Seòmar agus comataidhean

The appraisal and subsequent prioritisation of transport projects within the strategic transport projects review is being carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG).

In terms of the economic criteria within STAG, the cost-benefit ratio is not the sole indicator of the worth of a scheme. Other factors taken into account include impacts on the environment, safety, integration, accessibility and social inclusion. Also, STAG now enables the wider economic benefits to be taken into consideration.

Transport Scotland expects to deliver its initial findings from the strategic transport projects review to ministers in August 2008. Ministers will need to give careful consideration to these findings before being in a position to make any public announcement.

The following table identifies the benefit to cost ratio (BCR) for those transport projects committed to by the Scottish Government in the June 2007 statement to the Parliament:

Project	BCR
Rail Projects
Airdrie to Bathgate	1.92
Scottish Borders	1.32
Glasgow Airport Rail Link	1.28
Waverley Station Phase 1	2.06
Stirling Alloa Kincardine	1.10
Motorway and Trunk Roads Projects
M74 Completion	7.66
M80 Stepps to Haggs	8.68
M8 Baillieston to Newhouse	9.95
M8 Associated Network Improvements	19.22
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route	4.79

 

On the basis of “Contracts Let”, the following schemes have also been approved since May 2007:

Project	BCR	Notes
Rail Projects
Laurencekirk Station	1.60
Motorway and Trunk Roads Projects
A9 Helmsdale to Ord of Caithness Improvements Phase 2	1.64
A77 Haggstone Climbing Lane and Glen App	0.85 and 1.61	Individual scheme assessment BCRs
M8 Harthill Footbridge Replacement	N/A	Replacement of existing footbridge to current standards. No BCR available.
A76 Glenairlie Improvement	1.05
A7 Auchinrivock	1.19
A737 Roadhead Roundabout	N/A	Minor road safety junction improvement. No BCR available.

 

In September 2007 the Scottish Government announced the Edinburgh to Glasgow improvements project, which includes a number of investment packages with BCRs ranging from 0.9 to 3.8.

In September 2007 the Scottish Government also committed a financial contribution to the Edinburgh trams project, with a BCR of 1.68 (excluding the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link), and awarded the contract for the replacement vessel for the Islay ferry services. This vessel has been commissioned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) and will be funded by loans from the Scottish Government to CMAL. The appraisal, completed in 2003, showed the option being pursued to have a BCR of 0.48.

In December 2007 the decision to construct a Forth replacement crossing was announced to the Parliament. The BCR of the preferred option is 4.57.

An appraisal using Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) is required when government funding, support or approval is sought for justified proposals to change the transport system. There is no minimum benefit to cost ratio threshold set within STAG. STAG ensures that the contribution of transport improvements to the economy is fully assessed alongside contributions and impacts on the environment, accessibility and social inclusion, safety, and integration. Approval for funding is based on the assessment of the proposal across all five STAG criteria.

Further to the answer to question S3W-13919 on 16 June 2008, the number of staff at Scottish higher education institutions and colleges during the past three academic years broken down by employment function is shown in the following table.

Number of Staff at Scottish Institutions

Academic Year	HEIs		Colleges
	Academic Staff	Non-Academic Staff	Teaching Staff	Non-Teaching Staff
2006-07	16,360	21,935	12,695	8,891
2005-06	16,020	21,845	12,781	8,723
2004-05	15,310	21,690	13,170	8,445

Sources: HESA, excluding “atypical” staff; Scottish Funding Council.

Data for 2007-08 will become available in January 2009.

Staffing numbers for colleges and universities for the academic year 2007-08 will become available in January 2009.

This information is not held centrally. It is a matter for Network Rail.

We have no plans to change how discretionary funds are distributed. The funds for higher education have now been allocated for academic year 2008-09. These funds are continually monitored and the guidance is updated on an annual basis. This allows us to regularly introduce any changes or improvements to the way the funds are allocated or the guidance underlying them.

The information sent to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland on 6 June comprises a guidance document which provides general advice to administrators of the discretionary funds. As these funds are discretionary, it is up to each individual institution to decide how best to manage and distribute the funds available to them. The Higher Education and Learner Support Division provides general guidance on administration and disbursement of the funds and also notification of any changes to the funds through an annual update of this document. We also advise each institution of the allocation of discretionary funds that they will receive for the forthcoming academic year.

A copy of the Guidance document and the allocations for academic year 2008-09 can be accessed via the SAAS website at http://www.saas.gov.uk/student_support/other_funding.htm#discretionary.

The planned efficiency savings of £2.156 million in 2008-09, £4.265 million in 2009-10 and £6.327 million in 2010-11 have already been factored and redistributed into the relevant budgets as part of last year’s spending review. These efficiencies have contributed to new investments set out in the Scottish budget for student support including: additional support for part-time students; abolishing the graduate endowment fee; and £30 million to aid the transition from loans to grants in 2010-11.