Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Official Report 698KB pdf

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New Petitions

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Student Loan Debt (Paramedics) (PE2036)

Agenda item 2 is consideration of new petitions, the first of which is PE2036. I am happy to say to Rebecca Smith, who lodged the petition—as I say to all those who might be tuning in to hear consideration of their petition—that, ahead of the committee’s first consideration of the petition, we seek the view of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament information centre, SPICe, which is the Parliament’s independent research service. The committee does that so that we can have an informed initial discussion, rather than postponing a discussion until we have sought that information.

The petition calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to write off student loan debts incurred by paramedic science students before the current bursary was introduced. The SPICe briefing notes that student loan repayment conditions are set out in the Repayment of Student Loans (Scotland) Regulations 2000 and the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009, as amended. The briefing explains that, under current legislation, student loan debt can be cancelled in the following situations only: 30 years after the loan holder became eligible to repay it, if the loan holder dies or if the loan holder becomes permanently unfit for work.

The Scottish Government’s position is that students who commenced their paramedic science degree before the introduction of the bursary will still need to pay back any student loans that they have received. The response states that there are no plans to write-off previous student loans for that cohort of students. That seems to be a fairly clear direction. Do colleagues have any suggestions?

Thank you, convener—

It seems a most unfortunate role—

Yes, a bit like Laurel and Hardy—?

—that has fallen to you this morning, Mr Torrance. I fear that you are going to suggest that we close the petition.

Given the Scottish Government’s stance, yes. I wonder whether the committee would consider closing the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders, on the basis that the Scottish Government has no plans to write off previous student loans for those who commenced their paramedic science degree before the introduction of the bursary in 2021.

It is a fairly clear direction from the Scottish Government that it is not going to write off that student debt, so are colleagues minded to close the petition?

Members indicated agreement.

I thank Rebecca Smith for lodging the petition. She raised an important issue, but the Scottish Government’s position is clear and, therefore, there is nothing further that the committee can usefully do to take forward the petition’s aims.

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College Funding (PE2044)

The second and final new petition, PE2044, which was lodged by Gillian Geddes, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to reinstate the £26 million that was pledged to colleges in the 2023-24 budget.

The clerk’s note provides an overview of the Education, Children and Young People Committee’s work on the issue as part of its pre-budget scrutiny. That committee raised further and higher education funding as a key theme in its pre-budget scrutiny letter and continued to pursue the issues in subsequent evidence sessions.

Last week, the committee issued its pre-budget scrutiny letter for the 2024-25 budget, which included college funding as one of its three main strands. In his response to the petition, the Minister for Higher and Further Education states:

“While I understand the disappointment on the need to take the £26 million saving, we have maintained the college sector’s core teaching funding allocation”.

His submission further states:

“the Scottish Government is committed to developing a new funding model for post-school education”.

In the light of the minister’s response, do members have any comments or suggestions for action?

In the light of the evidence before us, I wonder whether we could consider closing the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders, particularly on the basis that the Education, Children and Young People’s Committee has undertaken scrutiny on the issue recently and will continue to do so as part of its pre-budget scrutiny for 2024-25.

Are members inclined to support the proposal?

Members indicated agreement.

In view of the fact that, as part of its pre-budget scrutiny, one of our sister committees in Parliament is taking forward the issues that are contained in the petition, we will close it. However, I thank the petitioner very much for drawing the issue to the attention of this committee and the Parliament.

That concludes our consideration of new petitions. The committee will next meet on 22 November.

Meeting closed at 10:50.