Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-06680

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will manage accountability for spending public money when working with private companies during Homecoming 2014.

Robust mechanisms are in place to provide the necessary accountability and transparency needed for all public resources invested in Homecoming Scotland 2014. All organisations, including private companies involved in the delivery of events in the programme, will be required to show detailed budget plans as part of the application process. Progress updates against these plans will be provided to EventScotland’s Homecoming Scotland 2014 delivery team which will, in turn, keep Scottish Government officials updated.

Question reference: S4W-06679

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to create jobs during Homecoming 2014 and how it will ensure that the event will create jobs throughout Scotland.

Homecoming Scotland 2009 was a great success generating £53.7 million for the country and creating more than 1,500 full-time equivalent employment opportunities. Homecoming Scotland 2014 will aim to build on that success, with the delivery of an inspirational nationwide events programme and international tourism campaign that presents opportunities for economic growth and employment in communities the length and breadth of Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-06827

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) universities, (b) the National Union of Students and (c) other stakeholders on developing a consistent approach to advising people from the rest of the UK who are considering studying in Scotland about the fees structure and what support is available to them.

The Scottish Government engages with universities, student representatives and other higher education stakeholders on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues, including widening access and the support available to students.

Students from the rest of the UK who come to study in Scotland are supported in the first instance by the administration in their home country rather than the Scottish Government. However, every university can offer local support in the form of bursaries and the Scottish Government has welcomed the package of bursaries and scholarships that Scottish universities have agreed to provide to RUK domiciled students to ensure they remain accessible to learners from diverse backgrounds.

In addition to this, RUK students can apply for discretionary funds from the institution at which they are studying. These funds are intended to provide non-repayable assistance for students in financial difficulties in order for them to access and/or continue in higher education and are paid in addition to any other forms of student support.

Question reference: S4W-06826

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing proposals to ensuring that students from the rest of the UK from low-income backgrounds are not deterred from studying in Scotland.

Following the increase in RUK fees last year, Scottish universities announced a package of bursaries and scholarships to provide to RUK-domiciled students to ensure that our institutions remain accessible to learners from diverse backgrounds. The latest UCAS applications statistics show that relatively more students from England are applying to study in Scotland than are applying to study in England this year, however it is too early to break this down further to determine what the particular outcome is with respect to those from low-income backgrounds.

Question reference: S4W-06842

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many higher education courses have been available at each college in each of the last three years.

The information requested is provided in the following table.

Table 1: Number of HE Courses at each College, 2008-09 to 2010-11

College	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Aberdeen College	250	275	250
Adam Smith College	180	170	145
Angus College	70	75	75
Anniesland College	90	80	85
Ayr College	85	45	45
Banff and Buchan College of Further Education	145	115	105
Barony College	5	5	10
Borders College	35	30	35
Cardonald College	55	65	90
Carnegie College	200	205	195
Central College Glasgow	85	100	100
Clydebank College	40	45	65
Coatbridge College	25	20	30
Cumbernauld College	40	40	40
Dumfries and Galloway College	75	75	60
Dundee College	110	130	120
Edinburgh’s Telford College	110	95	105
Elmwood College	35	35	40
Forth Valley College	185	165	165
Glasgow College of Nautical Studies	110	95	100
Glasgow Metropolitan	90	85	90
James Watt College of Further & Higher Education	95	100	110
Jewel and Esk College	90	90	90
John Wheatley College	15	15	20
Kilmarnock College	115	115	95
Langside College	105	90	85
Motherwell College	135	145	145
Newbattle Abbey College	0	0	0
North Glasgow College	50	65	65
Oatridge College	15	20	15
Reid Kerr College	130	140	130
South Lanarkshire College	30	30	35
Stevenson College Edinburgh	105	105	125
Stow College	140	130	160
West Lothian College	70	80	70
Total	3,135	3,070	3,095

Source: Scottish Funding Council.

Note: This includes each individual course title. Courses may have been run more than once in the academic year and so have a slightly different name and are included once for each of those names.

Question reference: S4W-06844

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of undergraduates domiciled in Scotland and on (a) full- and (b) part-time higher education course at college has been from deprived areas in each of the last three years, broken down by institution.

The information requested is provided in the following tables.

