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Local Enterprise Agencies
28. Mr Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to change the role of local enterprise agencies. [17119]
Mr. Wilson: The role of the local enterprise companies will take account of the strategies of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
The local enterprise companies will also have a major role to play in the delivery of the New Deal.
Further Education
Mrs. Ray Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many students from Argyll and Bute (a) attended full-time undergraduate education at universities or equivalent bodies, (b) attended full-time education as mature students and (c) were in receipt of further education awards in the last year for which figures are available. [17599]
Mr. Wilson: Data on the number of undergraduates studying full-time in Scottish Higher Education Institutions are available only on the basis of the Old Regional Council boundaries and are therefore not available for Argyll and Bute. In 1995-96 there were 28,860 full-time undergraduate students in Scottish Higher Education Institutions from the Strathclyde Region.
The number of mature entrants studying full-time in Scottish Higher Education Institutions from Argyll and bute in 1995-96 is also not available. The number of mature entrants from the Strathclyde Region in 1995-96 was 2,491.
The number of mature entrants studying full-time in Scottish Further Education Colleges is set out in the table.
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 156
| Argyll and Bute | Strathclyde | |
|---|---|---|
| Higher Education Undergraduate(18) Entrants in Further Education Colleges | 45 | 3,920 |
| Further Education Entrants in Further Education Colleges | 61 | 4,298 |
(17) Mature entrants are aged 21 years and over.
(18) Undergraduate includes first degree and other higher education qualifications.
Around 150 students from Argyll and Bute (around 8,500 from Strathclyde) received local authority bursaries for further education courses in 1995-96.
University Students
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland starting undergraduate courses at Scottish universities for each of the last four years were given direct entry into the second year. [17844]
Mr. Wilson [holding answer 27 November 1997]: Figures for the last three years are shown in the table below. Figures on a consistent basis are not available for 1993-94.
| 1994-95 | 1995-96 | (19)1996-97 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students from: | |||
| England | 11 | 8 | 6 |
| Wales | 14 | 7 | 7 |
| Northern Ireland | 12 | 11 | 7 |
(19) Figures for 1996-97 are provisional.
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of degree courses at Scottish universities allow for direct entry for (a) A-level, (b) CSYS and (c) HNC/HND students to the second year of the course.[17845]
Mr. Wilson [holding answer 27 November 1997]: This information is not held centrally. The report of the Scottish Standing Committee of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education noted that this was a matter for individual institutions, and recommended that Scottish Higher Education Institutions examine the scope for a greater proportion of students to enter directly into the second year.
Student Tuition Fees
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assistance will be given to students beginning courses in 1998 lasting longer than four years towards their tuition fees for the additional years. [17846]
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 157
Mr. Wilson:
[holding answer 27 November 1997]: Eligible Scottish domiciled students will not be required to pay the £1,000 tuition fee for the final year of any degree course where that course is one year longer than the comparable course offered at institutions in England and Wales.
In addition, eligible Scottish domiciled medical and dental students will be relieved of paying the £1,000 tuition fee for the fifth and subsequent years of their courses. They will thus be on equal footing with their counterparts domiciled elsewhere in the UK.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will ensure that the means test level for the payment of full tuition fees is the same in Scotland as in England. [17851]
Mr. Wilson
[holding answer 27 November 1997]: Yes.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to offer loans to students to cover the cost of their tuition fees; and if he will make a statement. [17852]
Mr. Wilson
[holding answer 27 November 1997]: On 23 July, the Government announced that new students commencing higher education from 1998-99 onwards will be liable to contribute up to £1,000 towards their tuition, and that maintenance grants and the current loan arrangements will be replaced by loans on income contingent repayment terms. Loans will not be available specifically to cover tuition fees. However, for those students who are liable to contribute toward the costs of tuition, their entitlement to loans will be increased to ensure that no student has access to less funds for maintenance under the new system than they would have had under the existing system. This arrangement is the same in Scotland, as elsewhere in the UK.
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has recently issued to Scottish local authorities regarding their duties to provide school transport for pupils under the Education Acts; and what plans he has to review that guidance. [17205]
Mr. Wilson
[holding answer 1 December 1997]: Guidance on the statutory duties and powers of local authorities on the provision of school transport was contained in The Scottish Office Education Department Circular No. 5/95, issued on 24 May 1995; The Scottish Office Development Department Circular No. 17/1996, issued on 30 April 1996 and The Scottish Office Education and Industry Department Circular No. 8/96, issued on 19 September 1996. My right hon. Friend has no plans to review that guidance.
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those Scottish local authorities which currently provide a level of school transportation beyond that required in the Education Acts. [17207]
Mr. Wilson
[holding answer 1 December 1997]: Education authorities have a statutory duty under section
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 158
51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to provide school transport as they consider necessary. This gives them wide discretion to take account of individual circumstances in each case. The Table below indicates the criteria used by each education authority in school session 1996-97 in determining provision of free transport or transport facilities. Information for 1997-98 school session is not yet available. In addition, all authorities provided free transport for children with special educational needs, and almost all authorities took account of medical and personal circumstances or hazardous road conditions to provide transport in individual cases.
| Education authority | Distance criteria applied |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen City | 2 miles (Primary) 3 miles (Secondary) |
| Aberdeenshire | 1 mile (Primary) 2 miles (Secondary) |
| Angus | 2 miles (Primary) 3 miles (Secondary) |
| Argyll and Bute | Statutory walking distance |
| Clackmannanshire | 1 mile (under 8) 2 miles (8 and over) |
| Dumfries and Galloway | Statutory walking distance |
| Dundee City | Statutory walking distance |
| East Ayrshire | Statutory walking distance |
| East Dunbartonshire | 1 mile (Primary) 2 miles (Secondary) |
| East Lothian | 2 miles all pupils |
| East Renfrewshire | 1 mile (Primary) 2 miles (Secondary) |
| Edinburgh City | Statutory walking distance |
| Falkirk | 1 mile (under 8) 2 miles (8 and over) |
| Fife | 1 mile (Primary) 2 miles (Secondary) |
| Glasgow City | 1 mile (Primary) 2 miles (Secondary) |
| Highland | Statutory walking distance |
| Inverclyde | Statutory walking distance |
| Midlothian | Statutory walking distance |
| Moray | 2 miles all pupils |
| North Ayrshire | Statutory walking distance |
| North Lanarkshire | 1 mile (Primary) 2 miles (Secondary) |
| Orkney Islands | 1 mile all pupils in Winter and Easter terms |
| Perth and Kinross | Statutory walking distance |
| Renfrewshire | Less than the statutory walking distance (but not specified) |
| Scottish Borders | 2 miles (Primary) 3 miles (Secondary) |
| Shetland Islands | 1½ miles in Winter months |
| South Ayrshire | 1 mile (Primary) 2 miles (Secondary) |
| South Lanarkshire | 1 mile (Primary) 2 miles (Secondary) |
| Stirling | 1 mile (under 8) 2 miles (8 and over) |
| West Dunbartonshire | Less than the statutory walking distance (but not specified) |
| West Lothian | 2 miles (Primary) 3 miles (Secondary) |
| Western Isles | 1 mile all pupils |
The statutory walking distance is defined under section 42(4) of The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 as being two miles for pupils under eight years of age and three miles for all other pupils. The statutory walking distance is defined for the purposes of reasonable excuse, i.e., it is considered a reasonable excuse for parents not to send their children to their designated school if no arrangements are made for them under section 51 of the 1980 Act. Section 51 does not itself set any distance beyond which transport should be provided.
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