§ Mr. Raymond S. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish the framework document for the new executive agency to administer student awards in Scotland.
§ Mr. LangI have agreed that the new agency established to administer student awards in Scotland should be known as the Student Awards Agency for Scotland; it commenced operations on 5 April. I am arranging for copies of the framework document to be placed in the Vote Office and in the Libraries of the House. I shall remain accountable to Parliament for the activities of the agency, but I am delegating to the chief executive full managerial authority for its day to day operation. For the future, I envisage that the agency will use its greater flexibilities to help meet increasingly demanding targets and to improve further its standards of service.
I will arrange for copies of the executive summary of the agency's corporate plan, which will detail the key performance targets I have set, to be made available shortly.