Table 1(a): Percentage of Scottish domiciled full-time HE students from deprived areas, 2008-09 to 2010-11:

College

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

Total

Deprived

%

Total

Deprived

%

Total

Deprived

%

Aberdeen College	2,165	8.33%	2,170	10.39%	2,340	8.97%
Adam Smith College	1,480	21.96%	1,625	22.29%	1,695	22.85%
Angus College	310	11.29%	395	16.46%	420	14.29%
Anniesland College	455	35.56%	510	33.66%	585	35.59%
Ayr College	630	24.60%	665	31.06%	770	33.12%
Banff and Buchan College of Further Education	175	8.57%	265	8.16%	260	8.33%
Barony College	50	10.00%	70	7.14%	75	7.14%
Borders College	110	9.09%	95	10.00%	130	7.69%
Cardonald College	890	33.71%	1,010	33.67%	1,150	33.04%
Carnegie College	325	17.74%	440	17.44%	500	19.15%
Central College Glasgow	1,400	30.82%	1,535	31.05%	1,625	32.41%
Clydebank College	640	41.27%	830	41.57%	940	43.62%
Coatbridge College	390	42.86%	410	47.50%	485	43.30%
Cumbernauld College	300	16.67%	350	18.57%	410	16.05%
Dumfries and Galloway College	290	12.07%	280	14.29%	325	15.15%
Dundee College	1,310	29.12%	1,425	29.93%	1,490	31.42%
Edinburgh’s Telford College	1,190	11.30%	1,430	12.32%	1,490	13.42%
Elmwood College	220	6.82%	250	8.00%	270	10.20%
Forth Valley College	1,010	14.50%	1,115	15.70%	1,235	17.00%
Glasgow College of Nautical Studies	990	24.37%	975	31.79%	1,025	25.76%
Glasgow Metropolitan	2,075	23.66%	2,165	23.83%	2,205	25.00%
James Watt College of Further and Higher Education	1,620	35.71%	1,805	33.70%	1,800	34.64%
Jewel and Esk College	705	12.77%	775	12.26%	830	12.73%
John Wheatley College	70	66.67%	75	53.33%	95	68.42%
Kilmarnock College	510	31.68%	590	37.29%	575	33.04%
Langside College	665	25.56%	735	27.89%	790	30.57%
Motherwell College	855	31.85%	1,030	32.00%	1,120	31.19%
North Glasgow College	510	35.00%	515	35.92%	705	36.43%
Oatridge College	140	7.14%	165	9.38%	170	8.82%
Reid Kerr College	1,025	36.59%	1,165	32.62%	1,220	36.44%
South Lanarkshire College	290	13.79%	495	16.16%	560	13.39%
Stevenson College Edinburgh	815	13.66%	955	14.14%	1,090	12.44%
Stow College	1,025	32.84%	1,165	31.80%	1,355	33.96%
West Lothian College	345	21.74%	400	21.52%	500	22.00%
Total	24,980	24.20%	27,880	25.00%	30,235	25.43%

Source: Scottish Funding Council.

Table 1(b): Percentage of Scottish domiciled part-time HE students from deprived areas, 2008-09 to 2010-11:

