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The £55 per week training allowance, available to Get Ready for Work participants and non-employed Skillseekers, does not apply to the modern apprenticeship programme. The conclusions of the consultation will not therefore impact on the modern apprenticeship programme.

The £13 million of accelerated capital spend for further and higher education will be used to benefit projects across Scotland in 2009-10, helping to accelerate investment which would not otherwise have taken place until 2010-11. Further details of the specific projects which will benefit will be made available once the Scottish Funding Council has determined the basis on which the funding will be distributed in 2009-10, in collaboration with the institutions which it funds.

The Annual Population Survey is the official source for national estimates of the numbers of people aged 16 to 19 who were not in education, employment or training. The estimates for each the last five years for which data are available are given in table 1. The estimate for the year 2008 will be published in June or July 2009 when results from the Annual Population Survey are published. The 2007 Annual Population Survey results can be found at this page on the Scottish Government website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Labour-Market/Publications.

Table 1 People Aged 16 to 19 Not in Education, Employment or Training, Scotland

Year	Level
2003	35,000
2004	35,000
2005	37,000
2006	32,000
2007	32,000

Source: Annual Scottish Labour Force Survey 2003 (March 2003 to February 2004). Annual Population Survey 2004 onwards.

Note: Estimates have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

Tables 1 to 3 show students who applied for and were assessed as entitled to means-tested maintenance loans in academic years 2005-06 to 2007-08 broken down by institution type and parental/spousal income.

Table 1: Students Assessed as Entitled to Means-Tested Loans and Assessed Amounts by Institution Type and Income 2005-06

Income	Higher Education Institution		College		Total
	Number of Students	Amount (£000)	Number of Students	Amount (£000)	Number of Students	Amount (£000)
< £10k	6,180	9,831	2,680	4,184	8,885	14,076
£10,000 - £19,999	8,120	12,437	2,520	4,152	10,655	16,627
£20,000 - £29,999	7,955	14,881	1,785	3,390	9,755	18,309
£30,000 - £39,999	7,220	13,031	1,215	2,179	8,450	15,239
£40,000 - £49,999	4,815	5,191	650	640	5,475	5,839
£50,000 and above	1,660	1,681	110	123	1,780	1,813
Income not declared/required	1,600	2,677	950	1,523	2,560	4,230
Exempt from Parental/Spousal Contribution	8,990	28,681	5,785	19,864	14,835	48,739
Total	46,540	88,409	15,700	36,056	62,395	124,872

Source: Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).

Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five.

Monetary amounts have been rounded to the nearest thousand and are quoted in thousands.

The Total columns contain a small number of students attending other institution types.

Table 2: Students Assessed as Entitled to Means-Tested Loans and Assessed Amounts by Institution Type and Income 2006-07

Income	Higher Education Institution		College		Total
	Number of Students	Amount (£000)	Number of Students	Amount (£000)	Number of Students	Amount (£000)
< £10k	5,680	9,151	2,390	3,896	8,090	13,110
£10,000 - £19,999	7,615	11,947	2,300	3,919	9,930	15,900
£20,000 - £29,999	7,250	13,699	1,560	3,006	8,830	16,752
£30,000 - £39,999	6,780	12,949	1,140	2,187	7,935	15,166
£40,000 - £49,999	4,800	5,455	580	627	5,395	6,106
£50,000 and above	1,900	1,839	155	153	2,055	1,997
Income not declared/required	1,575	2,680	815	1,450	2,400	4,155
Exempt from Parental/Spousal Contribution	8,850	29,012	5,800	20,506	14,700	49,667
Total	44,450	86,733	14,740	35,744	59,340	122,854

Source: Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS)

Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five.

Monetary amounts have been rounded to the nearest thousand and are quoted in thousands.

The Total columns contain a small number of students attending other institution types.

Table 3: Students Assessed as Entitled to Means-Tested Loans and Assessed Amounts by Institution Type and Income 2007-08

Income	Higher Education Institution		College		Total
	Number of Students	Amount (£000)	Number of Students	Amount (£000)	Number of Students	Amount (£000)
< £10k	5,305	8,648	2,155	3,613	7,480	12,312
£10,000 - £19,999	7,245	11,467	2,065	3,667	9,330	15,177
£20,000 - £29,999	6,645	12,588	1,475	2,890	8,135	15,511
£30,000 - £39,999	6,315	12,686	1,100	2,171	7,430	14,893
£40,000 - £49,999	4,840	5,857	595	683	5,450	6,554
£50,000 and above	2,225	2,222	170	158	2,400	2,389
Income not declared/required	1,355	2,356	705	1,255	2,065	3,625
Exempt from Parental/Spousal Contribution	9,040	30,224	6,125	22,245	15,210	52,629
Total	42,975	86,047	14,390	36,682	57,500	123,091

Source: Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS)

Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five.

Monetary amounts have been rounded to the nearest thousand and are quoted in thousands.

The Total columns contain a small number of students attending other institution types.

Tables 4 to 6 show students who applied for and were assessed as entitled to means-tested maintenance loans in academic years 2005-06 to 2007-08 broken down by status, i.e. whether they are independent from their parents or not, and parental/spousal income.

