- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how much is currently outstanding from the two tranches of student loan debts sold to banks in 1998 and 1999.
Answer
The outstanding debt from thetwo tranches of student loan debts sold to banks in 1998 and 1999 is £101.8 millionas at March 2006 for Scottish domiciled students.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of time is to pay off a student loan debt through the taxation system.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28474 on 6 October 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what factors caused the fall in initial entry to degree level courses from 2004 to 2005.
Answer
The factors causing the fallin initial entry to degree level courses between 2003-04 and 2004-05 it are likelyto be complex. The Executive is engaging with the Scottish Funding Council and institutionsto discuss the issue in detail and will take appropriate action in light of thesediscussions.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total write-off of student loans debt has been since 1999.
Answer
Between financial years 1999-2000and 2005-06, a total of 1,206 Scottish domiciled borrowers have had their loanswritten off by the Student Loans Company, with a total value of £2,394,599.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning’s statement on 14 September 2006 that “Since devolution alone, the number of Scots entering degree-level studies has increased by 12 per cent” (Official Report, c. 27507) took into account changes made in 2003-04 to the way in which Open University students are recorded.
Answer
The number of Scottish entrantsto degree-level study in Scottish institutions in 1999-2000 was 27,460. The numberin 2004-05 was 30,780, representing a 12 per cent increase. These figures were fromtable 13 of the Scottish Executive National Statistics publication
Students inHigher Education at Scottish Institutions 2004-05, which can be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/04/28100117/16.0For the purposes of this publicationthe Open University is not classed as a Scottish institution. Therefore, the changesmade in 2003-04 to the way in which Open University students are recorded wouldnot have affected the numbers that the Deputy Minister for Enterprise andLifelong Learning was referring to.
The above publication also containsinformation on the number of students at the Open University in Scotland in aseparate table, table 9, which can be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/04/28100117/12.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has paid to date to the purchasing banks in respect of the student loans sold by HM Treasury in 1998 and 1999 whose borrowers subsequently satisfied one or more of the conditions for having their loans written off.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28454 on 6 October 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total current outstanding student loan debt is from Scottish borrowers.
Answer
At the end of the 2005-06 financialyear, the total amount outstanding, per the unaudited accounts, for student loansfrom Scottish borrowers is £1.659 billion.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how graduate endowment income has been spent since it became available.
Answer
Graduate Endowment income becameavailable in 2005-06 and in accordance with section 2 of The Education (GraduateEndowment and Student Support) (Scotland) Act 2001 has been applied in the provision of studentsupport.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 28 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive for which local authorities it has still to approve electoral arrangement orders submitted by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland, also indicating the length of time since these orders were submitted.
Answer
The Local GovernmentBoundary Commission for Scotland submitted their report on the North LanarkshireCouncil Area on 22 August. This is still within the 6 week period during whichno decisions can be made. Information on other local authority areas for whichan Electoral Arrangements Order has yet to be made (information correct as of22 September) is detailed in the following table:
| Local Authority | Date Report Submitted by Commission |
| Aberdeen City | 1 August 2006 |
| City of Edinburgh | 17 July 2006 |
| Fife | 13 June 2006 |
| Glasgow City | 27 July 2006 |
| Highland | 27 July 2006 |
| Na h-Eileanan an Iar | 10 April 2006 |
| Renfrewshire | 7 August 2006 |
| Scottish Borders | 3 July 2006 |
| Shetland Islands | 10 April 2006 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 17 July 2006 |
| West Lothian | 6 June 2006 |
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 28 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many electoral arrangement orders for the 2007 election have been disputed by local authorities.
Answer
Representations have beenreceived from 11 authorities following publication of the Local GovernmentBoundary Commission for Scotland’s report for their council area. These authoritieswere Angus, City of Edinburgh, Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, West Dunbartonshire, and West Lothian.
