- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many students would benefit from the introduction of Activity Agreements, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support.
Answer
Activity Agreements would provide young people who are not ready or able to access formal learning or training with an offer of learning which better suits their needs.
Our prime target group is the 7,000 young people who fail to reach a positive destination on leaving school together with those who are unable to sustain a positive post-school transition.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated savings would be from replacing the Get Ready for Work allowance with the Education Maintenance Allowance, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support.
Answer
The proposal within the 16+ Learning Choices: First Steps Activity and Financial Support consultation is not about financial savings. It is being proposed to address the specific issue of parity of financial support for young people in education and those in vocational training.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost of introducing Activity Agreements, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated savings would be from centralising the delivery of Education Maintenance Allowances, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19193 by Fiona Hyslop on 15 January 2009, whether calculations were undertaken in costing option 1b in its Supporting a Smarter Scotland consultation paper at £23 million and what the detail and basis of these calculations were.
Answer
The calculations and costings in the consultation document were based on data and intelligence available at the time.
Option 1b, like the other options in the consultation paper, is an example of how the additional £30 million available for higher education student support in 2010-11 could be used to improve the current student support system. The ultimate cost to the Scottish Government for all of these options would be £30 million and the basis for these costs, primarily the number of students affected and the relevant thresholds, are set out in the consultation paper. Further costs would only be produced after proposals are established following consideration of responses to the consultation. The consultation runs until 30 April 2009.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether calculations have been made to cost any of the options outlined in its Supporting a Smarter Scotland consultation paper and, if so, what the detail and basis are of these calculations.
Answer
The calculations and costings in the consultation document were based on data and intelligence available at the time.
The options outlined in the consultation paper are examples of how the additional £30 million available for higher education student support in 2010-11 could be used to improve the current student support system. The ultimate cost to the Scottish Government for all of these options would be £30 million and the basis for these costs, primarily the number of students affected and the relevant thresholds, are set out in the consultation paper. Further costs would only be produced after proposals are established following consideration of responses to the consultation. The consultation runs until 30 April 2009.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time higher education students received the maximum amount of means-tested loan in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) whether studying at college or university, (b) independent or dependent status and (c) income.
Answer
This information is not held centrally. The maximum amounts of means tested loan depend on students'' individual study circumstances, including their exact course length. SAAS record the amount of loan assessed but they do not record whether the amount is the maximum for the particular set of circumstances.
(a) The following table shows the number of students assessed by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) as entitled to means tested loans broken down by the total amount of loan they were assessed for and their institution type. The total amount of loan includes the non-means tested element. Students receiving non-means tested loans only are not included in the table.
| Total Loan | 2005-2006 | 2006-2007 | 2007-2008 |
| Higher Education Institution | College | Total | Higher Education Institution | College | Total | Higher Education Institution | College | Total |
| Total | 46,540 | 15,700 | 62,395 | 44,450 | 14,740 | 59,340 | 42,975 | 14,390 | 57,500 |
| Up to £1,000 | 1,430 | 285 | 1,715 | 1,300 | 245 | 1,545 | 1,155 | 230 | 1,390 |
| £1,000-1,499 | 5,140 | 2,755 | 7,900 | 3,755 | 2,300 | 6,055 | 3,465 | 1,700 | 5,170 |
| £1,500-1,999 | 7,740 | 2,265 | 10,020 | 8,550 | 2,110 | 10,675 | 8,020 | 2,060 | 10,095 |
| £2,000-2,499 | 10,640 | 1,825 | 12,470 | 9,705 | 1,565 | 11,285 | 8,640 | 1,570 | 10,220 |
| £2,500-2,999 | 4,745 | 945 | 5,695 | 4,835 | 945 | 5,795 | 5,510 | 945 | 6,465 |
| £3,000-3,499 | 3,910 | 1,020 | 4,940 | 3,945 | 960 | 4,915 | 3,935 | 945 | 4,890 |
| £3,500-3,999 | 3,340 | 660 | 4,025 | 3,275 | 510 | 3,810 | 3,490 | 530 | 4,025 |
| £4,000-4,499 | 7,725 | 4,440 | 12,220 | 7,390 | 4,410 | 11,830 | 5,870 | 3,975 | 9,865 |
| £4,500-4,999 | 1,535 | 1,490 | 3,045 | 1,425 | 1,670 | 3,120 | 2,675 | 1,785 | 4,500 |
| £5,000 and above | 335 | 15 | 370 | 275 | 15 | 305 | 220 | 645 | 875 |
Notes:
Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five.
Total columns include a small number of students studying at other institution types.
(b) The following table shows the number of students assessed by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) as entitled to means tested loans broken down by the total amount of loan they were assessed for and status (i.e. whether they are independent from their parents or not). The total amount of loan includes the non-means tested element. Students receiving non-means tested loans only are not included in the table.
| Total Loan | 2005-2006 | 2006-2007 | 2007-2008 |
| Dependent | Independent | Total | Dependent | Independent | Total | Dependent | Independent | Total |
| Total | 44,085 | 18,310 | 62,395 | 41,320 | 18,015 | 59,340 | 39,210 | 18,290 | 57,500 |
| Up to £1,000 | 1,660 | 55 | 1,715 | 1,490 | 55 | 1,545 | 1,335 | 55 | 1,390 |
| £1,000-1,499 | 7,795 | 105 | 7,900 | 5,965 | 95 | 6,055 | 5,085 | 85 | 5,170 |
| £1,500-1,999 | 9,830 | 190 | 10,020 | 10,485 | 190 | 10,675 | 9,875 | 220 | 10,095 |
| £2,000-2,499 | 12,085 | 385 | 12,470 | 10,865 | 420 | 11,285 | 9,805 | 415 | 10,220 |
| £2,500-2,999 | 5,385 | 310 | 5,695 | 5,460 | 340 | 5,795 | 6,100 | 365 | 6,465 |
| £3,000-3,499 | 3,735 | 1,205 | 4,940 | 3,835 | 1,080 | 4,915 | 4,005 | 885 | 4,890 |
| £3,500-3,999 | 1,550 | 2,475 | 4,025 | 1,555 | 2,255 | 3,810 | 1,690 | 2,335 | 4,025 |
| £4,000-4,499 | 1,650 | 10,575 | 12,220 | 1,250 | 10,580 | 11,830 | 940 | 8,925 | 9,865 |
| £4,500-4,999 | 190 | 2,855 | 3,045 | 270 | 2,850 | 3,120 | 250 | 4,250 | 4,500 |
| £5,000 and above | 210 | 155 | 370 | 150 | 155 | 305 | 120 | 755 | 875 |
Note: Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated savings would be from abolishing the Educational Maintenance Allowance at (a) £10 and (b) £20 per week, as proposed in the 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many students would benefit from extending the Education Maintenance Allowance to students studying in the private, independent and third sector, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support.
Answer
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 .
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated savings would be from abolishing the Young Person's Bridging Allowance, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support.
Answer
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.
