HC Deb 14 June 1994 vol 244 c455W
Mr. McFall

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many students are currently studying for a diploma in legal practice at each Scottish university.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Information collected by the Law Society of Scotland for the academic year 1993–94 is as follows:

University Number of Students
Aberdeen 92
Dundee 75
Edinburgh 116
Glasgow 113
Strathclyde 102
Total Scotland 498

Mr. McFall

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has of the total cost involved in funding a law student who completes an LLB and diploma in legal practice at a Scottish university.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The estimated cost of full public funding for a student completing a four-year LLB and a one-year diploma in legal practice is £28,550. This estimate assumes full funding of tuition by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and full student support based on elsewhere maintenance rates, no parental/spouse contribution and no excess travel.

Mr. McFall

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many students currently studying for a diploma in legal practice at Scottish universities have not yet secured a legal traineeship place.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The latest available estimate is 230.

Mr. McFall

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Scottish Education Department-funded places there are for the diploma in legal practice each year.

Lord James Dougals-Hamilton

Institutional grant funding for teaching at Scottish higher education institutions is now the responsibility of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. There is no separate category or allocation of funded or fees-only places for the diploma in legal practice. Taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses in law and legal studies are included but not specified by SHEFC in the broader category of "Social Sciences". The number of post-graduate student awards available for Scottish-domiciled students undertaking the diploma course in 1993–94 is 390. Other students may finance their own costs of tuition and maintenance.