Chamber and committees

All local authorities have been contacted and are asked to provide a council tax revenue return. The return includes the collection of information on all properties receiving relief from council tax through energy efficiency discount schemes.

Clearly it will be important for those involved in the planning and delivery of the Clans 2014 event to take cognisance of the experience gained in the organisation and delivery of the Gathering in 2009 and ensure the necessary lessons learned from that event are taken into account.

In order to develop the necessary planning ton support an event of this scale, EventScotland and Stirling Council are working together to appoint specialist consultants to work on a focused and short term project to develop the business planning aspects of Clans 2014.

There are several funding options for postgraduate students. Support for postgraduate research students is generally provided through the Research Councils with support for vocational taught postgraduate courses provided largely through the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). Postgraduate initial teacher training is supported through the main undergraduate student support programme and social work qualifications receive support through the Scottish Social Services Council.

SAAS does not hold information on which academic disciplines students study at postgraduate level.

The total spend on postgraduate students supported through the Postgraduate Students’ Allowances Scheme (PSAS) was £10.1 million in 2007-08, £10.7 million in 2008-09, £9.6 million in 2009-10, £7.7 million in 2010-11 and £7.6 million in 2011-12.

The living cost element of PSAS was discontinued in academic year 2010-11 to fund an increase in the number of students eligible to receive tuition fee support. The number of places available increased from 1,820 to 2,700.

I can confirm that a full report was prepared for and received by NHS Lothian from Balfour Beatty Workplace on 3 May 2012.

The full report, which outlines failings and also provides recommendations to minimise the likelihood of such an occurrence in the future, is commercially sensitive as it provides details of staff currently undergoing investigative procedure. It would therefore be inappropriate to publish the report at this time. Consort is currently preparing a summarised report, which captures the facts surrounding the incident as set out in the detailed report, and this will be released as soon as it has been received. Publication of the full report will be considered on conclusion of the ongoing investigative and disciplinary procedures.

The action plan from the report has yet to be fully agreed by NHS Lothian but, once agreed, NHS Lothian will work with its service provider to ensure that the action plan is implemented with an ongoing monitoring review process in place to monitor its effectiveness.

We do not break down student numbers by discipline as the Student Awards Agency for Scotland does not hold information on which academic disciplines students are studying.

Under the Postgraduate Students’ Allowances Scheme the Scottish Government provides £3,400 towards the cost of tuition fees for all eligible Scottish domiciled and EU postgraduate students studying vocational one year postgraduate diplomas and the 9 month taught element of some masters courses.

A list of eligible courses can be found via the SAAS website:

http://www.saas.gov.uk/student_support/special_circumstances/postgrad_list.htm.

Postgraduate students studying for Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) or the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) can apply for the full undergraduate student support package.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that we have the skills to capitalise on the opportunities that energy presents for jobs and growth in Scotland. We anticipate that the skills needed to meet the 2020 targets will come from the existing labour market supported by modern apprenticeships and college courses, as well as from both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Under the Postgraduate Students’ Allowances Scheme the Scottish Government provides tuition fee support to Scottish domiciled and EU students undertaking eligible vocational courses, generally 1 year postgraduate diplomas and the 9 month taught element of some masters courses. The eligible course list can be found in the following link –

http://www.saas.gov.uk/student_support/special_circumstances/postgrad_list.htm.

Eligible courses will be reviewed for academic year 2013-14 to ensure that they meet the Governments economic priorities.

Heads of Planning Scotland (HOPS) has developed the planning performance framework to support planning authorities assessing and improving their performance and service standards across their planning functions. HOPS did not require legislation to assess or record their performance.

Heads of Planning Scotland has recently developed and published the planning performance framework, which has been supported by the Scottish Government. The main output for planning authorities will be an annual performance report, which includes reporting on authorities’ activity on communications and stakeholder engagement in their delivery of their planning services.

The resourcing of its planning service is a matter for each local authority. Establishing a performance link to fees will ensure that planning authorities place greater emphasis on the quality of service they provide to ensure income is maintained.