Parliamentary questions
Fiona Hyslop
940 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs to it are for each #1 loaned by the Student Loans Company.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The costs to the Executive arethe long-run resource cost of providing student loans to Scottish domiciled studentsand a proportionate share of the running cost of the Student Loans Company. Themost recent estimate for 2003-04 suggests that this average cost i…
26 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the non-completion rate was in each university in each year for which figures are available.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Non-completion rates are notcurrently published for higher education institutions (HEIs) in Scotland. TheHigher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) produces and publishes annualperformance indicators for all UK HEIs on behalf of the four UK funding …
26 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage teacher recruitment and retention and which of these steps would encourage recruitment from outwith Scotland.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The successful implementationof the teachers’ agreement, <i>A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century </i>offersconsiderable incentives to attract people into teaching.</p><p>In addition, we have earmarked£150,000 for this purpose and are currently devising …
26 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers have been recruited from outwith Scotland in each of the last five years.
Answer · Peter Peacock: To teach in education authorityschools in Scotland teachers must be registered with the General TeachingCouncil for Scotland (GTCS). The table below sets out the number of teachers fromoutwith Scotland gaining admission to the GTCS’s register in each of thela…
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of Scotland's (a) medical, (b) dentistry and (c) engineering graduates find work in (i) Scotland, (ii) elsewhere in the UK, (iii) elsewhere in the EU and (iv) elsewhere in the world as a first destination.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The following table shows the percentages of (a) medical, (b) dentistry and (c) engineering graduates and diplomates who were in employment at the time of the survey: </p><p>First Destination of Graduates and Diplomates from Scottish Higher Education Institut…
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it (a) has taken and (b) intends to take to prevent the sale of school and public playing fields.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The Executive is committed tothe protection of playing fields through the planning system. Primary responsibilityfor the protection of playing fields lie with local authorities and robust planningpolicies are required to safeguard playing fields where they co…
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs to it are of monies loaned by the Student Loans Company.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The costs to the Executive arethe long-run resource cost of providing student loans to Scottish domiciled studentsand a proportionate share of the running cost of the Student Loans Company. Themost recent estimate for 2003-04 suggests that this average cost i…
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the benchmark for non-completion of courses is for each university in each year, and has been for which figures are available, and what it will do to reduce non-completion rates.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive does not set benchmarks for non-completion either for the sector as a whole or for individual institutions. However, the performance indicators published annually by the funding councils include calculations of benchmark figures for ind…
24 Mar 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to address concerns about guidelines on school rationalisation since its letter of 12 March 2003 to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and what impact such action will have on the current consultation on school closures in the rural communities of Midlothi…
Answer · Peter Peacock: Followingdiscussion with COSLA, we will prepare guidance for parents and localauthorities, to raise understanding of the processes and the responsibilitiesof the respective parties.</p>
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that statistics regarding Scottish higher education will be directly comparable with other countries in the European higher education area before 2010.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive will carry out any required work in consultation with data providersand other UK administrations in line with the normal NationalStatistics arrangements.</p><p>Statisticians and otheranalysts working within the Scottish Executive are in…
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what tools it uses to ensure that proper comparisons can be made between Scotland and other countries in respect of participation rates in higher and further education.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive uses a range of data to compare participation rates in Scotlandwith those of other countries. In particular the Executive is developing tertiaryeducation participation indicators which are compliant with the OECD’spublication <i>Educati…
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the participation rates for higher education would be if they were calculated under the initial entry rate system used in England.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive doesnot publish an estimate of the initial entry rate for Scotland andcurrently has no plans to do so.</p>
10 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any applications have been received from Syngenta to plant, and grow, Genetically Modified (GM) mai'e Bt 11 in Scotland.
Answer · Allan Wilson: An application fromSyngenta, for Part C marketing consent for Bt11 maize, is currently beingconsidered by the commission and member states. If granted the consent wouldenable Syngenta to market their GM maize anywhere in the European Union. TheEuropean legisl…
10 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any applications have been received from Syngenta to plant, and grow, GM mai'e Bt 176 in Scotland
Answer · Allan Wilson: GM maize (Bt 176) hascommercial consent enabling it to be grown anywhere in the European Union. Thisconsent is valid until 17 October 2006.</p><p>The maize is marketed primarilyfor its resistance to the European Corn Borer pest. The Corn Borer is notpresent i…
10 Mar 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what priority will be given to the educational value of rural schools in decisions in respect of realising the asset value of rural school buildings for the financing of its second phase PPP/PFI projects.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Thedetailed content and financing of school PPP projects are matters for the localauthorities. They will take a wide range of issues into account in consideringthe structure of their projects, and the future configuration of their schoolestate.</p>
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change the content and delivery of initial teacher education.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The current review ofinitial teacher education is addressing, among other things, both theseaspects. The review group is expected to report to me by the end of March 2004 orshortly thereafter.</p>
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish students attend university in (a) Scotland, (b) other parts of the United Kingdom, (c) other nations in what will become the European higher education area in 2010 and (d) other areas of the world.
