Fiona Hyslop

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how often it anticipates using the powers it intends to take under the draft School Education (Ministerial Powers and Independent Schools) (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Peter Peacock: We anticipate that the powerswould be used infrequently.</p>

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education follow-up inspections resulted in an unsatisfactory report in each of the last five years.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I have asked Graham Donaldson, Chief Executive of HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE), to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Details of the percentage of follow up inspections that have resulted in an unsatisfactory report in each of the last five yea…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of teacher training graduates (a) qualified from teacher training colleges in each year since 1995 and (b) it expects to qualify from teacher training colleges in each year up to 2007.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The table shows initial teacher education college graduates as a proportion of all initial teacher education graduates in Scotland, for each year from 1994-95 to 2001-02:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p al…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers qualified in the last year and how many teachers it expects to qualify in each year up to 2007 with an (a) Bachelor of Education and (b) Postgraduate Certificate in Education.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Information on how many teachers qualified in session 2002-03 and projections of how many teachers are expected to qualify in each year up to 2007 with an (a) Bachelor of Education (BEd) and (b) Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is shown in the tab…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teacher training places there have been and what funding has been provided for teacher training in each year since 1995, giving the funding figures also at 1995 prices.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The following table gives the numbers of students on teacher training courses in Scotland and levels of funding provided for these places:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Number</p> </td> …

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children with disabilities were on waiting lists for respite services in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) psychologists and (b) people offering psychiatric assistance, provided mental health services for looked after children in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children leaving care were not in (a) full-time education, (b) employment or (c) training in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Euan Robson: This information wascollected for the first time in 2002-03. It showed that across Scotland 60%of young people leaving care were not in employment, education or training. Abreakdown by local authority area is not available as this was the first yearof collect…

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many looked after children did not have a social worker in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Euan Robson: This information is not heldcentrally. However, in his third annual report <i>Progress with Complexity</i>,published in January this year, the Chief Social Work Inspector found that of atotal of around 11,400 looked after children and young people in Scotland…

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many looked after children were in full time education in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Euan Robson: This information is not heldcentrally. However, in February 2003, the Executive published a report onprogress with implementing the recommendations of <i>Learning with Care</i>.This showed that all local authorities reported between 90% and 100% of lookedafte…

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for adoption of children have been granted in each year since 1999 and what the average age of child adopted was in each year.

Answer · Euan Robson: The figures requested werepublished by the Scottish Executive on 18 March 2003 see <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00243-00.asp">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00243-00.asp</a>)</p>

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been in foster care placements in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Euan Robson: The table below shows the number of looked after children in foster care on 31 March, in each year between 1999 and 2003.</p><p> </p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=479> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Local Authority Area</p> </td> <td> <p …

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the specialist burns unit and associated plastic surgery facility at St John's Hospital will be retained at no less than their current operational scope and si'e.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Decisions about the scaleand configuration of healthcare services are matters for NHS boards, withinnational priorities and guidelines. In planning services, boards are obliged totake account of the assessed current and future needs of patients, and the exist…

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under the review of burns treatment facilities by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer following a similar review in England, it will ensure that St John's Hospital will be designated as a burns unit and that there will not be a negative impact on St John's Hospital as a result of an…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Any decisions about thefuture configuration of the burns service at St John’s are primarily for NHSLothian, in consultation with relevant clinicians.</p><p>The clinically-led review ofburns treatment facilities is looking at current Scottish burns capacity, w…

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that, following NHS Lothians' review of better acute care, the acute medical and surgical admissions facilities at the Western General Hospital and St John's Hospital will not close.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Proposals that emerge from NHSLothian’s review of possible future patterns of acute care across its area willbe subject to full public consultation. The board must obtain the Scottish Executive’s endorsement of its overall strategy in the light of publicconsu…

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet West Lothian and North Lanarkshire councils to discuss the case for a balanced city region approach and address any problems and issues that face the substantial urban economies of the central belt.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Officials from the Enterprise,Transport and Lifelong Learning Department of the Scottish Executive met recently with representatives from North Lanarkshire and West Lothian councilsto discuss economic development and collaboration in their areas and arewillin…

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how important it is for the economic significance and potential of the West Lothian and North Lanarkshire area to be recognised if the city regions of Edinburgh and Glasgow are to be properly developed.

