total
University, Edinburgh
Robert Gordon University	190	590	780	35	25	65	6,420	65	7,330
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland	-	-	-	-	-	-	600	-	600
St Andrews, University of	5	-	10	-	-	-	4,100	10	4,115
Stirling, University of	200	155	355	5	-	5	5,695	345	6,400
Strathclyde, University of	205	30	235	-	-	-	10,610	100	10,950
Scottish Agricultural College	-	5	5	35	105	140	410	25	580
Highland & Islands, University of	160	65	230	265	170	435	940	470	2,070
West of Scotland, University of the	680	1,280	1,955	80	50	130	2,830	4,750	9,660
Total	3,435	4,185	7,620	865	630	1,495	100,490	20,995	130,600

Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Individual Student Record. The Funding Council uses a different standard population to the one used by HESA and the figures in the

table might differ from any produced by HESA.

Notes:

1. For the purposes of data protection figures have been rounded to the nearest five. Totals have been rounded independently and might not equal the sum of their component parts.

2. The definition of “Articulation” used for the Individual Student returns collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) covers any case where the student enters their programme with advanced standing with an HNC or HND. The Funding Council's definition of articulation relates to students entering either the second year of a first degree with an HNC or the third year with an HND, with the HNC/D having been obtained at a college, excluding the UHI partner colleges. Thus, for example, students on non-degree courses, students entering the second year of a first degree with an HND and students who obtained their HNC/D at an HEI would be classified as articulating in the HESA returns but not by the Funding Council.

Question reference: S4O-02684

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 5 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to deter people from taking out payday loans in the run-up to Christmas.

The Scottish Government launched its ‘12 days of Debtmas’ campaign on 18 November 2013. The aims of this bold campaign are to help prevent people getting into unmanageable high interest debt and, to raise awareness of credit unions as one alternative to pay day loans in the lead up to the festive period.

Almost 8500 people have responded to the radio advertisement or Daily Record features by visiting the campaign website 12daysofdebtmas.com since 18 November 2013. Almost 1300 of those people have searched for details of their local credit union. The website highlights the risk associated with high-interest lending and promotes credit unions as sensible, ethical alternatives.

Question reference: S4O-02697

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it advocates dedicated sexual health services for young people.

Question reference: S4W-18320

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time Scotland-domiciled undergraduate students receiving support from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland in 2012-13 were from households with an income (a) between £36,000 and £62,000 in £1,000 increments and (b) over £62,000, which was not declared.

The attached table shows the number of full time Scottish domiciled undergraduate students receiving support in 2012-13 by household income. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland do not hold information on students with no income. As students do not have to declare income on their application form there is no information available on undeclared income:

Income band	Number of students receiving support	Income Band	Number of students receiving support
< 17000	20,965	39001-40000	755
17001-18000	1,560	40001-41000	705
18001-19000	1,445	41001-42000	680
19001-20000	1,3053	42001-43000	660
20001-21000	1,325	43001-44000	670
21001-22000	1,285	44001-45000	565
22001-23000	1,185	45001-46000	595
23001-24000	1,075	46001-47000	620
24001-25000	1,100	47001-48000	530
25001-26000	1,050	48001-49000	545
26001-27000	1,030	49001-50000	535
27001-28000	1,090	50001-51000	535
28001-29000	975	51001-52000	540
29001-30000	1,045	52001-53000	500
30001-31000	910	53001-54000	455
31000-32000	1,030	54001-55000	465
32001-33000	935	55001-56000	430
33001-34000	855	56001-57000	390
34001-35000	935	57001-58000	380
35001-36000	780	58001-59000	330
36001-37000	785	59001-60000	315
37001-38000	695	60001-61000	310
38001-39000	695	61001-62000	310
		> 62000	4,930

source: The Students Awards Agency for Scotland

Question reference: S4W-18319

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many recipients in 2012-13 of (a) young student, (b) independent student, (c) study outside Scotland and (d) health directorate bursaries administered by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland were from households with an income (i) below £17,000 and (ii) between £17,000 and £36,000 in £1,000 increments.

These details are attached in the following table:

Number of students receiving each bursary

Income band	YSB	ISB	SOSB	SGHD	Income band	YSB	ISB	SOSB	SGHD
<17,000	17,815	14,330	860	625	26001-27000	820	75	20	25
17001-18000	1,185	180	45	30	27001-28000	850	55	25	30
18001-19000	1,135	130	30	25	28001-29000	775	40	25	35
19001-20000	1,025	110	25	35	29001-30000	805	45	30	25
20001-21000	1,070	115	30	30	30001-31000	720	35	25	25

21001-22000	1,020	95	25	30	31001-32000	790	30	25	25
22001-23000	930	100	45	25	32001-33000	695	20	20	20
23001-24000	855	75	40	20	33001-34000	575	30	15	20
24001-25000	860	85	35	25	34001-35000	175	5	5	25
25001-26000	830	70	30	15	35001-36000	30	<5	<5	20

(Source: The Students Awards Agency for Scotland)

YSB-Young Students’ Bursary

ISB-Independent Students’ Bursary

SOSB-Students’ Outside Scotland Bursary

SGHD-Health Directorate Bursaries

Question reference: S4W-18325

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many claims there have been for disabled students allowance in each year since 2000-01 and what its position is on the reasons for changes in the pattern of uptake.

The number of claims for DSA in each academic year since 2001-02 are as follows:

Year	Number of Students claiming DSA
2001-02	1,645
2002-03	2,040
2003-04	2,410
2004-05	2,775
2005-06	3,165
2006-07	3,385
2007-08	3,625
2008-09	4,065
2009-10	4,275
2010-11	4,435
2011-12	4,495
2012-13	4,045

Source: Higher Education Student Support in Scotland 2010-11; Higher Education Student Support in Scotland 2012-13, Scottish Government

Disabled Students Allowance is paid out in response to demand so claims are only made by students where there are justified needs, and those needs are not already being met by the student’s own equipment or institutional support. Initial discussions with the Disabled Student Advisers Group have suggested that the reduction in the number of claimants between 2011-12 and 2012-13 may be due to institutions being in a better state of readiness in terms of the reasonable adjustments expected of them by the Equality Act, along with technological improvements which mean that the functionality of equipment being used by students today lends itself much more easily to supporting those students with disabilities.

Question reference: S4W-18326

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its plans to reform disabled students allowance.

Question reference: S4W-18333

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what assumptions were made regarding the percentage take-up of student loans in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15 in the "Net Student Loans Advanced" line in Table 5.07 of the draft Scottish budget 2013-14 and on what basis.

Question reference: S4W-18330

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what assumptions were made regarding all tuition fee support in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15 in the "Student support and tuition fee payments" line in Table 5.07 of the draft Scottish budget 2013-14.