Questions and answers

Question reference: S2W-02737

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Colin Boyd on 1 October 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive when the amount paid to witnesses in court expenses was last reviewed and whether the current level of witness expenses is adequate.

Question reference: S2W-02085

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive how will to support overseas students affected by the introduction of new charges from November 2003 for such students seeking an extension of their stay in the United Kingdom.

Question reference: S2W-02083

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive how many overseas students completed their studies at Scottish universities in six months or less in each of the last five years.

The following table shows thenumber of overseas graduates and diplomates completing courses lasting sixmonths or less at Scottish higher education institutions in academic years1997-98 to 2001-02 inclusive.

1997-98	27
1998-99	21
1999-2000	37
2000-01	54
2001-02	7

Source : Higher EducationStatistics Agency (HESA).

Notes:

1. The term “graduate”refers to a student who has successfully completed a course at first degreelevel or above; the term “diplomate” refers to a student who has successfullycompleted a course at higher education (sub-degree) level.

2. Overseas is defined hereas non-UK domicile.

3. These figures exclude allopen and distance learning students as those students are not deemed to be “studyingin” Scotland.

4. Data shown is for courseswith length of six months or 26 weeks and below.

Question reference: S2W-02080

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive how many overseas students are currently studying in Scotland.

In session 2001-02 thenumber of overseas students studying at higher education (HE) level in Scotlandstood at 20,482 and the number of overseas enrolments in furthereducation (FE) stood at 4,241.

Notes:

1. Overseas is defined hereas non-UK domicile.

2. These figures exclude allopen and distance learning students as they are not deemed to be “studying in” Scotland.

3. Information on the numberof FE students is not currently available. Scottish Further EducationFunding Council collects and publishes data on enrolments on individual coursesat FE colleges. As individuals commonly enrol on more than one course in anacademic year, the number of enrolments is significantly higher than the numberof students.

4. Sources: Higher EducationStatistics Agency and Scottish Further Education Funding Council.

Question reference: S2W-02081

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of overseas students returned home on completion of their studies in each of the last five years.

The Executive does not hold dataon the number of overseas students who returned to their home countries on completionof studies at Scottish institutions.

First Destination Surveys, conductedby the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the Scottish Further EducationFunding Council, provide some information on the destinations of higher educationlevel graduates and diplomates immediately on completion of studies at Scottishfurther and higher education institutions. Available data indicates that for academicyear 1997-98, 13% of overseas higher education level graduates and diplomates fromScottish institutions took up opportunities for work or further study in Scotland. Thecomparable figure for academic year 1998-99 was 18%. Since 1999-2000 informationon first destinations of non-EU graduates and diplomates has not been collectedby HESA.

Information on destinations ofstudents at further education level is not available.

Notes:

1. The term “graduate” refersto a student who has successfully completed a course at first degree level or above;the term “diplomate” refers to a student who has successfully completed a courseat higher education (sub-degree) level.

2. The figures quoted are onknown destinations of primarily full-time graduates and diplomates.

3. Figures exclude all open anddistance learning students from higher education institutes and furthereducation colleges.

4. Source: Higher Education StatisticsAgency and Scottish Further Education Funding Council.

Question reference: S2W-02082

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive how many overseas students extended their stay beyond six months to complete their studies in each of the last five years.

The following table showsthe number of overseas graduates and diplomates completing courses lastinglonger than six months, at higher education institutions and further educationcolleges in Scotland for the period from 1997-98 to 2001-02 inclusive.

Year	Total	HEIs	FECs
1997-98	6,208	5,820	388
1998-99	5,116	4,800	316
1999-2000	5,356	5,069	287
2000-01	5,114	4,899	215
2001-02	*	5,242	*

Sources: Higher EducationStatistics Agency and Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC).

Notes:

*This data is not yetavailable.

1. The term “graduate”refers to a student who has successfully completed a course at first degreelevel or above; the term “diplomate” refers to a student who has successfullycompleted a course at higher education (sub-degree) level.

2. Overseas is defined hereas non-UK domicile.

3. These figures exclude allopen and distance learning students as those students are not deemed to be“studying in” Scotland.

4. SFEFC collects andpublishes data on enrolments on individual courses at further education colleges.As individuals commonly enrol on more than one course in an academic year, thenumber of enrolments is significantly higher than the number of students.

5. Data shown is for courseswith length greater than six months or 26 weeks.

Question reference: S2W-02318

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures the Scottish Executive is considering to improve support to asylum seekers within higher education.

The Scottish Refugee IntegrationForum has recommended that asylum seekers be allowed access to part-time HigherNational courses on the same basis as currently applies for non-advanced courses.We are working with institutions and the funding councils to ensure that asylumseekers will be eligible for fee waiver support in respect of such courses and forhardship support in respect of books and, if appropriate, travel passes, from academicyear 2003-04.

Question reference: S2W-02317

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2003
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its plans to amend the guidance that is provided to academic institutions on making awards from hardship funds will be complete in time for implementation in the 2003-04 academic year.

Question reference: S2W-02235

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Mary Mulligan on 24 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in producing guidance material to ensure that official consultation responses on planning applications are open to all, as identified in Your place, your plan, its proposals for public involvement in the planning system.

Question reference: S2W-02220

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2003
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 24 September 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Ministerial Working Group on Prostitution will be involved in the development of its proposal to introduce an offence of kerb crawling.

Chamber and committees