Answer · Jim Wallace: As indicated in <i>BuildingBetter Cities</i>, our framework policy document for Scotland’scities, the Executive recognises the importance of city-regions and theeconomic significance and potential of West Lothian and North Lanarkshire in developing the city-r…

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the contributions to the economy of communities outwith the major cities.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive regularly considers the contribution to the economy of different communities in a number of ways using available statistics. One approach is to look at Gross Value Added (GVA). The Office of National Statistics (ONS) estimates of GVA ar…

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will address concerns of West Lothian and North Lanarkshire councils that the emphasis of the city review will lead to a diminution of the role of urban economies between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Answer · Jim Wallace: It would be wrong to concludethat implementation of the Review of Scotland's Cities might lead to adiminution in the role of urban economies elsewhere in Scotland – particularlyin areas such as West Lothian and North Lanarkshire, whose economic success is ver…

24 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on West Lothian Council's support for a full community and health care partnership building on the success of its integrated trust model, the joint future arrangements for community services expanded to include appropriate services for children, the health improvement…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The establishment of communityhealth partnerships is dependent on the passage of the NHS (Reform) ScotlandBill. The views of a wide range of stakeholders have been taken into account inpreparing the draft legislation and the guidance which will describe thego…

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out into the effects of tuition fees and the graduate endowment scheme on attitudes towards study in further and higher education.

Answer · Jim Wallace: In July, 1999, the Scottish Executive commissioned an independent committee of inquiry, headed by Mr Andrew Cubie,to conduct a comprehensive review of student finance, which in turncommissioned research to inform its report. Since then the Scottish Executive …

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional costs will be incurred by the Student Loans Company if tuition fees in England and Wales are deregulated and what effect this will have on Scottish students.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Any costs incurred by theStudent Loans Company (SLC) are met on a proportional basis by Her Majesty’sGovernment and the devolved administrations, based on the numbers of borrowerswho were domiciled in each country when they received their loan and value of th…

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of time is for a graduate to repay their student loan.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The average length of timefor a graduate to repay their student loan is 13 years.</p>

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the graduate endowment is predicted to have on the repayment of student loans.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The amount of student loan thata graduate repays each month and the period of time over which repayments aremade are linked to the level of the borrower’s income and the amount borrowed. Under the support arrangements introduced in2001-02, many students who w…

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any student loan debts have been sold to the private sector.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18120 on 27 September 2001. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average student loan debt has been for graduates from (a) honours degree, (b) ordinary degree and (c) sub-degree level study when entering repayment status in each year for which figures are available.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average level of debt has been for new graduates in each year since 1990.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The table shows the average graduate debt since 1999.</p><p> </p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=148> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Cohort</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Average Debt</p> </td> </tr> </thead> <tr> <td> <p>1999</p> </t…

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current non-completion rates are for higher and further education courses and what steps it is taking to reduce these figures.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Higher Education FundingCouncil for England (HEFCE) publish performance indicators for all UK highereducation institutions (HEIs) annually. The latest figures show that 10% of full-timefirst degree entrants to Scottish HEIs in 2000-01 failed to continue a…

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many specialist primary school modern language teachers there are and what plans it has to train such specialists.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Information on how many specialistprimary modern language teachers there are is not available centrally. A modernforeign language is an option for specialist study within the Bachelor ofPrimary Education course and a training course to teach modern languages …

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current real term value is of the maximum student grant available in (a) 1979, (b) 1988 and (c) 1997.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The figures requested are shown in the table:</p><p>Maximum Student Grant Available</p><table class=MsoTableGrid border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> <td> <p>Amount of Grant</p> </td> <td> <p>Value in 2003…