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I am currently consideringthe overall structure of the National Workforce Plus Partnership. However, Ican confirm that the voluntary sector will be represented.

I refer the member to the followinglink to the dedicated youth justice website, which provides a summary update onaction plan progress as at June 2006:http://www.youthjusticescotland.gov.uk/library/10%20point%20action%20plan%20on%20Youth%20Justice.doc.

The following table highlightsthe number of full-time students domiciled in the (a) Argyll and Bute local authorityarea and (b) West Dunbartonshire local authority area who received bursaries tosupport them at university since 1997-98 (the earliest year for which data is held).

Academic Year	All Full-Time University Students Receiving a Bursary	Number of Full-Time University Students Receiving a Bursary by Local Authority Area
	Total	(a) Argyll and Bute Local Authority	(B) West Dunbartonshire Local Authority
1997-98	59,595	1,005	860
1998-99	59,120	1,005	900
1999-00	43,905	675	770
2000-01	36,465	540	700
2001-02	36,875	565	750
2002-03	38,850	585	765
2003-04	41,345	650	755
2004-05	42,000	630	745

Source: Student Awards Agencyfor Scotland (SAAS), Scottish Executive.

In the table , bursary supportrefers to a student receiving support through any of the following financial awardsadministered by SAAS: Standard Maintenance Allowance, Travel Expenses, Young StudentsBursary, Young Students Outside Scotland Bursary, Mature Students Grant, DependantsGrant, Lone Parents Grant, Lone Parents Childcare Grant, School Meals Grant, DisabledStudents Allowance and Two Homes Grant.

It should be noted that someof the awards were introduced at different times and may not have been availablefor the entire period in question. More information on this can be found in theSAAS publication Student Awards In Scotland 2004-05, a link to which is givenbelow:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/12/1395648/56507.

The Scottish Further EducationFunding Council, a predecessor of the Scottish Further and Higher Education FundingCouncil, took over the responsibility of allocating funds to further education collegesfrom the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department on 1 July 1999. The informationfor Clydebank College requested is as follows:

Year	Capital (£)	Revenue* (£)
1997-98	-	6,137,900
1998-99	-	6,257,000
1999-2000	153,850	6,785,700
2000-01	608,041	7,453,480
2001-02	885,273	11,089,224
2002-03	2,059,243	8,761,778
2003-04	225,775	8,521,056
2004-05	1,766,887	8,754,073

Note: *Recurrent grant-in-aid.

Education Maintenance Allowances(EMAs) were launched across Scotland in August 2004 for eligible 16-year-olds. The nationalroll out to all eligible 16 to 19-year-olds will be complete in 2007-08.

West Dunbartonshire took part in the pilot phase of EMAs, and therefore informationis available for each of the pilot years (2001-02 onwards). In pilot areas the allowanceis paid to 16 to 19-year-olds. As Argyll and Bute did not participate in the pilot,information is only available from the first year of national roll-out (i.e. academicyear 2004-05).

The numbers of young people inreceipt of Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) in (a) West Dunbartonshire and(b) Argyll and Bute for the period in question are as follows:

Academic Year	(a) West Dunbartonshire	(b) Argyll and Bute
2001-02 (pilot)	450	not in pilot
2002-03 (pilot)	550	not in pilot
2003-04 (pilot)	525	not in pilot
2004-05* (national roll-out starts)	665	330

Note: *Figures for 2004-05 includeyoung people claiming EMA at both school and college. Prior to this only schoolpupils were counted as information on college students was not available for thepilot phase.

I understand that you are referringto the “young students’ bursary”. The following table highlights the percentageof young students’ bursary (YSB) recipients who were domiciled in the (a) Argylland Bute Council area, (b) West Dunbartonshire Council area and (c) Dumbarton parliamentaryconstituency since academic year 2001-02 (when the bursaries were introduced):

Academic Year	All Students Receiving Young Students’ Bursary (YSB)	Percentage Of Recipients Of YSB From Area
	Total	(a) Argyll and Bute Council	(b) West Dunbartonshire Council	(c) Dumbarton parliamentary constituency
2001-02	13,233	1.9%	2.0%	1.5%
2002-03	21,870	1.9%	2.1%	1.7%
2003-04	27,855	1.8%	2.2%	1.7%
2004-05	31,500	1.7%	1.9%	1.5%

Source: Student Awards Agencyfor Scotland (SAAS), Scottish Executive.

The cost of leasing the necessaryrolling stock has, and will continue to form part of the business case for the Airdrieto Bathgate rail link project.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.

Scottish Enterprise andHighlands and Islands Enterprise’s launched the Women’s Enterprise Strategy Sharpeningthe Focus on Women’s Enterprise in Scotland in 2005. The strategy highlightsthe services and activities currently provided by the enterprise agencies and aimsto assist more women to start-up and grow their businesses.

Specific details about activityundertaken in Argyll and Bute and in West Dunbartonshire are an operational matterfor Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise, respectively.

The following table shows detailsof the amount paid to both West Dunbartonshire Council and Argyll and Bute Councilfor the purposes of the education maintenance allowance (EMA) programme. Figureswere calculated by financial year.

National roll-out of the programmecommenced in 2004. However, West Dunbartonshire was part of the pilot programme, awarding EMAs to eligiblestudents prior to national roll-out.

Local Education Authority	Financial Year			Total
	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
West Dunbartonshire	£666,726.00	£572,262.00	£618,995.00	£1,857,983.00
Argyll and Bute	N/A	£161,920.00	£341,835.00	£503,755.00

Note: *No figures for 2003 relatingto EMA payments for Argyll and Bute as national rollout did not commence until 2004.

Network Rail, the project promoters,are developing the Airdrie to Bathgate project on the understanding that serviceswill run between Edinburgh and a point, or points, west of Glasgow. The servicesare planned to be in operation at the end of 2010, and it is important that thefinal decision on exactly what is to be provided is made nearer that time. Thiswill enable the services planned to take into account the best fit with other servicesthat will be running then. Extending the Helensburgh to Airdrie service is partof the option that was identified by the Central Scotland Corridor Study in 2002,but this will be reviewed as part of this final decision.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.