- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs to it are of monies loaned by the Student Loans Company.
Answer
The costs to the Executive arethe long-run resource cost of providing student loans to Scottish domiciled studentsand a proportionate share of the running cost of the Student Loans Company. Themost recent estimate for 2003-04 suggests that this average cost is 38.3p in every£1 loaned. The student loans cash budget for 2003-04 was £224 million, which givesan estimated resource cost of £86 million.
The Scottish Executive’s shareof the running costs budget of the Student Loans Company is £5.178 million for 2003-04.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 5 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it (a) has taken and (b) intends to take to prevent the sale of school and public playing fields.
Answer
The Executive is committed tothe protection of playing fields through the planning system. Primary responsibilityfor the protection of playing fields lie with local authorities and robust planningpolicies are required to safeguard playing fields where they contribute to localcommunity needs and enjoyment. Sportscotland play an effective role in thisprocess and will object to planning applications proposing development on playingfields unless it can be demonstrated that the playing fields are surplus to requirementsand will not be required in the future.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children with disabilities were on waiting lists for respite services in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
This information is not heldcentrally.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 1 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to address concerns about guidelines on school rationalisation since its letter of 12 March 2003 to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and what impact such action will have on the current consultation on school closures in the rural communities of Midlothian.
Answer
Followingdiscussion with COSLA, we will prepare guidance for parents and localauthorities, to raise understanding of the processes and the responsibilitiesof the respective parties.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what tools it uses to ensure that proper comparisons can be made between Scotland and other countries in respect of participation rates in higher and further education.
Answer
The Scottish Executive uses a range of data to compare participation rates in Scotlandwith those of other countries. In particular the Executive is developing tertiaryeducation participation indicators which are compliant with the OECD’spublication Education At A Glance. These are likely to be published forthe first time in the summer and annually thereafter.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that statistics regarding Scottish higher education will be directly comparable with other countries in the European higher education area before 2010.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will carry out any required work in consultation with data providersand other UK administrations in line with the normal NationalStatistics arrangements.
Statisticians and otheranalysts working within the Scottish Executive are in regular contact withdata providers, other UK administrations and the funding councils regardinghigher education statistics. In particular, active membership of the HigherEducation Statistics Agency (HESA) statutory business committee and its subgroups will ensure that any necessary preparation work is carried out by HESA.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the participation rates for higher education would be if they were calculated under the initial entry rate system used in England.
Answer
The Scottish Executive doesnot publish an estimate of the initial entry rate for Scotland andcurrently has no plans to do so.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 24 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any applications have been received from Syngenta to plant, and grow, Genetically Modified (GM) mai'e Bt 11 in Scotland.
Answer
An application fromSyngenta, for Part C marketing consent for Bt11 maize, is currently beingconsidered by the commission and member states. If granted the consent wouldenable Syngenta to market their GM maize anywhere in the European Union. TheEuropean legislative framework does not require Syngenta to submit a separate UK orScottish application.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 22 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any applications have been received from Syngenta to plant, and grow, GM mai'e Bt 176 in Scotland
Answer
GM maize (Bt 176) hascommercial consent enabling it to be grown anywhere in the European Union. Thisconsent is valid until 17 October 2006.
The maize is marketed primarilyfor its resistance to the European Corn Borer pest. The Corn Borer is notpresent in the UK and no application has been made by Syngenta toplace this GM variety on the national seeds list.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 18 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what priority will be given to the educational value of rural schools in decisions in respect of realising the asset value of rural school buildings for the financing of its second phase PPP/PFI projects.
Answer
Thedetailed content and financing of school PPP projects are matters for the localauthorities. They will take a wide range of issues into account in consideringthe structure of their projects, and the future configuration of their schoolestate.
