Chamber and committees

A wide range of factors, including financial ones, will affect an individual's academic performance. We do not have any current plans to commission, research on the impact of student poverty on academic performance. As the member will be aware there are a new set of financial support arrangements being introduced.

Student loans apply only in higher education. Support for further education is provided in the form of bursary.As part of the new student support arrangements introduced from this academic year, young students entering full-time higher education in Scotland from less affluent backgrounds receive up to £2,000 of their annual support entitlement in the form of a non-repayable Young Students Bursary. New entrant mature students may also be able to receive non-repayable support of up to £2,000 a year from the Mature Students Bursary Fund, in addition to their loan support, at the discretion of their institutions.

Eaga had installed 289 central heating systems in the private sector. They are on target to install over 3,500 systems by 31 March 2002. Information is currently being collected from the social rented sector landlords, but indications show that they will have installed around 6,400 central heating systems by 31 March 2002.

Eligible Scottish domiciled and EU students studying in Scotland have not been required to contribute to the cost of their tuition since 2000-01. They are not required to repay tuition fees paid to institutions by the Executive on their behalf. Under the Income Contingent Repayment system, introduced for students starting in higher education from 1998, students are not required to repay their student loans until they leave their course, whether or not they complete it, and are earning more than the annual income threshold of £10,000, after which payments are made at the rate of 9% of income over £10,000. It is too early to judge whether there is any clear relationship between a student's completion of their course, and their long-term ability to repay loans made under the income-contingent scheme.

I refer the member to the answer given to question on 18 January 2002.

Student loans apply only in higher education.There are a wide variety of reasons why individuals choose whether or not to enter further or higher education.Information on student numbers by ethnicity in further and higher education over the last five years can be found in the Standard Tables on Higher Education and Further Education in Scotland, published by the Scottish Executive under National Statistics in June 2001.Copies are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 18496) or on the Scottish Executive website at: www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00086-00.aspThese figures show an increase in the number of ethnic minority students in Scotland over the period covered.I am aware that there are some individuals who are not prepared to borrow money on the grounds of religious belief.Support for students in further education is in the form of a bursary.

Retention rates in higher education institutions in Scotland are high by international standards. However, the Scottish Executive recognises that it is important to minimise non-completion, which is why my guidance letter of 10 December 2001 asked the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to continue to work with institutions and with the department, to develop a better understanding of the factors affecting the variation in retention rates between institutions.

Tuition fees were abolished for eligible Scottish domiciled and EU students in further and higher education in Scotland from academic year 2000-01.

The Executive has already introduced bursaries of up to £2,000 a year for new entrant young students in full-time higher education in Scotland. These have been available since August 2001. The cost of substituting non-repayable grants for the remaining student loan support currently provided to Scottish domiciled students is estimated to be approximately £115 million per annum at 2001-02 prices. This figure excludes any assessment on the consequences for the Student Awards Agency for Scotland and the Student Loans Company of implementing any such change.

Data on student debt other than student loans is not held centrally.