Table 4: Students Assessed as Entitled to Means-Tested Loans and Assessed Amounts by Status and Income 2005-06

Income	Dependent		Independent		Total
	Number of Students	Amount (£000)	Number of Students	Amount (£000)	Number of Students	Amount (£000)
< £10k	8,040	11,230	845	2,846	8,885	14,076
£10,000 - £19,999	9,590	13,057	1,065	3,570	10,655	16,627
£20,000 - £29,999	8,990	16,095	765	2,214	9,755	18,309
£30,000 - £39,999	8,130	14,614	320	625	8,450	15,239
£40,000 - £49,999	5,370	5,733	105	106	5,475	5,839
£50,000 and above	1,770	1,805	5	8	1,780	1,813
Income not declared/required	2,195	3,007	370	1,223	2,560	4,230
Exempt from Parental/Spousal Contribution			14,835	48,739	14,835	48,739
Total	44,085	65,541	18,310	59,330	62,395	124,872

Source: Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS)

Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five.

Monetary amounts have been rounded to the nearest thousand and are quoted in thousands.

Table 5: Students Assessed as Entitled to Means-Tested Loans and Assessed Amounts by Status and Income 2006-07

Income	Dependent		Independent		Total
	Number of Students	Amount (£000)	Number of Students	Amount (£000)	Number of Students	Amount (£000)
< £10k	7,310	10,466	780	2,644	8,090	13,110
£10,000 - £19,999	8,935	12,425	1,000	3,475	9,930	15,900
£20,000 - £29,999	8,090	14,530	735	2,222	8,830	16,752
£30,000 - £39,999	7,600	14,468	335	698	7,935	15,166
£40,000 - £49,999	5,310	6,003	90	104	5,395	6,106
£50,000 and above	2,040	1,980	15	17	2,055	1,997
Income not declared/required	2,040	2,925	360	1,230	2,400	4,155
Exempt from Parental/Spousal Contribution			14,700	49,667	14,700	49,667
Total	41,320	62,796	18,015	60,058	59,340	122,854

Source: Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS)

Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five.

Monetary amounts have been rounded to the nearest thousand and are quoted in thousands.

Table 6: Students Assessed as Entitled to Means-Tested Loans and Assessed Amounts by Status and Income 2007-08

Income	Dependent		Independent		Total
	Number of Students	Amount (£000)	Number of Students	Amount (£000)	Number of Students	Amount (£000)
< £10k	6,755	9,805	725	2,507	7,480	12,312
£10,000 - £19,999	8,445	12,091	880	3,086	9,330	15,177
£20,000 - £29,999	7,440	13,344	690	2,167	8,135	15,511
£30,000 - £39,999	7,100	14,149	330	744	7,430	14,893
£40,000 - £49,999	5,335	6,412	115	141	5,450	6,554
£50,000 and above	2,375	2,369	25	21	2,400	2,389
Income not declared/required	1,755	2,535	310	1,090	2,065	3,625
Exempt from Parental/Spousal Contribution			15,210	52,629	15,210	52,629
Total	39,210	60,705	18,290	62,386	57,500	123,091

Source: Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS)

Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five.

Monetary amounts have been rounded to the nearest thousand and are quoted in thousands.

All six tables contain details of students who were assessed as entitled to means-tested loans i.e. either the means-tested maintenance loan and/or the additional means-tested maintenance loan. Income bands are based on residual parental or, in the case of students who are married or in a civil partnership, spousal income. This is income after deductions allowed by SAAS have been subtracted.

Students apply to SAAS for loans. SAAS calculates a student''s loan entitlement and the Student Loans Company (SLC) extends the loan. The figures in the tables relate to entitlements rather than amounts taken out with the SLC. The majority of students (99% of full-time students) go on to take out almost all (97-98%) of the total entitlement calculated by SAAS.

The table below shows students who received the maximum amount of Young Student''s Bursary in academic year 2007-08 broken down by parental/spousal income.

Income band	Number of Students
< £5,000	2,860
£5,000 - £9,999	4,820
£10,000 - £14,999	5,040
£15,000 and above	3,385
Income not declared/required	1,940
Exempt from parental/spousal contribution	485
Total	18,535

Note: Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five.

Income bands are based on residual parental or, in the case of students who are married or in a civil partnership, spousal income. This is income after deductions allowed by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) have been subtracted.

Young people in the independent school sector are already able to apply via their local authority for Education Maintenance Allowance.

Our consultation proposes the extension of support to young people learning with third sector providers as part of an overall approach to developing Activity Agreements.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20042 on 29 January 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The aim of the proposals in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support is not to make savings but to improve the support available to young people.

Annual expenditure on the Young Persons'' Bridging Allowance, based on 2007-08 figures, was £75,000.

The aim of the changes to the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support is to refocus existing resources to better target support towards the most vulnerable young people wherever they are learning. It is not to produce savings. Any changes to EMA would be phased in so that young people already in receipt of the allowance will not be affected by the changes. This means that the full amounts below would not be realised until 2011-12.

We estimate that the resource released by removing the (a) £10 and (b) £20 payments are (a) £1.7 million and (b) £2.8 million.

The aim of the changes to the Education Maintenance Allowance that are proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Steps and Financial Support is to refocus existing resources rather than to identify savings.

We do not expect to release resources from centralising the delivery of the Education Maintenance Allowance.

The Introduction of Activity Agreements would be made possible by the redirection of existing resource as outlined in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support.

We estimate that some £10.5 million would be available. This represents the resources released through the proposals in our consultation, together with the existing Activity Agreement pilot budget of £3 million.