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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S4W-24407

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether college student numbers have been maintained in each of the last eight years.

The Scottish Funding Council’s Baseline Report for Academic Year 2013-14 explains that while there are different ways of measuring student numbers, full-time equivalent student numbers (FTEs) are the most accurate way of comparing the volume of college activity over time.

The trend in funded FTEs since 2009-10 is explained by colleges exceeding activity targets by a smaller margin than in previous years and, from 2011-12 onwards, the decision to focus school-college activity on pupils in the senior phase.

Colleges have exceeded our commitment to maintaining a minimum of 116,300 FTE places every year since its introduction.

Academic Year	Funded FTEs Delivered
2006-07	120,808
2007-08	122,641
2008-09	123,031
2009-10	124,670
2010-11	121,189
2011-12	119,448
2012-13	116,399
2013-14	119,636

Source: Scottish Funding Council

Question reference: S4W-24409

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been allocated to fund college bursaries in each of the last eight years.

The following table shows that funding for college bursaries has increased by £26.2 million or nearly 47% since 2007-08. Bursary funding is only one element of the wider further education student support budget, which is at a record level of £104 million in 2014-15.

	Further Education Bursary Funding (£ million)
2007-08	56.1
2008-09	57.9
2009-10	64.1
2010-11	72.9
2011-12	78.7
2012-13	78.7
2013-14	81.3
2014-15	82.3

Source: Scottish Funding Council

Question reference: S4W-24406

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the establishing a management fee to be paid by non-UK EU students in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-24410

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 23 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of schools has provided free fruit for P1 and P2 pupils in each of the last eight years.

Question reference: S4W-24408

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many college bursaries have been provided in each of the last eight years.

The following table shows a 10% increase in the number of students receiving college bursaries between 2006-07 and 2013-14.

Record further education student support funding of £104 million in 2014-15 means that students can now receive bursaries of up to £93.03 per week.

Year	Number of students who have received a further education bursary
2006-07	40,877
2007-08	41,513
2008-09	41,243
2009-10	44,829
2010-11	44,993
2011-12	45,328
2012-13	44,790
2013-14	44,810

Source: Scottish Funding Council

Figures not yet published for 2014-15

Question reference: S4W-24300

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 18 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many claims for discounted flights under the Air Discount Scheme have been (a) made and (b) approved in each of the last three years.

The figures are as follows:

Year	Claims made	Claims approved
2012	136,607	136,339
2013	148,143¹	147,910
2014	162,498	162,294²

¹ This figure differs from the figure given in answer of S4W-18687 on 17 December 2013, as the figure given then only related to part of the year.

² Please note that this figure is provisional as audit work in relation to 2014 has yet to be completed.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S4W-24351

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 12 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to (a) advertise for and (b) appoint a Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland.

Question reference: S4F-02550

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 26 January 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2015

To ask the First Minister what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations in Jackie Brock’s report on closing the gaps in the child protection process.

Question reference: S4O-03961

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in setting the objectives and budget for Wave Energy Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-23782

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-23548 by Richard Lochhead on 19 December 2014 and in light of the information not being provided on the suggested website, whether it will now answer what process it used to choose the directors of Scottish Rural Action and which (a) people and (b) groups it consulted as part of this.