I am sorry that thecommissioner, because of absence on business, did not himself respond initially.I understand that he has written to you personally in the last few days apologisingand offering to address any issues you believe have not been fully covered in hisoffice’s earlier response to your constituent’s concerns.

Prior to his replacement by theWater Industry Commission on 1 July 2005, the commissioner’s office aimed to respond to correspondencewithin ten working days.

No. My officials have been intouch with the former commissioner and I understand that there was a breakdown incommunication at his office with the series of correspondence to which you refer.His office accepts full responsibility for the breakdown and he has written to youpersonally to apologise and to seek to address any outstanding issues.

The commissioner is requiredto submit to ministers, and publish, an annual report on the exercise of his functionsincluding customer service.

The Executive expects all publicbodies to respond fully to all points raised in communications with them.

Prior to his replacement by theWater Industry Commission on 1 July 2005, the commissioner’s performance in regulatingScottish Water led to Scottish Water delivering operational savings of around £2million per week, easing the burden of charges to customers. The Executive considerthat to have been a highly satisfactory performance.

Where an authority proposesa specific change to school provision of a type for which statutoryconsultation is required, it is the authority’s responsibility to conduct theconsultation in accordance with the statutory requirements.

I indicated in evidence whichI gave to the Education Committee on 26 October 2005my intention to engage with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on theway in which current guidance is operating and how we can secure best andconsistent consultation practice across Scotland.

The ScottishFurther Education Funding Council has responsibility for funding Scotland’s further education colleges and promotingtheir financial stability.

As part of thatresponsibility, the Funding Council is currently reviewing options for the futureof West Lothian College’s PPP contract.

The following tables give the numbers of higher education graduates from Scottish higher education institutions and further education colleges in the academic years 1996-97 to 2002-03 (the most recent year for which complete graduate data are available).

(a) Finance (including banking)

Numbers of HE graduates with Finance a Main Subject of Study

	Level of Study
Year	Postgraduate	First Degree	Sub-Degree
1996-97	190	195	200
1997-98	200	230	75
1998-99	155	210	100
1999-2000	180	155	90
2000-01	160	195	60
2001-02	165	235	105
2002-031	355	315	95

Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency and Scottish Further Education Funding Council.

Note: All numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest 5. Numbers may not sum to totals exactly due to rounding.

1. The method used for identifying subject of study changed in 2002-03 from that used in previous years.

HE graduates with Finance a Main Subject of Study as a Percentage of all Graduates at that Level

	Level of Study
Year	Postgraduate	First Degree	Sub-Degree
1996-97	1.83%	0.81%	0.78%
1997-98	1.67%	0.89%	0.29%
1998-99	1.43%	0.84%	0.41%
1999-2000	1.36%	0.60%	0.31%
2000-01	1.30%	0.73%	0.23%
2001-02	1.30%	0.88%	0.44%
2002-031	2.61%	1.22%	0.41%

Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency and Scottish Further Education Funding Council.

Note: All numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest 5.  Numbers may not sum to totals exactly due to rounding.

1. The method used for identifying subject of study changed in 2002-03 from that used in previous years.

(b) Accountancy

Numbers of HE Graduates with Accountancy/Accounting a Main Subject of Study

	Level of study
Year	Postgraduate	First degree	Sub-degree
1996-97	60	580	1,405
1997-98	50	590	1,075
1998-99	35	705	1,290
1999-00	20	565	1,160
2000-01	35	550	890
2001-02	25	485	855
2002-031	20	540	840

Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency and Scottish Further Education Funding Council.

Note: All numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest 5.  Numbers may not sum to totals exactly due to rounding.

1. The method used for identifying subject of study changed in 2002-03 from that used in previous years.

HE Graduates with Accountancy/Accounting a Main Subject of Study as a Percentage of all Graduates at that Level

	Level of study
Year	Postgraduate	First degree	Sub-degree
1996-97	0.57%	2.42%	5.45%
1997-98	0.41%	2.31%	4.24%
1998-99	0.34%	2.79%	5.14%
1999-00	0.14%	2.18%	3.96%
2000-01	0.27%	2.10%	3.36%
2001-02	0.20%	1.85%	3.52%
2002-031	0.13%	2.07%	3.71%

Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency and Scottish Further Education Funding Council.

Note: All numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest 5. Numbers may not sum to totals exactly due to rounding.

1. The method used for identifying subject of study changed in 2002-03 from that used in previous years.

(c) Banking

It has not been possible to separate banking from other finance subjects and graduates in banking are included in the tables given in (a).

Following the initial roundof the Bus Route Development Grant scheme, it was decided that there will be nofurther formal “round” of BRDF awards. Instead, any transport authority whichdid not receive at least a population-based share of the total funding throughthe initial awards, and which has been given an indicative allocation offunding which remains available to them, is invited to bring forward proposalsas and when they are in a position to do so in the light of the opportunitiesin the bus market. Although West Lothian Council as one of the more successfulauthorities in the initial round has no indicative allocation remaining, aproposal from any authority which has great merit but which may exceed thatauthority’s allocation may still be considered providing there are sufficientresources remaining within the scheme.