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Discretionary fund guidance is issued to all colleges and universities at the beginning of each academic year. The discretionary fund guidance includes details of the funding available to all students with childcare expenses, including postgraduate students.

A link to a copy of the current guidance can be found at:

http://www.saas.gov.uk/student_support/other_funding.htm#discretionary.

The following tables show the funding allocated to higher education institutions (HEIs) and colleges in Scotland between 2004-05 and 2008-09, along with equivalent amounts at 2004-05 values (adjusted using HM Treasury GDP deflators) and the annual change of 2004-05 equivalent values.

Table 1. Funding Invested in Scottish HEIs in Edinburgh and the Lothians (£000): 2004-05 to 2009-10

	Academic Year
Institution	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Edinburgh College of Art	8,240	8,821	9,895	9,945	9,541
Edinburgh University	134,006	148,693	162,865	176,905	183,524
Heriot-Watt University	33,926	35,554	39,082	41,258	42,672
Edinburgh Napier University	38,586	40,390	45,830	56,570	54,753
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh	14,297	13,470	13,674	14,184	16,129
total	229,055	246,928	271,346	298,862	306,619
2004-05 value	229,055	242,526	257,853	276,091	275,632
annual change in real terms	-	5.9%	6.3%	7.1%	-0.2%

Source: Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

2004-05 value calculated using HM Treasury GDP deflators December 2010 update.

Table 2. Funding Invested in Scotland''s Colleges in Edinburgh and the Lothians (£000s): 2004-05 to 2009-10

	Academic Year
College/Region	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Edinburgh colleges
Edinburgh''s Telford College	29,924	27,045	35,495	36,935	37,906
Jewel and Esk College	14,127	15,264	24,900	39,096	21,028
Stevenson College	19,938	22,283	30,589	28,264	29,572
Lothian colleges
Newbattle Abbey College	328	345	361	371	383
Oatridge College	3,279	5,139	6,432	4,263	4,636
West Lothian College	12,737	13,153	44,193	14,193	14,732
Total	80,332	83,229	141,970	123,122	108,258
2004-05 value	80,332	81,746	134,911	113,741	97,317
annual change in real terms	-	1.8%	65.0%	-15.7%	-14.4%

 Source: Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

2004-05 value calculated using HM Treasury GDP deflators December 2010 update.

Figures from 2006-07 to 2009-10 are made up of gross resources, notional fees, fee waiver (initial allocation), bursary allocation and capital grants, while the figures for 2005-06 are partly made up of grant in aid instead of gross resources.

Funding for bursaries for full-time higher education (HE) students in Scotland is allocated through the Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). Table 1 shows the amount (in pounds sterling) paid as bursaries to HE students in Edinburgh and Lothian regions from 2005-06 to 2009-10 by SAAS. The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) allocates funding for bursaries for full-time further education (FE) students studying at Scottish colleges to the institutions who then decide how this money will be allocated. Table 2 shows how much funding was allocated to Scottish colleges for FE students in each year from 2005-06 to 2009-10.

Table 1. Total bursary payments to students studying in Edinburgh and Lothians, 2005-06 to 2009-10 (£''s)

Edinburgh HEIs	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Queen Margaret University	767,819	800,871	849,905	841,593	884,398
Edinburgh College of Art	346,226	350,422	335,669	301,732	301,885
Edinburgh University	3,308,770	3,381,058	3,442,589	3,267,326	3,494,054
Napier University	2,844,350	2,981,877	3,067,710	3,174,760	3,275,309
Heriot-Watt University	2,033,102	2,028,946	2,056,968	2,016,075	2,323,622
Edinburgh Colleges	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Edinburgh''s Telford College	763,690	848,894	752,821	714,917	844,167
Stevenson College	467,640	431,289	426,997	442,837	498,981
Lothians Colleges	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Oatridge Agricultural College	125,282	105,603	94,635	83,337	93,686
West Lothian College	249,024	287,451	279,976	200,969	299,342
Jewel and Esk Valley College	475,981	422,118	495,880	440,538	479,700

Source: Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).

Notes:

1. Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) includes students from Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Ayr. It was not possible to separate the students who are at the different campuses, therefore SAC has not been included as an Edinburgh institution.

2. SAAS provide financial support for higher education (HE) students. This encompasses students on courses at HNC and HND levels and degree and post graduate course levels.