College

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

Total

Deprived

%

Total

Deprived

%

Total

Deprived

%

Aberdeen College	1,435	6.06%	1,450	8.62%	1,505	9.30%
Adam Smith College	2,515	14.94%	2,330	16.05%	1,595	15.99%
Angus College	450	10.11%	460	7.61%	465	9.68%
Anniesland College	445	29.55%	430	29.07%	445	31.46%
Ayr College	475	23.46%	375	18.92%	395	25.32%
Banff and Buchan College of Further Education	765	4.58%	575	3.54%	570	2.70%
Barony College	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	5	0.00%
Borders College	210	2.38%	210	7.14%	225	6.82%
Cardonald College	620	32.77%	735	27.20%	810	31.43%
Carnegie College	910	13.19%	920	12.88%	835	11.03%
Central College Glasgow	1,300	26.92%	1,135	27.88%	1,090	29.82%
Clydebank College	385	27.27%	380	28.38%	460	29.67%
Coatbridge College	65	23.08%	70	28.57%	100	42.11%
Cumbernauld College	240	16.67%	225	11.11%	195	12.82%
Dumfries and Galloway College	345	13.04%	450	12.22%	295	13.79%
Dundee College	1,210	16.32%	1,305	18.15%	1,015	16.00%
Edinburgh’s Telford College	860	11.64%	690	13.87%	785	14.10%
Elmwood College	110	9.09%	75	13.33%	95	11.11%
Forth Valley College	1,080	10.33%	825	10.30%	880	9.71%
Glasgow College of Nautical Studies	840	23.35%	865	23.12%	855	20.25%
Glasgow Metropolitan	585	25.22%	520	24.04%	600	25.00%
James Watt College of Further and Higher Education	530	26.67%	605	25.62%	445	29.89%
Jewel and Esk College	475	8.14%	430	11.76%	475	12.63%
John Wheatley College	50	72.73%	55	72.73%	70	57.14%
Kilmarnock College	555	25.45%	545	25.00%	355	25.35%
Langside College	1,040	28.02%	1,050	27.75%	1,035	27.18%
Motherwell College	730	25.52%	785	27.39%	680	27.21%
North Glasgow College	105	35.00%	170	38.24%	160	37.50%
Oatridge College	40	0.00%	60	9.09%	50	20.00%
Reid Kerr College	645	28.68%	595	24.37%	640	25.98%
South Lanarkshire College	475	21.05%	445	23.86%	425	25.61%
Stevenson College Edinburgh	705	12.60%	565	15.04%	755	11.94%
Stow College	650	27.69%	550	30.56%	475	35.87%
West Lothian College	465	17.78%	350	20.97%	435	17.24%
Total	21,310	18.67%	20,230	19.33%	19,220	19.63%

Source: Scottish Funding Council.

Question reference: S4W-06843

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of undergraduates domiciled in Scotland and on their first (a) full- and (b) part-time higher education course at college has been from deprived areas in each of the last three years, broken down by institution.

The information requested is provided in the following tables.

Table 1(a): Percentage of Scottish domiciled first year full-time HE students from deprived areas, 2008-09 to 2010-11:

College

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

Total

Deprived

%

Total

Deprived%

Total

Deprived%

Aberdeen College	1,550	8.74%	1,515	11.22%	1,625	8.33%
Adam Smith College	1,105	21.72%	1,215	23.33%	1,270	23.02%
Angus College	235	10.64%	305	18.33%	300	13.33%
Anniesland College	380	36.00%	410	34.15%	490	36.73%
Ayr College	535	25.23%	600	30.25%	550	31.82%
Banff and Buchan College of Further Education	150	10.00%	210	7.89%	195	10.81%
Barony College	50	10.00%	70	7.14%	75	7.14%
Borders College	100	10.00%	90	10.53%	125	8.00%
Cardonald College	605	35.83%	700	32.35%	790	33.55%
Carnegie College	260	18.37%	355	17.39%	425	20.99%
Central College Glasgow	870	31.61%	990	29.80%	1,000	34.50%
Clydebank College	465	42.39%	590	40.68%	570	43.36%
Coatbridge College	300	43.33%	330	48.44%	370	43.24%
Cumbernauld College	300	16.67%	290	18.97%	315	14.52%
Dumfries and Galloway College	230	10.87%	205	16.67%	280	16.07%
Dundee College	980	29.23%	1,040	29.95%	1,115	31.08%
Edinburgh’s Telford College	835	11.95%	980	12.82%	1,045	13.88%
Elmwood College	220	6.82%	250	8.16%	270	10.20%
Forth Valley College	710	15.00%	760	16.45%	825	15.76%
Glasgow College of Nautical Studies	625	26.61%	560	30.36%	715	25.35%
Glasgow Metropolitan	1,355	22.47%	1,395	24.36%	1,435	24.13%
James Watt College of Further & Higher Education	1,270	35.04%	1,410	35.23%	1,440	35.31%
Jewel and Esk College	535	13.08%	625	11.20%	665	12.12%
John Wheatley College	70	66.67%	75	53.33%	95	68.42%
Kilmarnock College	480	32.63%	590	37.29%	575	33.04%
Langside College	665	25.56%	735	27.89%	790	30.57%
Motherwell College	680	31.97%	800	33.33%	840	32.10%
North Glasgow College	380	32.43%	410	37.80%	520	38.46%
Oatridge College	95	5.56%	130	11.54%	135	11.11%
Reid Kerr College	810	38.27%	895	32.40%	895	38.51%
South Lanarkshire College	290	13.79%	460	16.48%	560	13.39%
Stevenson College Edinburgh	715	14.89%	850	14.20%	970	13.02%
Stow College	750	34.23%	820	32.21%	980	33.68%
West Lothian College	345	21.74%	400	21.52%	500	22.00%
Total	18,945	24.53%	21,060	25.29%	22,750	25.44%

Source: Scottish Funding Council.

