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Research carriedout by Tribal Consulting Limited titled The Potential Impact of the SingleSurvey on the Property Industry’ examined the ability of the surveyingsector in Scotland to handle the increase in demand for surveying services fromthe introduction of the single survey. The research concluded that the existingcapacity of the surveying sector would be sufficient.The researchreport is available at: http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/pubcs_017893.pdf.

The offers subject to survey approach helps, in most cases, to address the issue of multiple valuations in the current buying and selling process. However, the approach also reduces the degree of certainty in the transaction process, which has been a key strength of the Scottish house buying and selling process over many years. It is important to consider the balance of arguments between the offers subject to survey approach and the single survey in deciding the way ahead.

The draft regulationswhich were the subject of recent consultation did not include proposals for specific legal liabilitiesfor a buyer or a seller in relation to a property sale questionnaire (PSQ), giventhat it was expected that PSQs would be referred to by solicitors acting on behalfof buyers in the missives of sale as a matter of conveyancing practice.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-3626 on 6 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The draftregulations which were the subject of recent consultation provide forstrict criteria for approved providers and the intention is that they shouldmeet or match the professional standards, liability and redress provided bychartered surveyors. For a buyer to rely on a single survey, the provider’sterms and conditions of contract would have to make suitable provision and ifnecessary that would be ensured by legislation.

We welcome the wide-ranging10-year targets for each of the goals within the Equal Opportunities Commission’sGender Agenda, which was made publicly available on 23 August 2007.

As required by the Gender Equality Duty, which came intoforce in April 2007, the Scottish Government has published its Gender Equality Scheme,setting out the Government’s high level objectives for delivering on gender equality.These include objectives on some of the 10-year targets within the Gender Agenda.For example, there are objectives on closing the gender pay gap, addressing occupationalsegregation, ending pregnancy discrimination at work and violence against women.The scheme is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib.number 42934).

We will, however,be considering how best to engage with the targets as set out by the EOC in thecoming months, this will be best achieved as part of the annual reporting processrequired by the Gender Equality Duty and our own commitment to revise the schemein light of the priorities of this administration. We will be revising and reportingon our Gender Equality Scheme between December 2007 and March 2008.

The draftregulations which were the subject of recent consultation proposed thatevery seller who marketed their property for sale would be under a duty toprovide, upon request, a single survey and a property sale questionnaire, whichwould form a purchaser’s information pack (PIP). They did not propose that PIPswould be provided free or at a reduced rate to sellers on low incomes, butrather that the market would decide the fees for PIPs.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-3626 on 6 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-3626 on 6 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can befound at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Students domiciledin England, Wales and Northern Ireland are liable for a tuition fee of £1,735 peryear for general degree courses and £2,760 for medical courses. There are currentlyno plans to change this and no agreement in this area has been signed.