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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for ��˿�� to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-09327

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 August 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 12 September 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any Scottish pupils will this year be disadvantaged in respect of (a) being unable to attain a place in a degree course of their preference and (b) being unable to attain a place in the institution of their first choice as a result of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service being unable to determine applications from Scottish pupils until questions over the integrity of their qualifications were resolved.

Conditional offers of university places had been held open while final queries on Higher results were resolved. This has now been done, and the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service has passed the information to institutions. Places are being confirmed for students who met the conditions of their offer.

Those students who did not achieve the grades required for their first choice will be going through the clearing process as would be the case in any year. Institutions have been given additional flexibility on the number of places they can offer so as to ensure those who entered clearing late are treated in the same way as if they had entered the process earlier.

Question reference: S1W-09330

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 August 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 12 September 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to reduce the amount of internal assessment of pupils from the level that was required in the first year of Higher Still and, if so, whether it will consult teachers on what amount and type of assessment is in the best interests of pupils' education.

Question reference: S1W-09322

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 August 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 12 September 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) first made it aware of difficulties in the discharge of the SQA's functions in relation to this years Scottish Examinations.

Question reference: S1W-09121

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 August 2000
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 8 September 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were employed by Historic Scotland in each of the last five years and what is the projection of the number of employees in each of the next five years.

Question reference: S1W-09331

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 August 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 7 September 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many persons who this year undertook for the first time the task of marker of Scottish Examination papers did not attend the day-long markers' meetings.

Question reference: S1W-09325

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 August 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 7 September 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was made aware by the Scottish Qualifications Authority of any delay in the recruitment of markers for this year's exams and, if so, when.

Question reference: S1W-09323

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 August 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 7 September 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre all documents including letters, memoranda, reports and assessments relating directly or indirectly to the communications between the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Qualifications Authority concerning this year's Scottish Examinations.

Question reference: S1W-09326

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 August 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 7 September 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) (a) commenced and (b) completed the issue of instructions to individuals to act as markers for this year's exams and whether there was a delay in this work by the SQA and, if so, of what duration.

Question reference: S1W-09027

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2000
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 5 September 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what the weighted student unit of measurement (SUMS) delivered per member of teaching staff is in each further education college for each year since incorporation.

The information requested is given in the following table, subject to the fact that the numbers of part-time teaching staff have been converted, for comparative purposes, to Full-Time Equivalents.

Scottish Further Education Colleges (Incorporated) - Weighted Student Units of Measurement (SUMs)

