- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for witnesses to receive court expenses.
Answer
The vast majority of witnessessubmit a claim in person at the local cashier’s office and receive payment for courtexpenses on the day they attend court. Where claims are submitted by post to theCrown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Finance Section, the claimant can expect,on average, to receive reimbursement within five working days of receipt of theclaim by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Finance Section.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many overseas students are currently studying in Scotland.
Answer
In session 2001-02 thenumber of overseas students studying at higher education (HE) level in Scotlandstood at 20,482 and the number of overseas enrolments in
furthereducation (FE) stood at 4,241.
Notes:
1. Overseas is defined hereas non-UK domicile.
2. These figures exclude allopen and distance learning students as they are not deemed to be “studying in” Scotland.
3. Information on the numberof FE students is not currently available. Scottish Further EducationFunding Council collects and publishes data on enrolments on individual coursesat FE colleges. As individuals commonly enrol on more than one course in anacademic year, the number of enrolments is significantly higher than the numberof students.
4. Sources: Higher EducationStatistics Agency and Scottish Further Education Funding Council.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many overseas students completed their studies at Scottish universities in six months or less in each of the last five years.
Answer
The following table shows thenumber of overseas graduates and diplomates completing courses lasting sixmonths or less at Scottish higher education institutions in academic years1997-98 to 2001-02 inclusive.
| 1997-98 | 27 |
| 1998-99 | 21 |
| 1999-2000 | 37 |
| 2000-01 | 54 |
| 2001-02 | 7 |
Source : Higher EducationStatistics Agency (HESA).
Notes:
1. The term “graduate”refers to a student who has successfully completed a course at first degreelevel or above; the term “diplomate” refers to a student who has successfullycompleted a course at higher education (sub-degree) level.
2. Overseas is defined hereas non-UK domicile.
3. These figures exclude allopen and distance learning students as those students are not deemed to be “studyingin” Scotland.
4. Data shown is for courseswith length of six months or 26 weeks and below.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how will to support overseas students affected by the introduction of new charges from November 2003 for such students seeking an extension of their stay in the United Kingdom.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not provide support for overseas students, with the exception of studentsfrom EU member states who are entitled to the same tuition fee support as Scottishdomiciled students. The Executive has no plans to review the position in this area.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many overseas students extended their stay beyond six months to complete their studies in each of the last five years.
Answer
The following table showsthe number of overseas graduates and diplomates completing courses lastinglonger than six months, at higher education institutions and further educationcolleges in Scotland for the period from 1997-98 to 2001-02 inclusive.
| Year | Total | HEIs | FECs |
| 1997-98 | 6,208 | 5,820 | 388 |
| 1998-99 | 5,116 | 4,800 | 316 |
| 1999-2000 | 5,356 | 5,069 | 287 |
| 2000-01 | 5,114 | 4,899 | 215 |
| 2001-02 | * | 5,242 | * |
Sources: Higher EducationStatistics Agency and Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC).
Notes:
*This data is not yetavailable.
1. The term “graduate”refers to a student who has successfully completed a course at first degreelevel or above; the term “diplomate” refers to a student who has successfullycompleted a course at higher education (sub-degree) level.
2. Overseas is defined hereas non-UK domicile.
3. These figures exclude allopen and distance learning students as those students are not deemed to be“studying in” Scotland.
4. SFEFC collects andpublishes data on enrolments on individual courses at further education colleges.As individuals commonly enrol on more than one course in an academic year, thenumber of enrolments is significantly higher than the number of students.
5. Data shown is for courseswith length greater than six months or 26 weeks.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 30 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of overseas students returned home on completion of their studies in each of the last five years.
Answer
The Executive does not hold dataon the number of overseas students who returned to their home countries on completionof studies at Scottish institutions.
First Destination Surveys, conductedby the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the Scottish Further EducationFunding Council, provide some information on the destinations of higher educationlevel graduates and diplomates immediately on completion of studies at Scottishfurther and higher education institutions. Available data indicates that for academicyear 1997-98, 13% of overseas higher education level graduates and diplomates fromScottish institutions took up opportunities for work or further study in Scotland. Thecomparable figure for academic year 1998-99 was 18%. Since 1999-2000 informationon first destinations of non-EU graduates and diplomates has not been collectedby HESA.
Information on destinations ofstudents at further education level is not available.
Notes:
1. The term “graduate” refersto a student who has successfully completed a course at first degree level or above;the term “diplomate” refers to a student who has successfully completed a courseat higher education (sub-degree) level.
2. The figures quoted are onknown destinations of primarily full-time graduates and diplomates.
3. Figures exclude all open anddistance learning students from higher education institutes and furthereducation colleges.
4. Source: Higher Education StatisticsAgency and Scottish Further Education Funding Council.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures the Scottish Executive is considering to improve support to asylum seekers within higher education.
Answer
The Scottish Refugee IntegrationForum has recommended that asylum seekers be allowed access to part-time HigherNational courses on the same basis as currently applies for non-advanced courses.We are working with institutions and the funding councils to ensure that asylumseekers will be eligible for fee waiver support in respect of such courses and forhardship support in respect of books and, if appropriate, travel passes, from academicyear 2003-04.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its plans to amend the guidance that is provided to academic institutions on making awards from hardship funds will be complete in time for implementation in the 2003-04 academic year.
Answer
The relevant guidance has beenamended and issued to institutions.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 24 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what developments are being pursued on the interface between planning and transport, as identified in Your place, your plan, its proposals for public involvement in the planning system.
Answer
Ministers and officials are inregular contact on a range of issues where there is an interface between planningand transport.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 24 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in examining, along with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, ways to ensure that MSPs are fully informed about the progression of planning cases and appeals within their constituencies and regions, as identified in Your place, your plan, its proposals for public involvement in the planning system.
Answer
A planning web page is available on the internet at
www.scotland.gov.uk/planning/pc/pc.asp.This provides information on planning applications that come before the Scottishministers showing, on a weekly update basis, the current status of each case. Casesare presently listed by local authority area, and work is on-going to also identifyeach case by MSP constituency.The Executive’s Inquiry Reporter’sUnit also has a website – www.scotland.gov.uk/planning_appeals/seiru.Within the site is a planning appeals search facility which makes it possible toview progress on appeals and retrieve appeal decision letters online, without charge.The use of ICT to provide andreceive planning related information is constantly under review and further refinements,consulting as necessary with the Parliament’sReference Centre, will be introduced as appropriate.