Note: The table includes enrolments for students in their first year of study on an HE course, as it is not possible to identify which students are on an HE course for the first time.

Table 1(b): Percentage of Scottish domiciled first year part-time HE students from deprived areas, 2008-09 to 2010-11:

College

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

Total

Deprived

%

Total

Deprived

%

Total

Deprived

%

Aberdeen College	1,275	6.47%	1,290	9.30%	1,295	10.04%
Adam Smith College	2,200	14.81%	2,020	16.58%	1,335	16.10%
Angus College	420	10.84%	455	7.69%	460	9.78%
Anniesland College	340	28.36%	275	30.91%	315	31.75%
Ayr College	380	22.58%	290	18.97%	300	28.33%
Banff and Buchan College of Further Education	665	3.76%	470	4.30%	470	3.26%
Barony College	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	5	0.00%
Borders College	135	3.57%	140	10.71%	160	6.25%
Cardonald College	530	34.29%	665	27.59%	760	32.65%
Carnegie College	750	13.45%	720	13.73%	625	10.48%
Central College Glasgow	1,195	25.74%	1,070	28.04%	1,005	29.50%
Clydebank College	305	27.87%	295	29.31%	365	30.14%
Coatbridge College	50	20.00%	45	33.33%	55	45.45%
Cumbernauld College	220	15.91%	205	9.76%	180	11.11%
Dumfries and Galloway College	245	14.29%	325	13.85%	230	15.22%
Dundee College	950	16.58%	1,065	19.34%	840	16.27%
Edinburgh’s Telford College	645	13.39%	580	15.65%	680	14.07%
Elmwood College	105	9.52%	65	15.38%	85	13.33%
Forth Valley College	775	10.53%	565	9.73%	650	10.00%
Glasgow College of Nautical Studies	735	23.45%	665	23.31%	645	19.17%
Glasgow Metropolitan	445	26.44%	425	22.62%	515	25.49%
James Watt College of Further and Higher Education	470	26.88%	545	24.77%	355	30.00%
Jewel and Esk College	300	7.84%	260	13.46%	325	12.31%
John Wheatley College	50	72.73%	55	72.73%	70	57.14%
Kilmarnock College	435	25.58%	465	24.73%	295	25.86%
Langside College	680	29.63%	430	24.71%	500	26.00%
Motherwell College	585	25.00%	590	29.66%	470	28.42%
North Glasgow College	60	45.45%	160	37.50%	110	36.36%
Oatridge College	40	0.00%	60	9.09%	50	20.00%
Reid Kerr College	520	29.81%	445	23.60%	525	25.96%
South Lanarkshire College	475	21.05%	435	24.14%	405	25.64%
Stevenson College Edinburgh	675	12.40%	505	16.00%	685	11.67%
Stow College	405	30.00%	315	36.67%	255	44.68%
West Lothian College	445	17.44%	335	21.67%	425	16.67%
Total	17,505	18.79%	16,230	19.63%	15,445	19.56%

Source: Scottish Funding Council

Note: The table includes enrolments for students in their first year of study on an HE course, as it is not possible to identify which students are on an HE course for the first time.

Question reference: S4O-00909

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when details of the new air ambulance contract will be announced and whether it expects the contract to include an Orkney-based aircraft.

Question reference: S4W-06063

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 19 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people who were being offered advice, guidance and assistance by a local authority under sections (a) 29(1) and (b) 29(2) of the Children’s (Scotland) Act 1995 and Supporting Young People Leaving Care in Scotland: Regulations and Guidance on Services for Young People Ceasing to be Looked After by Local Authorities have died in each year since 2005-06, broken down by local authority.

This information is not held centrally.

Individual local authorities should be able to provide information on young people who were receiving advice, guidance and assistance under sections 29(1) and 29(2) of the Children’s (Scotland) Act 1995 and Supporting Young People Leaving Care in Scotland: Regulations and Guidance on Services for Young People Ceasing to be Looked After who died in each year since 2005-06.

Question reference: S4W-05573

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities since 2007 regarding the extension of public service obligation flights to all airports that serve routes that are eligible for the Air Discount Scheme.

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