FTE Teaching Staff

Name of Establishment	1998-99			1997-98			1996-97
	Weighted SUMs	FTE Teaching	WS/ FTE	Weighted SUMs	FTE Teaching	WS/ FTE	Weighted SUMs	FTE Teaching	WS/ FTE
Aberdeen College	133,837	292.9	456.9	124,634	268.0	465.1	111,448	329.2	338.6
Angus College	34,486	99.4	347.0	31,142	97.5	319.3	28,564	93.4	305.8
Anniesland College	42,987	141.5	303.7	40,493	133.6	303.1	37,670	126.4	298.1
Ayr College	48,073	165.4	290.6	45,249	140.8	321.4	39,424	175.3	224.9
Banff & Buchan College of Further Education	32,943	102.1	322.8	31,404	95.2	329.8	28,358	96.8	293.0
The Barony College	8,499	34.9	243.5	7,595	30.1	252.3	6,873	23.5	292.7
Bell College of Technology	30,876	222.1	139.0	30,166	233.3	129.3	28,367	221.1	128.3
Borders College	31,549	110.6	285.2	31,460	103.1	305.2	28,138	96.6	291.3
South Lanarkshire College*	32,407	115.6	280.3	31,982	126.1	253.6	30,587	126.4	242.0
Cardonald College	65,101	212.4	306.6	62,780	201.3	311.8	55,104	205.4	268.3
Central College of Commerce	41,328	136.4	303.1	40,865	127.6	320.3	41,062	141.0	291.2
Clackmannan College of Further Education	19,652	65.6	299.5	18,936	67.4	281.1	17,769	62.0	286.6
Clydebank College	47,128	174.1	270.8	50,659	214.5	236.2	50,890	231.3	220.0
Coatbridge College	31,405	108.5	289.4	30,420	116.5	261.2	29,064	116.0	250.6
Cumbernauld College	23,409	79.1	295.9	25,621	84.3	303.7	22,384	85.4	262.2
Dumfries & Galloway College	36,247	152.8	237.3	35,534	138.8	256.0	35,588	142.0	250.6
Dundee College	87,788	242.2	362.5	83,539	288.0	290.1	80,564	277.0	290.8
Elmwood College	24,268	71.8	338.1	26,688	78.6	339.5	21,522	98.2	219.2
Falkirk College of Further & Higher Education	76,183	252.7	301.5	74,040	219.2	337.8	68,936	210.8	327.0
Fife College of Further and Higher Education	65,678	248.6	264.2	62,329	205.8	302.9	55,158	194.7	283.3
Glasgow College of Building and Printing	51,727	162.1	319.1	51,310	164.6	311.7	52,571	161.6	325.4
Glasgow College of Food Technology	25,615	68.8	372.1	24,107	80.1	301.1	25,100	87.8	285.8
Glasgow College of Nautical Studies	34,935	122.9	284.4	32,637	119.7	272.6	34,574	147.0	235.3
Glenrothes College	43,121	152.5	282.7	40,750	156.4	260.6	39,537	166.7	237.1
Inverness College	49,198	165.9	296.5	49,824	161.0	309.4	44,005	173.3	254.0
James Watt College of Further & Higher Education	100,634	248.3	405.4	92,891	240.1	386.9	84,128	261.1	322.2
Jewel & Esk Valley College	56,780	175.2	324.1	57,500	170.9	336.4	54,383	184.4	294.9
John Wheatley College	26,913	84.0	320.3	26,680	82.8	322.1	25,957	87.4	296.9
Kilmarnock College	44,811	159.7	280.6	46,343	150.0	309.0	42,325	154.0	274.8
Langside College	43,974	182.3	241.2	53,769	206.1	260.9	46,666	197.6	236.1
Lauder College	45,071	139.1	324.0	46,568	150.7	309.1	44,655	160.0	279.1
Lews Castle College	12,432	58.0	214.3	13,116	53.5	245.1	11,092	55.8	198.9
Moray College	35,622	89.6	397.6	37,604	93.9	400.4	33,118	106.4	311.1
Motherwell College	67,217	197.3	340.6	65,145	197.5	329.8	62,430	248.9	250.8
North Glasgow College	39,489	141.8	278.5	39,769	155.0	256.6	36,393	156.4	232.7
Oatridge Agricultural College	12,379	42.9	288.6	11,814	40.1	294.8	11,954	43.4	275.4
Perth College	46,245	158.1	292.5	41,877	138.8	301.8	39,337	150.2	261.8
Reid Kerr College	65,962	222.1	297.0	66,107	236.7	279.3	61,251	267.5	229.0
Stevenson College	76,909	280.1	274.6	73,950	284.7	259.8	83,965	297.9	281.8
Stow College	49,772	128.2	388.2	52,203	127.5	409.4	35,406	127.6	277.6
Edinburgh's Telford College	104,469	314.0	332.7	104,087	196.0	531.1	105,476	372.7	283.0
The North Highland College**	19,791	68.4	289.2	20,797	67.0	310.2	19,655	72.7	270.4
West Lothian College	30,245	115.7	261.3	32,351	129.7	249.4	32,216	132.0	244.0

