Chamber and committees

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 MSPs 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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 1684 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S4W-22251

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 20 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects an independent Scotland to operate a system of student loans and, if so, whether it plans to maintain the loans at around their current value.

The current Scottish Government supports students by providing free tuition and ensuring that any debt accrued for living costs is sustainable. Aside from free tuition, eligible Scottish domiciled students can access a support package featuring bursaries and loans. The ability to access a student loan provides choice in how living costs are met. This Scottish Government would intend to continue with the existing student support package after independence.

Question reference: S4W-22257

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost per pound has been of collecting student loan repayments via (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) other methods.

Question reference: S4W-22254

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any legal issues involved in any cross-border collection agreement relating to student loans.

Question reference: S4W-22253

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that, in the event of independence, it would collect student loan repayments on behalf of the administrations of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Question reference: S4W-22259

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on graduate retention in Scotland of an independent Scotland agreeing a student loan collection system with HM Revenue and Customs.

Question reference: S4W-22250

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how much debt the Student Loans Company has collected on behalf of the Scottish Government from people resident in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in each of the last three years and what percentage this represented of the total amount collected.

With the other UK administrations, the Scottish Government is a shareholder in the Student Loans Company (SLC). The SLC does not manage repayment of student loan debt on behalf of the Scottish Government alone.

The information requested on collection of student debt is not held by the Scottish Government. However, the SLC website provides relevant information on this matter: http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/student-loans-debt-and-repayment.aspx

Question reference: S4W-22258

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the affordability of the student loan scheme in an independent Scotland (a) under and (b) without a cross-border collection arrangement with HM Revenue and Customs.

Question reference: S4W-22256

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the average collection rate for student loans has been in each of the last three years from (a) UK residents and (b) people resident outside the UK.

Question reference: S4W-22186

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what financial contribution students from elsewhere in the UK make to the budgets of Scotland's universities and what percentage of university budgets this represents.

Question reference: S4W-22184

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish details of any independent (a) legal and (b) other advice it has (i) requested and (ii) received on whether an independent Scotland could continue to charge students from elsewhere in the UK tuition fees.

Scotland’s Future, including the proposition to continue to charge students from elsewhere in the UK tuition fees in an independent Scotland, is consistent with and informed by legal advice the government has received. The content of any legal advice is confidential. By long-standing convention, successive Scottish and UK governments have not disclosed the source or content of legal advice other than in the most exceptional circumstances.