3. The data in this table only includes mainstream students funded by SAAS. Students on pre-registration nursing or midwifery courses are funded through the NMSB scheme and are not included in these figures.

4. The bursary included in the total figures is Young Students'' Bursary. This is the only bursary that Scottish students studying in Scotland were eligible for between 2005-06 and 2009-10.

Table 2. Total bursary funding to colleges studying in Edinburgh and Lothians,
2005-06 to 2009-10 (£''s)

Edinburgh Colleges	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Edinburgh''s Telford College	2,441,659	2,746,050	2,687,411	2,961,324	3,552,944
Stevenson College	1,864,943	2,097,509	2,164,474	2,638,576	2,911,232
Lothians HEIs	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Oatridge Agricultural College	356,698	414,281	413,188	512,470	572,242
West Lothian College	977,562	1,079,000	1,139,508	1,231,406	1,302,431
Jewel and Esk Valley College	1,043,917	1,389,652	1,165,197	1,450,441	1,773,488

Source: Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

This information is not held centrally and I have asked the Chief Executive of Scottish Water to reply to the member.

The expected income to Forestry Commission Scotland by 2020 is £30 million per year from the development of renewable energy facilities on the national forest estate.

The question of what should replace the reporting duties of local authorities in relation to action to improve the energy efficiency of housing stock in their area under the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA) was considered as part of the consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan. This reflected the new context following introduction of the Climate Change Act and the need significantly to increase impetus and focus in delivering energy efficiency. Most respondents said they did not want HECA to remain as a distinct duty on local councils, and half of the respondents supported moves to address energy efficiency in housing through Local Housing Strategies (LHSs). Existing guidance on Local Housing Strategies includes advice on setting targets for the eradication of fuel poverty. In line with the response to the consultation on the future of HECA, since 2007 we have been developing our strategic approach, while aiming to reduce the burden of reporting on local councils.

We will shortly publish, jointly with COSLA, supplementary guidance (Supplementary Guidance on Addressing Climate Change in Local Housing Strategies) which will further support councils in taking action on energy efficiency, assisting them to fulfil the duties they have as public bodies under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. This guidance follows HECA in placing on councils the responsibility for setting targets and monitoring progress at local authority level, but goes further by encouraging them to link action on energy efficiency with related strategies to improve the quality of housing stock in their area, and by providing them with advice on the range of powers, duties, resources and information at their disposal to help them to do this.

The Energy Saving Scotland home loans pathfinder scheme was available across Scotland and home loans have continued to be available in Home Insulation Scheme and Universal Home Insulation Scheme areas.

Following the completion of the home loans evaluation and in the context of the Feed-In Tariff and Renewable Heat Incentive, we have just announced a further round of home loans funding to support micro renewables installations. More information on this scheme is available from the Energy Saving Scotland advice network who can be contacted on 0800 512 012.

The Scottish Private Rented Sector Strategy Group considered this issue and acknowledged that there is a need to improve energy efficiency across all sectors including the private rented sector. It concluded that regulation of energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector should be looked at alongside the owner occupier sector and this was reflected in its final consultation recommendations report published in December 2009.

Regulation will be pursued using the powers available under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and a report will be published by the end of March 2011 setting out when Scottish ministers intend to make provision in respect of various sections in the act.

The Scottish Government will also continue to work with Energy Saving Trust to encourage voluntary action by landlords to improve energy efficiency measures.

The Scottish Government carried out a consultation on Conserve and Save: Consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland in late 2009. The analysis of the consultation responses were published in April 2010 on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/04/15164620/0.

Annex 1, question 28 provides details to the consultation question on whether local authorities should retain a duty to promote energy efficiency for housing in their area.

Half of all respondents favoured the alternative mechanism of incorporation into the Local Housing Strategy and Single Outcome Agreement processes. 21% supported the retention of a HECA duty while 29% made other suggestions or comments.

The Scottish Government''s draft Report on Proposals and Policies sets out how its emission reduction targets can be met each year to 2022, including the expected contribution from homes and communities. These proposals and policies do not centre on the achievement of an average standard in all homes. Rather our approach focuses on promoting the most cost-effective and beneficial approaches to meeting the emissions required in each sector. Similarly, our policy to tackle fuel poverty does not centre on the achievement of an average standard in all Scotland''s housing.