Answer · Jim Wallace: In 2001-02, there were148,815 Scottish domiciled students attending Scottish higher educationinstitutions (HEIs), and 13,044 Scottish domiciled students attending HEIs inother areas of the United Kingdom.</p><p>The Scottish Executive holds information for Sco…
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what subsidy it provides in the current year to higher education institutions for students from (a) Scotland, (b) other parts of the United Kingdom and (c) other parts of the European Union.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive provides funding to higher education institutions through the ScottishHigher Education Funding Council. The Funding Council allocates funding toinstitutions and not in support of individual students.</p><p>The Student Awards Agencyfor S…
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations it has carried out on abolishing the Schools (Scotland) Code.
Answer · Peter Peacock: On 3 April 2000, we issued thedocument “<i>Improving Our Schools – Consultation on</i> <i>the Schools</i> <i>(</i><i>Scotland</i><i>) Code</i>” to key stakeholdersfor comment. On 15 October 2002, we consulted on the terms of The Schools (Scotland)Code Amendme…
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its plans for replacing those parts of the Schools (Scotland) Code still in force.
Answer · Peter Peacock: We announced on 9 October 2002 ourplans to phase out the extant provisions contained in the Schools (Scotland)Code, and that we intended doing so in two stages. We will consult later thisyear on the terms of the statutory instrument that will implement the re…
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it provides to alleviate student hardship in (a) higher education institutions and (b) further education colleges.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The following table gives the amount of Hardship Funds, Hardship Loans and Mature Students’ Bursary Funds (MSBF) allocated to both further and higher education institutions and the amount of Young Students’ Retention Fund (YSRF) allocated to further education…
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to vary the amount payable under its graduate endowment scheme.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-5756 on 9 February 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questionss are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/w…
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how the salaries of graduates domiciled in Scotland compare with the salaries of graduates domiciled elsewhere in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the countries which will become the European Higher Education Area in 2010 and (c) other areas of the world.
Answer · Jim Wallace: (a) The average salary forgraduates who were full time employees and resident in Scotland was£29,000 in 2002. The average salary for graduates who were full time employeesand resident elsewhere in the United Kingdom was £32,000 in 2002.</p><p>(b)This informa…
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of students at each higher education institution in Scotland is domiciled outwith the United Kingdom and what this percentage is for the whole of Scotland.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The percentages of students domiciled outwith the United Kingdom, at each higher education institution in Scotland, in 2001-02, are presented in the following table:</p><p>Higher Education Students at Higher Education Institutions in Scotland, 2001-02</p><tab…
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many students domiciled in other areas of the United Kingdom are studying in Scottish higher education institutions and how many Scottish-domiciled students are studying in higher education institutions in other areas of the UK.
Answer · Jim Wallace: In 2001-02, there were 27,223students domiciled in other areas of the United Kingdom (excluding Scotland)studying in Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and 13,044 studentsdomiciled in Scotland studying in HEIs in other areas of the United Kingdom…
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether additional academic staff are being recruited for the purpose of training teachers as part of the expansion of initial teacher training announced in its press release SEed539/2004 on 23 February 2004.
Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not heldcentrally. Staff recruitment is a matter for individual higher education institutions.</p>
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to achieve the targets of reducing class si'es to (a) 25 in P1, (b) 20 in S1 maths, (c) 20 in S2 maths, (d) 20 in S1 English and (e) 20 in S2 English.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The target date for the overarchingPartnership for a Better Scotland commitments to significantly increase teachernumbers to 53,000 and associated class size commitments is August 2007.</p>
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #78 million announced in its press release SEed539/2004 on 23 February 2004 will be allocated to teacher training.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-4928 on 12 January 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available from the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at </p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.parliam…
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many initial teacher education student places were unfilled in each year since 1997.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Information on how many initial teacher education places were unfilled in each year since 1997 is shown in the table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=center>1997-98</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>1998-99</…
25 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions a school has been found to be non-compliant with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education's recommendations in each year since 1997.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I have asked Graham Donaldson, Chief Executive of HM Inspectorateof Education (HMIE), to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>HMIE do not set specificcompliance requirements as a consequence of an inspection. Where improvementsare required, they make re…