Name of Establishment	1995-96			1994-95
	Weighted SUMs	FTE Teaching	WS/ FTE	Weighted SUMs	FTE Teaching	WS/ FTE
Aberdeen College	107,004	358.8	298.2	100,486	382.1	263.0
Angus College	24,794	85.5	290.0	23,659	89.7	263.8
Anniesland College	33,706	130.5	258.3	30,375	131.2	231.5
Ayr College	33,629	133.1	252.7	28,979	146.5	197.8
Banff & Buchan College of Further Education	25,993	91.8	283.1	23,124	84.1	275.0
The Barony College	5,983	25.6	233.7	6,924	25.8	268.4
Bell College of Technology	27,920	165.6	168.6	30,215	167.8	180.1
Borders College	28,377	105.3	269.5	24,377	92.2	264.4
South Lanarkshire College*	29,996	135.2	221.9	26,712	138.7	192.6
Cardonald College	48,811	238.5	204.7	45,443	223.3	203.5
Central College of Commerce	35,671	141.1	252.8	33,342	134.6	247.7
Clackmannan College of Further Education	15,134	64.5	234.6	14,383	69.7	206.4
Clydebank College	44,544	226.7	196.5	43,214	225.4	191.7
Coatbridge College	26,002	108.9	238.8	22,040	117.7	187.3
Cumbernauld College	19,890	83.2	239.1	17,845	77.4	230.6
Dumfries & Galloway College	34,752	142.8	243.4	31,598	148.3	213.1
Dundee College	67,589	283.2	238.7	64,738	297.1	217.9
Elmwood College	19,315	76.6	252.2	19,878	71.7	277.2
Falkirk College of Further & Higher Education	53,856	216.7	248.5	51,550	230.0	224.1
Fife College of Further and Higher Education	46,167	220.8	209.1	46,219	218.2	211.8
Glasgow College of Building and Printing	47,189	161.9	291.5	39,125	159.4	245.5
Glasgow College of Food Technology	21,789	89.1	244.5	20,152	95.4	211.2
Glasgow College of Nautical Studies	28,186	125.5	224.6	21,306	119.8	177.8
Glenrothes College	35,055	160.2	218.8	29,870	159.0	187.9
Inverness College	38,949	185	210.5	37,285	209.7	177.8
James Watt College of Further & Higher Education	71,720	247	290.4	63,987	265.0	241.5
Jewel & Esk Valley College	48,632	187.8	259.0	40,647	202.2	201.0
John Wheatley College	23,895	88.3	270.6	22,148	82.4	268.8
Kilmarnock College	38,629	146.7	263.3	32,913	143.5	229.4
Langside College	45,973	191.2	240.4	41,597	186.6	222.9
Lauder College	39,788	152.8	260.4	38,619	152.2	253.7
Lews Castle College	10,086	56	180.1	10,714	59.4	180.4
Moray College	31,747	106.9	297.0	29,583	106.1	278.8
Motherwell College	60,311	249.4	241.8	53,567	226.2	236.8
North Glasgow College	35,614	155.9	228.4	36,485	178.9	203.9
Oatridge Agricultural College	10,850	41.4	262.1	9,683	42.0	230.5
Perth College	37,299	145.5	256.4	39,341	167.6	234.7
Reid Kerr College	59,470	269	221.1	57,779	246.0	234.9
Stevenson College	79,869	305.2	261.7	62,351	326.9	190.7
Stow College	34,832	119.1	292.5	31,999	135.6	236.0
Edinburgh's Telford College	94,969	383.7	247.5	84,770	356.6	237.7
The North Highland College**	15,755	67	235.1	13,862	68.1	203.6
West Lothian College	27,300	130.1	209.8	25,485	143.2	178.0

Sources: Weighted SUMs - Further Education in Scotland - 1994,1995,1996,1997, 1998 and 1999

Full-Time Equivalent: Teaching Staff - Annual Statistical staffing returns (1994-95 to the Scottish Office, 1998-99 to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council)

Notes:

1. * South Lanarkshire College was formerly known as Cambuslang College (up until 1 March 1999).

2. ** The North Highland College was formerly known as Thurso College (up until 1 December 1999).

3. FE colleges employ many part-time staff. In order for meaningful comparisons to be made, it has been necessary to express these as numbers of Full-time Equivalents (FTE). Similarly, the FTE is shown of staff employed for only part of a year.

4. From 1997-98 onwards, "teaching staff" is defined as staff involved in direct provision of teaching for at least 10% of their contracted time. Prior to this, the terminology used was "academic staff". This included teaching staff and managerial staff with a direct responsibility for the quality of teaching (e.g. Principal, Director, Head of Department).

5. This table does not include figures for Shetland College of Education, Orkney College and Sabhal Mor Ostaig which are local authority run (not incorporated).

6. A staffing return covering the academic year as a whole was introduced only in 1994-95. Prior to this time, "snapshot" staff numbers only were collected in the last week of October. Therefore, figures for 1993-94 are not directly comparable with the figures from 1994-95 onwards. For this reason, 1993-94 figures are not included in this table.

7. The "Weighted SUMs per number of FTE teaching staff" ratio does not take account of staff costs. A table of "Staff Costs per WSUM", as an indicator of college "performance", has been published each year since 1993 in the appendices to the series of annual reports by the Secretary of State for Scotland entitled "Further Education in Scotland". These are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

8. A recent study into managing costs within FE colleges (including an examination of strategies for managing staff costs) was undertaken by the National Audit Office, the results of which were published in its report: "Scottish Further Education Colleges: Managing Costs" (17 June 1999 HC 493). This report is also available in SPICe.

Question reference: S1W-09156

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 4 September 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether courses at Sabhal Mor Ostaig will be available to those wishing to take out Individual Learning Accounts.

1995-96	626
1996-97	669
1997-98	709
1998-99	760
1999-2000	789