§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what powers he has to intervene if reductions in funding threaten the quality of standards he has imposed on courses at St. Andrew's college, Bearsden. [30492]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe Secretary of State does not have any powers under the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 to require conditions to be attached to grants paid by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to individual institutions. It is for the council to decide how to allocate the resources available to it taking into account its assessment of quality of teaching, and other relevant evidence as to the needs of an individual institution and the higher education institution sector as a whole. Courses of initial teacher training are subject to the approval of my right hon. Friend and must comply with the guidelines issued by the Scottish Office Education Department.